Ford Falcon G6E EcoBoost 2015 Review

It’s kind of weird to think that any current-model Ford Falcon you might see driving down the road today is quite likely to have a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine – and not the traditional big Aussie six – under the bonnet.

When Ford undertook the job of re-working its 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine used in Focus and Kuga models to supplement the Falcon’s existing 4.0-litre in-line six, the intention was to upgrade the big car’s environmental credentials, both in terms of fuel economy and CO2 emissions, without compromising on-road performance.

Sceptics were amazed when the four-pot Falcon, when introduced in April 2012, proved in fact to be virtually as fast as the six on the road, and gave very little away aurally that it was half the size and had only two-thirds of the regular car’s cylinder count.

And, yes, it was also cleaner and more economical – incrementally.

In G6E form, the 176kW/353Nm EcoBoost Falcon is quoted at 8.7L/100km on the ADR Combined cycle where the 195kW/391Nm six-cylinder G6E returns 9.5 – not a huge difference and also mirrored proportionately in the CO2 figures, which are 206g/km for the G6E EcoBoost and 225 for the six-cylinder version.

In the real world, those figures are pretty meaningless. Our test G6E EcoBoost averaged 10.0L/100km over the course of a week where our most recent six-cylinder Falcon averaged 11.3 in a fairly representative mix of driving conditions.

Where the EcoBoost shines is the way it performs on the road. Cranking it over initially gives no aural clue to fact it’s a four-cylinder, and unless you’re consciously paying attention, there’s very little evidence that something other than a six is under the bonnet. Most passengers would be entirely unaware.

In fact it’s only on the open road, when the accelerator is tromped, that the turbo four becomes noticeably audible. And even then there’s a muted, kind of sweet sound indicating a happiness to rev if that’s what you want. The EcoBoost is encouraged in every way by the responsive six-speed automatic transmission.

Although there’s some drop in the power-weight ratio (the four-cylinder’s lower power-torque figures are partly compensated by a kerb weight reduction, from 1755kg to 1688), the EcoBoost never feels wanting for get up and go.

The lower weight has a positive effect on handling too. With the car’s overall bulk spread more favourably, the EcoBoost feels lighter at heart than the already-impressive six-cylinder Falcon models and adds to its ability to track securely and respond accurately to inputs through the nicely weighted, tactile steering.

The G6E’s mildly sporting suspension tune helps here too. It’s not as uncompromising as an XR8, but there’s still a nice, reassuring tautness about the G6E EcoBoost Falcon on the road, indicating Ford’s belief that the driver is a pretty important part of the overall picture.

There is one deficit that could have meaning for many potential customers though: EcoBoost Falcons are not rated to tow more than 1600kg.

This puts aside plans of towing a seven-metre caravan around Australia, and is well short of the six-cylinder version’s ability to pull as much as 2300kg.

That aside, the EcoBoost G6E remains a big, classy-looking and relatively luxurious family car that will gobble up the country miles in comfort.

The cabin is well fitted out with standard sat-nav via an 8.0-inch, high-resolution LCD that also displays the rear-view camera, dual-zone climate-control, leather trim with a power-adjusted driver’s seat that includes three-way memory (the front passenger’s seat is manually adjusted though) and a nine-speaker sound system with digital (DAB+) radio.

The rear-view camera is especially useful because it has a modicum of ability to see around a large vehicle that may be parked alongside, spotting oncoming cars well before they move into the driver’s peripheral vision. The camera is also placed so that the towball can be seen when reversing – handy when hooking up that mini caravan.

Ford’s latest SYNC2 infotainment system is also part of the deal and includes voice control for numerous functions, including phone, audio and climate-control. Also standard are Emergency Assistance and traffic alert – the latter tending towards over-zealousness with its tendency to continue warning the driver of upcoming congestion even when the car is already well immersed in total gridlock. It’s made especially irritating through muting of the radio during the warnings.

Another annoying trait was the inability of the ignition lock to recognise whether or not the key has been removed. More than once, the car beeped a strident warning that key was still inserted, even though it wasn’t.

The general quality of the G6E interior is acceptable, though it’s one area of the Falcon that shows its age. The dash is soft-touch, the voice-controlled infotainment system is easy to grapple with and there’s a deep centre storage bin/armrest. But the trim, especially for a premium variant, remains a bit drab and the overhead grab handles snap shut like a sub-$15,000 light car. The G6E’s basic roots are entirely detectable.

However, the boot is handily large, with a decent load-though into the interior and a lowish floor made possible through the use of a space-saver spare wheel. The Falcon plays its role as a big family sedan exceedingly well.

The interesting thing about the EcoBoost Falcon is that Ford gives customers a cost-free choice between four and six cylinders. In whatever form you decide to take your Ford family sedan, the price is exactly the same. The only real difference, apart from incremental economy improvements, concerns the reduced towing capacity.

And the significance of that probably depends less on the EcoBoost Falcon’s limitations than the way people tend to use their full-size sedans these days.

Also consider:
>> Holden Commodore Evoke (from $35,490 plus ORCs)
>> Mazda Mazda6 (from $33,460 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Camry Hybrid (from $35,490 plus ORCs)