THE Ford Falcon is the longest-running name plate on the Australian car market having been on sale here since the release of the XK model in September 1960.
Since 1978 it has competed head-to-head with the Holden Commodore.
After dominating the contest through most of the 1990s, the big Ford came down with a thud in September 1998 with the launch of the AU series.
While the AU was a good enough car in the important areas of rugged build, longevity and ride and handling, it had radical, new-generation styling that many buyers in this class hated with a passion.
The front end was generally acceptable to most, though there were some who disliked the so-called ‘waterfall’ grille in the lowest cost model, the Falcon Forte.
It was at the tail that the AU received its greatest criticism. It fell away sharply and gave the car a weak appearance totally out of character with Falcon’s tough reputation.
To compound Ford Australia’s problems, Holden had come up with a particularly good shape for its new VT Commodore, released a year before the AU.
In September 2002 Ford Australia gave the AU a huge makeover to produce the BA Falcon.
This more conservative car was a success from the day it was introduced, though it still lagged behind the Commodore in the sales race most of the time.
We now have the BF Falcon with a body that’s totally based on that of the BA series.
There are some visual differences – the headlights, foglights (where fitted) and taillights have all been altered, and there are new designs of wheels (or the wheel covers in the case of the lower-cost variants).
The Fairmont Ghia probably carries more changes than the rest of the range, with a chromed strip running right around the vehicle to complement the bumpers and side anti-rubbing strips.
Keen car spotters will also be able to pick the new Fords by changes to the paint colours on offer.
Inside there are changes to the trim and fabrics throughout the BF range.
The major changes in the BF Falcon are under the bonnet where there is now a six-speed automatic transmission used in several upmarket variants.
This transmission is based on a unit developed for Jaguar (Ford controls Jaguar these days) but Ford Australia has done a lot of work on its specifications.
The six-speed has numerous modifications to suit Australian drivers’ needs and desires. The new auto really is a sensational unit that’s virtually seamless in the way it feels.
The new automatic is an adaptive unit with a lot of manual overrides, which, thankfully, doesn’t attempt to out-think the driver as much as the four-speed did.
Coupled with numerous changes to the engine, particularly the 4.0-litre straight-six, Ford is claiming fuel consumption drops of as much as 11.3 per cent.
This is mainly achieved by much higher gearing at cruising speeds in sixth gear. This Falcon will lope along at well under 2000 rpm at 100 km/h. All engines have been modified, with slightly more power in most cases.
Not all of the Falcon range have the new automatic transmission – the lower-cost models still use the old four-speed. However, it has received numerous refinements to improve the way it works.
Both the six and eight cylinder engines in the BF have been uprated from the BA.
The most common engine fitment will be the straight six and it has been uprated from 182 to 190, gaining a new title of Barra 190 as a result.
Similar power changes see the latest engines tagged as Barra 245T (six-cylinder turbo), Barra 230 (single-cam V8) and Barra 260 (twin-cam V8).
Changes to all engines weren’t simply made to increase power and Ford has worked hard to reduce fuel consumption and emissions at the same time.
All engines now meet Euro III requirements.
These not only specify emission limits but also state that the engine should have an onboard diagnostic system that keeps a constant eye on emissions and reports to the driver if the set levels have been exceeded.
Ford’s big Falcon is an excellent machine.
While the phrase ‘a great Australian road car’ may sound a bit hackneyed these days, it really does sum up the Falcon to perfection.
On the open road it’s a superb tourer which has the ability to soak up bumps, hold the road even when pushed hard and to do so with a minimum of fuss and reasonably good fuel consumption.
Inquire about the Ford range at David Nutter Ford, 749 Princes Highway, Berwick, phone 8768 2222, or Freeway Ford, 200 High Street, Cranbourne, phone 5991 2300.
