New Car Test - Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo

19 November, 2002

A brilliant full-size performance package at a bargain price...

Words by Michael Knowling, Pix by Julian Edgar

Awesome, simply awesome. Ford Australia has held nothing back with the release of its new Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo and the result is good enough for it to become the next cult car. Consider the XR6T 'big picture' for a moment; here's a freshly styled full size sedan with a modern tech turbocharged engine capable of 240kW and enough low-to-mid range torque to make a big 5.7-litre V8 cry.

And - to really stir a commotion - the 5-speed manual XR6 Turbo kicks off at only $43,965!

The new turbo engine is fantastic; it offers good throttle response (at least as good as any other turbo car on the market) and it's supremely flexible at all revs. No need to row gears in the XR turbo because with a 450Nm torque plateau available between 2000 - 4500 rpm she'll pull away instantly. Oddly, though, the engine is dead easy to stall when gently driving away from a standing start - you need a few revs onboard before you release the clutch pedal. Reaching to the other end of the rev range, the big six feels strong to just over 5000 rpm and there's only minimal vibration through to the rev limiter. Note that the rev limiter varies from about 5800 and 6200 rpm depending on conditions and, therefore, there's no redline marked on the tacho.

Unfortunately, the rest of the XR6T driveline feels like it's from a previous era of muscle cars...

The standard BTR T5 5-speed manual gearbox whines and growls while, out back, the diff clunks and snatches as you get on and off the power. With barely 4,000 kilometres on the clock of our test car we can't help wonder how tired it'll feel at, say, 40,000 kays. Lucky there's a 3-year/100,000-kilometre warranty... The clutch pedal is slightly heavier than your average car but, considering the torque it has to live with, that's perfectly excusable. Note that an automatic sequential sports shift version of the XR6T is also available.

You can't help admire how effortlessly the XR6 Turbo 5-speed can outrun the fabled Impreza WRX and run alongside a 5.7-litre Commodore. Giving it just a gentle launch with two people onboard we hand-timed a 0 - 100 km/h sprint in 6.6-seconds. With a bit of practice, though, we reckon the XR could crack 6-seconds flat - seriously cookin'.

As you'd expect, hauling around the 1732-kilogram kerb mass at such pace does drain the 68-litre fuel tank pretty rapidly. However, averaged over typical city/urban driving, we returned a consumption figure of about 15-litres per 100 kilometres (with optimal performance coming from premium unleaded fuel). Note that the turbo Falc will allow you to reach quite decent economy figures if you drive it gently - there isn't the constant frictional losses associated with a big cube V8.

The new Control Blade independent rear suspension - despite the controversy surrounding it - performs remarkably well. The turbo 4.0-litre gets its goods to the bitumen very effectively (unless provoked into doing something antisocial) and the rear feels well tied down through corners. Initial turn-in response is good, typically followed by slight understeer and - a little further through - the chassis will happily accept early application of the afterburner. Mid-corner throttle modulation shows excellent front-to-rear handling balance, while the standard Dunlop SP Sport 3000 235/45 17s inspire with a high level of grip.

The standard diff on the XR6T is a ratchet-style limited slip unit with the added effectiveness of electronic traction control. The traction system performs very well in the majority of instances but it is still possible to degenerate into bulk wheelspin; it's not the sort of traction control that makes this a car you could safely let anyone drive in any condition.

Not surprisingly, the suspension settings are firmer than you'll find in the cooking model Falcons but, overall, the ride is exceptional; there's absolutely no uncomfortable harshness over any normal road surfaces. A top job by the Ford engineers.

The XR6T's power rack and pinion steering arrangement is nicely weighted and doesn't tramline, but - like many cars in this class - there is some on-centre vagueness. The standard ABS brakes on the XR6T also do a fine job overall, though - given the low base price - we'd highly recommend buyers hand over an extra $2950 for the premium brake upgrade. This will improve safety, retained value and - of course - provides something else to stand back and perve at. The giant anchors would also be better suited to towing large loads; Ford say the XR6T manual is good for lugging up to 1200 kilograms, while the auto version is rated anywhere up to 1600 kilograms.

And now onto the XR6 Turbo's body and interior...

Ford has made monumental improvements with the appeal of the new Falcon range. The BA is distinguished by its quad front headlights (which also happen to perform very well) and classy rear-end, while the Turbo model catches the eye with a tasteful body kit, driving lights, a chrome oval exhaust tip and 17 x 8 alloys. The lightening straight-line performance is given away by TURBO lettering on the bootlid and the intercooler nestled in the front air dam. Oh, and you'll be pleased to hear the XR6 body kit causes no ground clearance issues - not like one other local six-cylinder winged warrior recently tested...

Onboard, the XR turbo offers abundant space, excellent comfort and plenty of features. Like all BAs, there's plenty of headroom above the cranium of a 190cm tall front occupant and - with the seat slid back - there's so much legroom it's almost impossible for your feet to touch the firewall... In the rear there's also plenty of headroom for people up to about 190cm, plus generous shoulder, knee and foot space. The XR6's sports seating is comfortable and supportive and the driving position is very good, though some drivers said they didn't like the small, fat feeling of the leather steering wheel.

The new Ford really has a leg over the opposition with its brilliant central LCD panel, which displays air conditioning/ventilation status, time and audio settings. Sun glare is avoided in 99 percent of situations. The main controls are well laid out and easy to use, the only exception is the buttons for the traction control, driving lights, boot and fuel flap release buttons are obscured.

Standard equipment extends to twin front airbags, air conditioning (no climate control), remote central locking, cruise control, power windows, mirrors and driver's seat, aluminium Momo gearknob (plus the aforementioned leather wrapped steering wheel), adjustable front seat lumbar support, 4-way electric driver's seat adjustment, adjustable seatbelt anchorages with seatbelt pre-tensioners and a trip computer. An all-new CD/tuner sound system features digital sound processing (DSP) and has good clarity and punch up to high listening levels.

The instrument binnacle houses a 260 km/h speedo, redline-less tacho, fuel and temp gauges and an LCD trip computer. Blue LED nighttime illumination and a backlit XR logo make the instrument cluster look trick, but the 'Seiko style' gauge surrounds clutter the viewing area.

Overall build quality is noticeably better than we've seen on earlier Falcons. Paint quality is very good, panel margins are decent and - at last - a trim piece has been added to finish the fuel filler surround. It seems Ford has been reading our criticisms of previous cars... Things are still short of being perfect, however. Our test car was missing a section of its external roof trim, the twin cup holders in the console feel a bit rough'n'ready, there's only base coat colour under the bonnet, we didn't like the rubber plumbing between the intercooler and throttle and the boot finish is substandard. Not only is the boot floor as undulating as a rocky road, the carpet edges aren't stitched and it scrunches up in a mess whenever a weighty object slides across it. The boot is partially redeemed by its abundant space (which is maximised with use of twin gas support struts), split fold-forward rear backrest and a full-size spare under the chipboard floor.

Still - for just $43,965 - you can't complain about a few gnarly bits. This is, unquestionably, the bargain performance buy of the last five years. Don't believe it? Well, the comparably priced Subaru WRX is smaller, lesser equipped, slower and, in many ways, lower-tech while the offerings from Holden don't stack up well against the Ford. Sure, the VY Commodore SV8 undercuts the XR6T by about $3500, but it's so far behind in equipment and appeal it's not funny. The vehicle closest to the spec of the XR6T must be the new SS Commodore, but - at around $5500 extra - it's nowhere near as good value. We'd much rather buy an XR6T, give it the premium brake package and a few options - maybe side airbags and a power sunroof - and come away with a few bucks change...