FPV F6 Tornado 2007 Review

Road Test

The performance utes from Holden and Ford and their respective performance partners HSV and FPV are often described as Australia's own version of the sportscar. There is no denying the Aussie bit -- utes are a defining part of our automotive culture -- and if you look at the sports tag, these big brutes feature two-doors, minimal interior space, and performance characteristics that do indeed put many coupes and soft-tops to shame.

In the red corner, the VZ-based Maloo is strictly V8 but over in the blue corner, FPV recently launched its latest generation BF MkII version of the turbo straight-six ute known as the F6 Tornado. First launched in 2005 as a BA MkII, this latest upgrade included bigger 19-inch alloys shod with extremely low-profile 245/35 rubber, a cheaper leather option and some minor styling changes.

Priced from $54,170, the Tornado is the cheapest means of getting into an FPV, but as evidenced by the car we tested (that would cost more than $60K to get on the road), it is still a whack of money for a ute. Then again, the Tornado is no ordinary ute...

On the comfort and convenience front, the F6 is well-specced with standard kit including manual aircon, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and four-way electric driver's seat adjustment, and a superb sounding six-stack CD audio system. The leather trim for the big bolstered and comfortable seats adds a grand while the hard tonneau and sports bar cost $3900. The latter may add to the wild boy aesthetics of the car but it does make it less practical by further restricting the already limited rear vision and effectively reducing the load space.

While obviously not a workhorse, the rear loadbed is still rated to just over 500kg capacity and inside the cabin, the FPV well outdoes its Holden rivals for space, with plenty of storage spaces, big door bins and ample room behind the seats to keep valuables, stow the shopping or throw in a sports bag.

As its aesthetics indicate, the Tornado is not designed to cart a load of tradies tools and equipment and as you fire up the engine via the dash-mounted starter button, you start to appreciate this car's primary purpose.

Plant the right foot and the response from the 270kW/550Nm 4.0-litre turbo straight six is immediate and forceful. Although it generates a peak power of 20kW less than FPV's 5.4-litre V8 engine, it has 30Nm more torque and with the benefit of the turbo, will pull easily from about 2000rpm right through to about 7000rpm. This makes the six a supremely flexible powerplant -- nowhere is there even a hint of turbo lag and whatever your speed, a forceful throttle application simply makes the car surge forward with enthusiasm.

In our test car, the engine was mated to the very slick and smooth ZF six-speed automatic -- a no cost option -- and while it offers a manual mode, such is the spacing of the ratios and quick response from the transmission, that it is rarely needed.

Despite the lowered sports-tuned suspension and very low-profile rubber, the ride is surprisingly compliant and helped by great seats and a relatively long wheelbase, the F6 offers more than enough comfort for a fuss-free ride on decent roads.

Head off onto a rough country C-grade road, and the quality of the ride still remains impressive. There is no doubt it is very firm but there is enough compliance to still soak up small ruts and bumps.

The flipside of the firm ride are handling qualities that belie the car's ute body style and live rear axle. Even without any load in the rear, the car sits extremely flat and solid on the road easily following the line defined by the well-weighted, meaty steering.

Despite putting a vast amount of torque through the rear axle, the balance of the chassis and abundance of grip from the big fat tyres -- in the dry at least -- ensures the intervention of the traction control is kept to a minimum. On the dirt sections across our test route, the Tornado still proved to have huge amounts of grip with the rear end moving out only slightly before the well-calibrated traction control kicked in.

This is a car that can be driven hard yet still responds with the composure and a degree of forgiveness that you wouldn't normally associate with an extremely powerful rear-drive ute and there is also the bonus that you can still throw a few tools or toys in the back.

Definitely an Aussie sportscar!

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