Ford Falcon XR6 Review
Having a spare day in Queenstown following a conference I was attending and having wandered around the lovely town that is Queenstown I decided I would hire a car and visit some of the nearby locations. Avis provided me with a FG Ford Falcon XR6 falcon (see pictures) and I set off from Queenstown to Glenorchy and back again before heading to Arrowtown and a few places in between.
The roads in New Zealand are for the most part very good and in particular the Queenstown to Glenorchy road is exceptional and a great place to test out the Ford Falcon XR6. The first thing I noticed about the Ford Falcon XR6 is an improvement in seating position and the layout of controls. The seats were firm and held you well with the electric height adjustment working well. The rest of the interior was very well laid out and while somewhat higher quality than previous Falcons I have driven the layout for the large part was the same – it is nice to have a familiar set of controls.
Where the Ford Falcon XR6 excelled was in its performance and handling. The engine had adequate power to get up and down the hills and the semi-automatic gearbox was well matched to the engine. On a road that has its share of tight corners and chicanes (see photos) the Ford Falcon XR6 was exceptionally well balanced with little body roll. The brakes are excellent and the steering provided excellent feedback to you as a driver.
In terms of downsides the steering wheel controls still remain cluttered and there was a fair bit of road noise when all windows were up.
As with all Falcons there is ample room in the front and back the boot is more than adequate for the typical Australian family. The Ford Falcon XR6 was very entertaining and fun to drive and I would highly recommend it as an excellent family car that has the potential to provide a bit of fun when required.
Ford Falcon XR6
Power: 195kw @ 6000 rpm*
Torque: 391Nm @ 3250*
Price: Around $36,990
Date of test – August 2009
Location – Queenstown, New Zealand
Category: Reviews
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