FPV Force 6 2007 Review

Road Test

FPV is on a mission to take the fight up to Mercedes, BMW and HSV in the luxury, high performance sedan market. And first impressions are that its opening shot is very good. The high end of town is new territory for the Ford hot house -- though it's used to spoilers and stripes, the FPV crew has never produced an out-and-out luxury bruiser before but it has aimed high -- and hit the mark.

The model in question is dubbed the Force and FPV is offering it with two engine choices -- the Force 6 with a Typhoon-sourced turbo six-cylinder ($71,590) and the Boss 290 V8-powered Force 8 ($71,990). It's a bit like offering both Moët and Bollinger at a dinner party. They're both fine plonk, but they suit different tastes.

The Force 8's Boss V8 with 290kW has power bragging rights and will suit those for which horsepower is king. The connoisseur's choice, we suspect, will be the fantastic 4.0-litre inline turbo Force 6. It may have 20kW less power but a whopping 550Nm (30Nm more torque than the Force 8) is the telling statistic in day-to-day conditions.

We tested the Force 6 and can vouch that in this installation the turbo 'six' is almost perfect under all circumstances bar economy runs. It provides thundering straightline speed, coupled with the ZF six-speed auto is well behaved in the peak hour crawl, and with great low-down torque will pull away cleanly without histrionics from any speed. Plus it will go and go until you run out of road!

As noted above, the only transmission option in the Force range is Ford's ZF-sourced creamy six-speed auto unit. It's a perfect choice both for the engine and also for the 'executive express' nature of the car. The complete drivetrain is a pleasure to use and will provide effortless driving and, when you want it, exhilaration in spades.

The Force 6's suspension set-up is borrowed from the F6 Typhoon sedan (and in turn from the GT-P). It presents as a neat balance between a taught ride and just enough comfort.

FPV has long had a reputation for fine chassis dynamics and the Force 6 is no exception. Steering effort seems a touch heavier than cooking-model Falcons (probably due to the smaller, thicker rimmed steering wheel) but that doesn't degrade the feel or feedback offered. The sedan rides smoothly on the road but there is enough edge (and sharp turn-in response) to give the car a real sporting feel.

And when it comes time to stop, the Force delivers the reassurance and safety of a powerful ABS-equipped Brembo package to match the car's considerable performance potential.

Visually, the Force 6 is very low key. Based on Ford's revised BF MkII short wheelbase flagship, the Fairmont Ghia, its  restrained look begins at the bitumen with the 6 and its stablemate cars sitting on five-spoke 'Chrome Shadow-finish' alloys with low-profile Dunlop tyres. Gone is the aircraft carrier-sized rear wing of other FPV models -- in its place is a clean silhouette with only the vestige of a rear lip in evidence.

What is more noticeable though is the car's 'jewellery' with chromed mirror scalps and grille, fog light and rear numberplate surrounds. It's an acquired taste perhaps, but far from over the top.

Inside there's more good news. The Force range come with standard Regency Red leather seats and trim (charcoal grey is a no cost option) and once your eyes have adjusted to the bold colour what you are left with are some of the best seats we can recall -- in any luxury car. The comfy seats and refined cabin ambience add a further dimension to the luxury look and feel of the car and fits the bill perfectly.

The Force pairing's Euro rivals are far more expensive, not only to buy, but to maintain. For a touch over 70 big ones the Force 6 is hard to go past if you are really using your head. At around half the price and with more power and torque than the 'name' sporting sedans, the Force 6 might have some buyers questioning the real value of German badging. That said, HSV's new Senator is a truer, more direct competitor in both price and power.

Having had an established luxury cruiser in its line-up means Team Red has a leg up on the crew from Campbellfield for the moment. Note, however, that FPV has hit this specialist market punching hard and fast -- and it will draw blood...