Falcon Quest: Ford Falcon (2003)

June 11,2003

There’s something strange about Australian wildlife. Take the impossibly cute koala bear, or the bizarre duck-billed platypus. Exit the zoo, hit the streets, and you’ll find that this characteristic has also boiled down to the continent’s cars, from the sedan-front/pickup-rear creatures called utes to the discreetly superpowered four-door sedans. We couldn’t visit the land down under without sampling a genuine Aussie vehicle, and we were able to rein in one of the latest of home-grown cars, the new Ford Falcon.

The Ford Falcon is something of a hybrid itself: its mother must have been a staid family sedan and its father a well-tuned muscle car. The basic Falcon begins with the understated looks of a four-door; its 4916-mm length and 1864-mm width puts it half a size above our common references here in Asia such as the Accord. Looks do matter in today’s competitive sedan market, but the all-new Falcon still carries a conventional silhouette. For the XR sport versions, Ford had something else in mind. Add quad headlamps scalloped into the front bumper, mesh grille, fog lamps, side and rear skirts, and a high-arched rear spoiler, and the Falcon begins to swagger menacingly.

Details count for a lot and the Falcon’s can hold its own with a luxury car. Tight panel gaps, backlight-integrated antenna, and washer nozzles hidden behind the hood attest that the car received a lot of attention from the designers.

Attention to detail is also evident in the interior. The center console is canted slightly toward the driver, and all switches are rotary or push-type. Everything clicks and détentes pleasantly, with most surfaces marked by Braille-type dots to allow tactile distinction. The trim surrounding the switches and center console have actual metal deposition on their surface for a smooth feel. The steering wheel has a suitably thick rim, and incorporates audio and cruise control switches.

A large screen dominates the center dash, displaying stereo and aircon settings. The screen displays DVD satellite navigation data, which is an optional system. The rev and speed gauges are rimmed with metal, emulating the look of an upscale watch. The markings are backlit with soft blue LEDs, providing a soothing glow for nighttime driving.

The Falcon has family sedan genes, so both front and rear seating areas are spacious. Seating position feels low compared to the more upright pose favored by the latest subcompacts. Still, visibility is good and you can still look an Impreza driver in the eye. The front buckets are supportive and there’s enough bolstering for the ribcage and thighs. The rear seat is also slightly bolstered; they’re generous for two and adequate for three persons.

The long hood allows for a wide range of engines, all of them large. Base here means a 4.0-liter inline-6, while the top of the range packs a 5.4-liter V8. Our XR6T test car was endowed with a 4.0-liter straight-6, and as if that displacement wasn’t enough, an intercooled Garrett GT40 turbo is bolted on, boosting the power to 321 bhp and a massive 450 Nm available from just 2000 to 4500 rpm. This isn’t about brute power, though. The engine carries the most modern technology, from a DOHC 24-valve head to infinitely-variable timing on both camshafts.

The engine starts with a gravelly bark and settles into a softly growling idle. Prodding the throttle results in instant surges of torque. Thankfully all of it is channeled to the rear tires, and to help the grip further, a limited-slip differential and traction control system are standard. The throttle itself is drive-by-wire, with the pedal acting as a mere electronic switch, the computer performing the actuation of the throttle plate.

A 4-speed auto takes care of the shifting duties. The boatload of torque ensures that there’s immediate response even in high gears. A heavier press of the pedal, and e AT obliges with a quick downshift. Pushing the gearlever left of D engages the sport mode, cutting down the response time and moving the shift points higher. The sport mode also has a sequential manual mode, by pushing forward for downshifts and pulling for upshifts. The manual mode allows revving up to redline without an automatic upshift; the limiter cuts in smoothly. In manual mode, the gearbox still shifted itself down with a floored pedal. Of course, the system goes to first gear during stoplights and stays there until the next manual upshift. The sequential shift makes for entertaining driving, but passengers may balk at the sharp dips and surges that they were not expecting.

Ignoring the pleas of our passengers, we tried leaving the transmission in first gear, we soon discovered that after a smooth launch, the Falcon warps to 80 km/h while still in first. After that, we thought it most prudent to leave it in D lest we get thrown in an Australian jail.

Brakes are up to the task of hauling down this 1694-kg beast. Large discs stand ready at all four corners. The brakes had a tendency to squeal in town, but they stopped straight and true even from triple-digit speeds.

The Falcon may be a large car, but its highly reactive steering makes it feel smaller the faster it goes. If anything, it reminded us of the lively Focus, and we weren’t surprised to find that it also carries a control blade independent rear suspension, similar to its European cousin’s.

The Falcon won’t win any fuel economy records, but it wasn’t a consummate gas guzzler, either. For all that heavy-right-foot driving, we returned 5.4 km/liter, with the trip meter claming a 6.80 km/liter average for the car.

The Falcon carried its dual nature extremely well, being equally happy ferrying people around town and blasting down the well-patrolled highways. Perhaps next time we can find one of Australia’s famed no-limit highways. We know just the car we want to bring along for the drive.

motioncars.com thanks Ford Australia for our five days of hunting with the Falcon XR6T.

To find out more about this amazing sedan, log-on to their website at www.ford.com.au

By Jason Ang | Photos By Jason Ang

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