Ford Falcon XR Sprint 2016 Review

Ford Falcon XR6 and XR8 Sprint sedans
Australian Launch Review
Hobart, Tasmania

It's the end of an era and, to celebrate 55 years of Ford's Australian-made Falcon before it's retired in October, the XR Sprints arrive as the final -- and finest – home-grown Blue Oval sports sedans ever produced. Priced from just $54,990, the auto-only, sold-out XR6 Sprint improves on the standard XR6 Turbo in all key areas, mostly notably its 325kW/576Nm 4.0-litre turbo-six. Limited to just 500 units, it delivers up to 370kW/650Nm in overboost, making it the most powerful Australian-made six-cylinder production car. The XR8 Sprint, meantime, offers an upgraded 345kW/575Nm supercharged 5.0-litre V8 matched to both manual and automatic gearboxes. Just 750 will be available in Australia, priced from a bargain $59,990.

Cars like these aren't released every day. In fact in this case, the Falcon XR Sprints bring together everything Ford Australia knows for the first and last time.

With production of Ford's oldest surviving nameplate ending in a little over six months after almost 56 years, the importance of the final Falcon sports sedans can't be understated.

The fact that almost all of the 1400 examples to be built are already sold before production begins later this month proves the occasion isn't lost on blue-bloods.

As the last in a long line of home-grown Falcons, no matter what our assessment, the XR Sprints are bound to be instant classics -- collector's items to be cherished for decades and generations to come, and enduring legacies of eight generations of a model that was once the nation's favourite.

Take off the rose-coloured glasses, however, and any objective analysis confirms Ford pulled out all stops to ensure this pair of big Aussie sports sedans are the best of the Falcon breed.

Ford was acutely aware it needed to deliver more than a cosmetically enhanced special-edition ("They would’ve crucified us if we'd done a sticker kit," said chief engineer David Burn), and both Sprints show a depth of local engineering capability that should live on in the product development of imported Fords to come.

The company won't say what its bean-counters allocated for the final fast Falcons, but it's clear that whatever the budget was, Ford spent it wisely.

We'll publish a detailed analysis of our performance tests of the XR6 Sprint from the launch soon but, for now, take it from us that the final XR6T is quicker than the full-time model it replaces, which itself was no slouch.

That means it's the quickest six-cylinder Falcon (and therefore the quickest Australian-made six) ever, if not the quickest Falcon ever.

Ford won't reveal official performance times, but says the XR8 manual is quickest if launched correctly, followed by XR6 auto and then the XR8 auto, but that all three cars are within a few tenths of each other to 100km/h.

Blue Oval insiders say the upgraded force-fed six and eight-cylinder engines — which deliver up to 370kW and 400kW in overboost, with both engines packing up to 650Nm of torque — and revised chassis yield slightly quicker 0-100km/h acceleration, with more power and more grip yielding times lower than the best achieved for the standard 270kW XR6 Turbo, which was good for as low as 4.5 seconds.

Our testing at the launch bears that out. Our very first run in the XR6 produced a 4.6-second 0-100 run – despite two occupants, a full tank and at least 30kg of luggage on board.

Even if they didn't feel quite as quick off the line as the old XR6T – probably because of the absolute lack of wheel spin with traction control on or off, in Sport mode – subsequent runs on different surfaces throughout the day were the same or a tenth or two slower, proving the XR6 Sprint is consistently quick in a variety of conditions.

Thanks to a heavy clutch, notchy shift gate and the fact it won't allow you to dial up more than 3500rpm with the clutch in, we couldn't get the XR8 manual to accelerate as quickly. In short, technique is crucial to launch the manual eight efficiently, and there's no doubt more time to finesse the right amount of clutch slip off the line would yield better results.

And while the V8 delivers an intoxicating engine and exhaust note, accompanied by a hairy-chested supercharger growl, it's the ballistic turbo-six of the XR6 Sprint that most impresses.

Despite the overload of performance everywhere and significantly more muscular mid-range torque than before, it gets its power to the ground more efficiently than ever, building speed with effortless ease and almost always having more in reserve no matter the occasion.

The XR6 also points slightly better than the XR8, no doubt due to its 54kg kerb weight advantage, most of which is over the front wheels (the XR6 auto weighs 1818kg, with the XR8 manual at 1869kg and the auto at 1872kg).

It turns in slightly more crisply than the V8, understeers less at the limit and is more willing to hold a chosen line on tight or tightening bends.

In most hands, the XR6 will be quicker around most racetracks, but although both cars are a delight to steer at all speeds, Ford's efforts to dial in more stability at speed means they require a bit more steering lock to change direction at highway velocity.

There's a refreshing lack of steering kick, rattle or any interference whatsoever even in the most heavily corrugated hairpin bends, which is something some German sports sedans fail to achieve.

Also demonstrating a real depth of engineering talent, the revised chassis in both cars results in outstanding ride quality, too. Both cars remain comfortable on the roughest of surfaces despite low-profile 19-inch Pirelli P Zero rubber and a firm, high-performance suspension setup that delivers an impressive lack of body roll.

Again, the XR8 feels a little heavier and less settled on lumpy surface, but both cars offer outstanding roadholding and cornering traction in spite of the mountain of torque.

The package is rounded out nicely by a subtle sports bodykit with edgier bumpers and larger foglight bezels up front, a discreet black bootlid lip spoiler at the rear, bodyside 'hockeystick' decals (with a neat '6' graphic for the XR6) and a black roof, wing mirrors and quad exhaust outlets for the XR8.

Completing the street-sleeper look are gold Brembo brake callipers behind cool black wheels, rear and side Sprint badging, and darkened headlights that emphasise the XR's trademark dual-beam design cue.

There's the obligatory build number plate on each engine and, for the XR6, a cool carbon-fibre intake, but changes inside are less extensive.

Shift paddles and a lower driver's seat would have made the Sprints even more complete (and we lament the lack of a Falcon Sprint Ute), but the budget extended only to Sprint-branded leather/suede seat trim, instrument gauges, scuff plates, gearshift surround and, for the XR8 manual, gearshift knob.

So the XR Sprints are the quickest, most complete and most sophisticated Falcon sports sedans ever, making them a true celebration of the brand just as Ford intended.

Holden is yet to reply before its home-grown Commodore is also resigned to history, but if this is Australian car-making heritage in the making, we should all be proud that Ford went out with a bang, not a whimper.

2016 Ford Falcon XR6 and XR8 Sprint price and specs:
On sale: May
Price: From $54,990 and $59,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre turbocharged in-line six-cylinder and supercharged 5.0-litre V8
Output: 325kW/576Nm and 345kW/575Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic and six-speed manual/automatic
Fuel: 12.8L/100km and 13.8/14.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 303g/km and 328/333gkm (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP)