FPV F6 and F6 Ute

What we liked
>> Push in the back performance
>> Unbeatable dynamics
>> Aggressive looks

Not so much
>> Mid-corner rack rattle inherited from donor Falcon, skipping rear axle from Ute
>> Ute NVH
>> Access to storage area behind seats in Ute

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 4.0/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

About our ratings

OVERVIEW
The big money to be made in big cars rests with two local companies that basically modify or re-build garden variety family hacks for higher performance.

One of those companies is Ford Performance Vehicles, a joint venture between Ford Australia and Prodrive. Prodrive has had something of a long association with Ford and -- more recently -- Toyota, through that company's local TRD operation.

Prodrive is headed by Dave Richards, who now has a large, vested interest in Aston Martin and was previously well known for his involvement with Ford in the World Rally Championship. Richards first came to prominence co-driving an Escort RS1800 with rally star, Ari Vatanen in the 80s. 

So Prodrive is not without credibility and expertise in the arena of high-performance motoring and the modification of sporting sedans for even greater competition potential -- as Subaru in the UK can attest.

But one gets the feeling that despite their best efforts, Prodrive and the FPV operation in Australia are hampered by the sort of budget that the other performance car modifier/manufacturer (HSV) might allocate for spring rolls during the suspension testing sessions at Phillip Island.

You have to speculate to accumulate, so the old saying goes. Yet there's a lasting impression that the new FPV range, good as it is, might have been better still with some more spondoolies to spend.

The FG Falcon-based FPV range is split in two. There are the turbocharged F6 models, available in sedan and Ute versions... and the V8-engined models, comprising the sedans (GT, GT-P and newly introduced GT E) plus the Utes (Pursuit and Super Pursuit). Here, we look at the F6 models.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
FPV has chosen to offer the six-speed ZF automatic transmission in the F6 sedan and Ute for the same price as the cars fitted with the six-speed TR6060 manual transmission.

In doing so, FPV has split the difference between the HSV competition, with the FPV manuals being more expensive than ClubSport/Maloo manual variants and FPV autos being cheaper than the ClubSport/Maloo autos.

The entry-level model for the entire range is the F6 Ute, priced from $57,990 -- and that's the same price as the V8-engined Pursuit Ute sibling. $8000 more expensive is the F6 sedan, at $65,990. That price too, is shared with the V8 counterpart, the FPV GT. If the price difference between F6 Ute and F6 sedan seems steep, it's a hike that appears to have been decided by HSV's own pricing structure.

Standard features for the F6 comprise a unique build plate, engine-start button, colour LCD information screen (optional for Ute), 260km/h speedometer, 8000rpm tachometer, oil pressure and temp gauges, turbo boost gauge, cruise control, trip computer, dual-zone climate control (single-zone only for Ute), external temperature display, remote steering wheel controls for cruise and audio, electric windows, alloy-faced pedals, courtesy lights, leather-bound steering wheel, suede-feel cloth trim for armrests and seat bolsters, embroidered sports seats, four-way electrically adjustable driver's seat, 60/40 split-fold rear seat, cupholders in centre armrest, six-disc in-dash CD audio system with iPod integration and MP3 compatibility (single-disc CD audio system only for Ute), Bluetooth connectivity, two-stage driver's front airbag, passenger airbag, curtain airbags, stability control program (N/A Utes), ABS/EBD, traction control, reverse parking sensors with acoustic alert function, remote central locking and an alarm.

Features that are fitted as standard to the F6 sedan, but not the Ute are available as options. These are colour LCD information display, dual-zone climate control and six-disc CD audio system.

Options for both F6 sedan and Ute include a premium brake package ($5547 for the F6 sedan and $3630 for the lower priced F6 Ute). Leather trim is also priced higher for the sedan ($2577, versus $1100 for the Ute). Satellite navigation is a $2455 option for the sedan and a $2000 option for the Ute.

MECHANICAL
Being based on the FG Falcon XR6 Turbo as it is, the F6 is a pretty well-known quantity. That said, the F6 makes some significant gains over the XR6T.

For a start, there are the power and torque differences. As compared with the 270kW of power and 533Nm of torque the XR6T develops, the F6 produces an extra 40kW of power (310kW) at 5500rpm and an extra 32Nm. Peak torque for the F6 models occurs across a broad rev range from 1950 to 5200rpm.

The 4.0-litre turbo six sticks with the tried and true configuration of DOHC and four valves per cylinder, but gains stronger pistons and conrods, a lower compression ratio (from 8.7:1 for the XR6T to 8.47:1), a new turbocharger capable of providing increased boost (up to 0.91 bar), larger intercooler and a new intake manifold, in the F6 application.

The engine drives through a single-plate clutch designed specifically for the F6 to the TR6060 six-speed manual transmission or the ZF six-speed automatic. FPV claims combined cycle fuel consumption figures of 12.3 (manual) and 12.1L/100km (auto) for the F6 variants.

Maximum engine speed for the F6 engine is a 'transient rev limit', meaning the auto transmission will hold the maximum (6250rpm) for only a couple of seconds at most before changing up a gear in the auto-transmission variants.

Drive from the transmissions runs to the rear of the car, where it's channelled through a limited slip differential and the IRS (sedan only) to the rear wheels. For the F6, FPV has carried over the major suspension components from the XR6T, admitting that there was no easy way to improve on the donor car's set-up, although springs for the FPV counterparts are firmer at the front. At the rear, the F6 adopts springs that are softer than those fitted to the XR6T.

The F6 Ute is suspended at the rear by leaf springs and a live axle. It's an unsophisticated system that doesn't compare with Holden's (and HSV's) multi-link IRS in the VE Ute and Maloo.

Cross-drilled and ventilated brake rotors fitted to the F6 measure 355x32mm at the front and 328x26mm at the rear. Four-piston calipers supplied by Brembo operate on the front wheels and single-piston calipers handle the task at the rear. As an option, the F6 sedan can be specified with a six-piston Brembo caliper/four-piston Brembo caliper combination for the front and rear, respectively. The F6 Ute can be optioned with six-piston calipers at front, without the four-piston rear calipers.

The standard alloy wheel and tyre combination comprises 19x8 wheels with 245/35 ZR19 Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres.

PACKAGING
As is the case for the base Falcon donor cars on which the F6 sedan is based, there's plenty of knee room in the rear of the sedan and rear-seat occupants can stretch out a little by tucking their feet under the front seat.

Headroom too is quite decent, although taller adults will find their heads brushing the headlining just forward of the rear window if they sit back.

Rear seat occupants have hot and cold air ducted their way through vents located in the rear of the centre console.

Whilst the standard seat trim for the F6 is a combination of 'Technique' cloth with 'Ebony Lux' suede-feel cloth for the side bolsters, the F6 vehicles on the media drive program were trimmed in the optional 'Technique' embossed leather with Miller suede-feel side bolsters.

Around the cabin, the F6 features a carbonfibre-like trim on doors and dash. The centre fascia and centre console boast a coordinating satin-finish silver plastic.

Two issues that irked us with the F6 Ute (and apply to all FPV's utility models too): there's no height adjustment for the seatbelt anchorages and, more importantly, the seats can't easily be tipped forward to gain access to the storage area (and the jack) behind the seats.

There are, in addition, a couple of features that have been left out of the F6 Ute specification, but are standard for the F6 sedan. These are dual-zone climate control, six-disc CD audio, colour LCD information display and indicators in the mirror shells.

SAFETY
Our comments about the respective safety of the FG Falcon range also apply to the new FPV range. The Utes have an advantage over their HSV equivalents by virtue of optional side-impact airbags and match the Maloos by offering stability control.

Some will argue that the Holden heads the Ford by offering a multi-link IRS system, while the Falcon and FPV Utes ride on a leaf-sprung live axle at the rear. Sounds to us like Fishermans Bend has opted for sophisticated ride and handling control at the rear, Broadmeadows has opted for its sophisticated system at the front.

Irrespective of the Ute situation, there's little doubt that the FPV sedans are broadly as safe as the HSV counterparts. HSVs may offer more torsional rigidity and overall body strength -- although that's not certain -- as well as a couple of additional (thorax-protection) side impact airbags. Overall, there's not much in it.

COMPETITORS
Rod Barrett, head of FPV, only sees one principal competitor for the FPV range. That competitor starts with 'H', ends with 'V' and has an 'S' in between.

But even HSV has nothing to compare with the turbocharged models from FPV. If anything, the F6 sedan may conceivably appeal more to prospective owners of the Subaru STI and Mitsubishi Evo X -- when the latter finally goes on sale.

As for the F6 Ute... given it's priced lineball with the V8-engined Pursuit Ute, it's going to be potentially cross-shopped against the Maloo R8, although FPV acknowledges that there's very little 'swing voting' going on. FPV buyers and HSV buyers tend to be of the mindset that never the twain shall meet.

And that brings us back to the F6 sedan also. Both it and the F6 Ute are likely to be compared with the HSV ClubSport R8 and Maloo R8, but frankly, their strongest competitors -- and the ones most likely to succumb to the F6's appeal in the marketplace -- are the FPV GT and Pursuit Ute.

ON THE ROAD
The drive program for the FPV range provided an opportunity to determine that the leaf-sprung rear axle is not ultimately as capable in the handling stakes as had seemed possible from the FG Ute launch. Sure, it's still very capable, but there was a tendency to skip over mid-corner bumps.

Despite that, it's still a surprisingly competent suspension system in the areas of ride and payload-carrying -- and most of the time, the handling and roadholding will not distract the driver from the job at hand.

The vehicles driven were FEUs (Ford's Field Evaluation Units) and as for the FG Falcon sampled this way, the FPV models exhibited some steering rack rattle in the corners. This is something Ford and FPV are presumably tackling as a matter of top priority.

Those are probably the only two significant concerns we have from driving the FPV range, although there was a persistent squeak on the driver's side from a couple of cards driven.

DSC is as good in the F6 sedan as it was in the FG Ford models tested recently. It worked very well on damp, twisty mountain roads and can correct the odd indiscretion on the part of the driver without detriment to pace. In fact, the stability control program is a feature best left on in most circumstances. It can correct a car's attitude faster and with more finesse than any driver and Ford's version is particularly adept.

The F6 rides very well and provides plenty of balance and feedback in the corners, with the Ute moving around on its suspension a little more than the sedan, understandably. In a gentler cornering attack, the steering requires occasional adjustment and feels weighted lighter than the base Falcon, even on low-profile tyres and 19-inch wheels.

During the drive program, fuel consumption from the F6 models averaged about 15.6L/100km, but the cars were getting a heavy work-out that day.

As with the donor car (XR6T Ute), the F6 Ute was noisier from the rear of the cabin, but the whole aural package for the F6 (sedan as well) was 'Wagnerian'. The turbo whine and the exhaust note leave the occupants in no doubt that these are serious cars.

Compared with the V8 engine FPV variants, the F6 models are just unrelentingly responsive. The remark by Bernie Quinn, head of powertrain engineering for Prodrive, that the turbo six is a "virtually lag-free engine", is right on the money.

Overtaking is effortless, but with full throttle applied, will still leave your adrenal gland feeling squeezed dry. There's torque on tap and, even from revs where the engine is not developing maximum torque (ie: below 1950rpm), the F6 is fuss-free and yet delivers the goods. For straight-line performance alone, an F6 model is pretty much the pick of the FPV range -- but that would be overlooking all the cars' other virtues.

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