Likes
German quality at half price; fabulous performance allied with impressive highway economy; dynamic driving experience.
Dislikes
Hard to believe, but the name of the car is its worst feature – what charisma lies in ‘G6E’? Only the ‘Turbo’ has resonance. The boot floor should be flat.
Dynamic Car, Dull Name
The XG Falcon range is thoroughly impressive so it stands to reason that the flagship model will be a true star. And so it is. Ford Australia’s marketing executives have tried harder than ever before to differentiate models aimed at the user-chooser, private buyer from the fleet cars in the lineup. The G6, G6E and G6E Turbo effectively replace the Futura, Fairmont and Fairmont Ghia. But all three offer higher levels of specification than their predecessors, while the flagship Turbo utterly trumps the old Ghia, thanks to the presence of the XR6 Turbo engine beneath its stylish bonnet.
Probably the most difficult thing to accept about this new style of premium Falcon (although we are not meant to call it a Falcon) is that embattled Ford Australia can bring such a superb car to market at what must be judged to be a bargain basement price. No, $54,990 could never be considered cheap, but look how much you get for your money. There is no room here to list the standard equipment so let’s just point out that the G6E Turbo costs $7500 more than the XR6 Turbo automatic but feels like a much more upmarket car, thanks to its premium leather-trimmed cabin, higher levels of refinement and more elegant exterior detailing highlighted by the heavily chromed grille which sets all the G6 models clearly apart from lesser Falcons.
If anything, the suspension settings represent an even better compromise than that afforded by the XR models. The lower ride height combines with more compliance to produce a superior ride with no discernible effect on handling at sub-racetrack speeds – the best of all worlds. And it is noticeably quieter. What Ford Australia has achieved with this car is a rival for the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class for about half the money. It is a claim some of us have been wanting to make for years, but until now it would not have rung quite true. The Ford G6E Turbo is a real driver’s car, which is the equal of these German models in steering feel, ride comfort, handling balance and comfort. But it easily beats them on performance. Perhaps the dashboard with Ford’s own take on the popular piano black theme falls half a notch short on perceived quality.
Both Ford and Holden have been trying to challenge the upmarket Germans for years, but both the Fairmont Ghia and the Calais have been let down by aspects such as finish and ambience. The G6E Turbo is the best attempt yet.
Like the XR6 Turbo, whose engine and optional six-speed automatic transmission it shares, this is a muscle car in terms of acceleration, while sipping surprisingly small amounts of fuel on the highway. Tall gearing equates to very low engine rpm, while the torque of the engine requires only small throttle openings to sustain speed under varying conditions.
