Revealed in March and having only gone on sale in May, Ford’s FG Falcon is both the newest of our assembled trio, and the catalyst for this 2000km run from Darling Harbour to the Darling basin.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock and not taking your monthly dose of Wheels as the doctor ordered, you’ve probably noticed how impressed our writers have been by the FG Falcon. But this test was crucial in that the G6 is where Falcon’s real user-chooser and private-buyer sales volume will be. And what better way to find out how competitive it is than on the punishing rural roads Falcons have long been renowned for eating up.
The expanses of NSW rural blacktop proved an ideal environment to test the substantial NVH improvements Ford’s engineers are claiming. Verdict? Pretty bloody good. The Falcon’s cabin is impressively hushed for a car at any price, least of all a $40K family sedan. Engine noise at cruising speeds is muted, there’s very little wind rustle and even coarse-chip tyre roar is kept to a dull minimum, despite the broad 235/50R17 rubber.
Flex the right calf to awaken the Falcon’s 4.0-litre in-line six, and you start to hear a different noise. Changes to the cylinder head and induction system have resulted in the sweetest sounding Falcon yet. The engine acoustics build into a full and throaty induction roar as the tacho sweeps past 4000rpm.
With a rich 195kW/391Nm, there’s acres of engine grunt, too, and it’s well harnessed by a smooth-shifting five-speed auto, with ratios chosen to keep the engine in its sweet spot.
The G6’s suspension tune is also outstanding. Quite obviously comfort-orientated, it nonetheless delivers a superb blend of compliance and control. The floodways which so troubled the Aurion are soaked up by the Falcon without fuss.
Impressively, when the road offers some twists and turns, the Falcon rises to the occasion. Mid-corner bumps are dispatched with ease, body control never wavers, ride comfort never deteriorates. The steering is crisp and decisive, the big Falcon turning in eagerly, the front tyres keying into the bitumen. Feed on the throttle and the rear-end exhibits terrific grip that is a fitting match for the car’s impressive inherent balance. Like the rival Commodore, this really is a fine-handling large sedan.
Bitumen and dirt-road testing revealed the ESP (or DSC in Ford speak) calibration to be subtle and expertly tuned. Indeed, on a sealed road you’re hard pressed to detect its activation, with only the blinking yellow triangle on the dash giving anything away.
The G6’s negatives are few. The steering suffers light kickback over corrugations, the brake pedal is initially a little spongy, the low-beam headlights offer inadequate penetration at night and, to some eyes, the FG doesn’t pack enough visual punch.
But if you can live with its conservative styling, the G6 oozes class. Possessed of the most convincing mix of abilities, this new Falcon is proof that the big Aussie six has never been a better buy.