|
|
||||
|
Road Test
Ford Falcon XR6 (BF series)
|
|||
Australia's Ford Falcon is almost a national icon. And there are many reasons why that is so.
Historically, cars of the Falcon class were considered family cars. These days Falcons are mostly
for government fleets, companies (including the traditional travelling salesman, sales person I meant
to say and the rental car industry), taxis and successful middle class folks who may or may not have
young children. But on the used car market, funnily, families flock Falcons feverishly. So when cars
like the Falcon XR6 hit the used car market you can be sure there is keen interest in them. The new car market appreciates the XR6 as well. Such is the popularity of the XR series that it is
difficult to imagine Falcons without the XR6. Whilst the Falcon XR6 isn't particularly fancy, it just looks good in an unsophisticated way. The
bright colours and the attractive alloy wheels play an important part in the packaging of the XR6.
And Ford has done a good job in packaging. The car itself is much larger than what is required for
the on-road tasks assigned to the Falcon (except in the case of taxis) that it is obvious that Ford
has determined just what strikes a chord with larger car buyers. Again, the Falcon XR6 plays a part
in evoking an image which has proven irresistible to Australian car buyers. It's this irresistible
attraction to the Falcon and, in my mind, the XR6 in particular, that is leading the Falcon towards
iconic status. 
So the Falcon concept is a winner, just like the Commodore concept is a winner for General Motors. But it seems the times are changing. Larger cars are falling in sales. And why shouldn't they. When I was young, there wasn't even one car per household. Today, there are multiple cars per household. There is a recognition that larger cars are not necessarily the required option when the kids grow up and acquire a vehicle of their own. And besides that, the national average age of each resident is increasing, thus further exacerbating the situation for the demand for larger cars. But it is here that the XR6 plays its part. The base model Falcon XT doesn't have an irresistible image, but the XR6 does. So Ford needs to maintain an interest in their products and a good way to do it is with packaging. The XR6 is an XT with slightly different trim and wheels but with a fancy coat of paint. At this point, you can be sure that I like the XR6! The Falcon XR6 packaging is a compelling case. Pricing for the BF Falcon is competitive. The XR6 6-speed auto is priced at $42,220 (RRP) without options. The attractive 'Menace' colour is a $400 option and there are options for the wheels. On the road, the Falcon drives in a manner which is considered normal. Adequate performance, good steering and ride (just a little softer than usual, more in an American fashion more so than any other) whilst the handling is 'normal' too. Which is better than it used to be but not up there with European cars such as the Peugeot 407 and Volkswagen Jetta. The six speed auto in the BF Falcon offers commendable gear changes. This new gearbox is a worthy enhancement to the Falcon's specification list. The gear changes were smooth and always seemed to be at the right time. Gone, it seems, is the changing into overdrive at constant low revs. But there is still one problem that Ford needs to address. The manual sequential change is the wrong way around! This is difficult for me to digest. Why should you push up to go down and pull down to go up? Hello, is anyone listening at Ford? 
Indeed, the Falcon isn't perfect. We've covered that in the past when we've detailed the use of cheap components. For example the lack of full coverage over the spare wheel. The boot carpet looks nice on the showroom floor, but after a few dozen trips to the supermarket the boot carpet will sag into the spare wheel well. Another $20 maybe and the spare wheel well could be covered, permanently. A few more dollars spent on plastic components and 'things' may not break. On this particular test car, only one plastic component broke. That was the 'hockey stick' shaped alloy-look trim in a back door armrest, which 'fell out' during our week with the car. In the many cars we've had over the years, only on Falcons have we experienced plastic components breaking or falling out. Just quietly, I'd like to see Ford spend a few more dollars on 'real' components and not look at the price alone. Falcon buyers are bound to enjoy a car without the fall-out, so to speak. The BF Falcon is a pleasant car to drive and you can be sure I consider it 'normal' to drive a car such as the Falcon. The XR6, in particular, looks the part. Ford offer an exceptionally attractive range of colours to choose from. But there are many cars on the market which draw no criticism. When will we see a Falcon join that list? | ||||
ABN 47106248033 |
 |
All rights reserved. |