Ford Falcon Ute 2008 review

Ford will find out within weeks whether its bold strategy to sell the FG Falcon sedan to a more female-slanted market will prove a success.

The same bold gamble is not being taken with its Ute range which hits the showrooms next month.

Ford is insistent on moving away from the `blokey, petrolhead' perceptions that have driven the Falcon sedan for almost 50 years, but the Ute approach will be far more traditional.

“The Ute will be a more traditional campaign,” Ford Australia marketing manager Kevin Lillie said, after outlining the company's strategies for the FG range.

The marketing for the Falcon sedan has involved trying to connect with new buyers in a more modern way through online entertainment, business and sports sites.

Such a strategy always has been seen as carrying some risks.

“We really think the large car needs customers who are relevant and more modern and who suit the style we are now in,” Lillie said after showing the new Falcon TV commercials which started last week.

“So we are going to take a risk with this campaign and try to turn it around.”

At the centre of the campaign is the new G-series which replaces the Futura and Fairmont Ghia and which have very much a European flavour.

The Ute approach is not going down the “softly-softly” line of being the preferred transport for women and kids but rather, is pitched at tradies who use it to lug gear and tow loaded trailers during the week but who want a sports machine for the weekend.

Varients

Essentially, from the B-pillar forward, the Utes are the same as the sedan. As with the sedan range, the Utes gain the uprated engines and the new transmissions (6-speed Tremec 6060 and 5-speed auto 5R55S).

The line-up starts with the Falcon Ute, the new R6 series and the XR range that includes the standard XR, XR6 Turbo and XR8.

These cars come in cab chassis and styleside box body styles and are offered with the naturally aspirated and much-improved in-line six-cylinder engine (I6), turbocharged I6, LPG E-gas or the V8.

Traditionally the Ute has appealed to a predominantly male audience; largely single blokes in their mid-30s although there has been a growing ownership among young females who have embraced the two-door as a style icon.

The styleside box features a pronounced crease along the side panel and more pronounced wheel arches.

There are some improvements to the tonneau cover, resulting in a flush fit design, like the Commodore Ute.

One advantage over the Holden is its ability to carry higher loads.

The tonneau is securely fastened with elastic clips on the inside of the cover.

These allow the cover to stretch across a load while remaining safely tied down.

Another feature is the adjustable load tie-downs that occupy positions inside a new aluminium rail.

These hooks can be located at convenient positions along the rail, handy for loading odd-shape items.

The 5R55S 5-speed auto is also available as a column-mounted arrangement, replacing the four-speed on the outgoing BF MkII Ute.

The centre seat on the FG Ute has been repositioned, 100mm toward the rear and 20mm higher, which helps the middle passenger gain better knee clearance from the centre console.

As standard the entry level Falcon Ute and R6 Cab Chassis come with the one-tonne suspension which is an option on other variants.

Some of the Cab Chassis models provide a maximum payload of 1240kg.

Ford has retained the leaf spring/live axle arrangement at the rear which helps in payload capacity and durability.

There have also been improvements in rideability and handling with some modifications to the leaf set-up and further strengthening of the rear shackle. With the Ford heavy-duty towpack and load levelling kit, all Utes have the ability to tow up to 2300kg.

Ford says it has put a lot of development work into the allocation of specific tyres for the various models because if the wrong tyre is used it would compromise an otherwise sound chassis set-up.

There are a range of Dunlops in use which include 255/55 R16 for the R6 Ute, 245/45 R17 for XR models as well as Sport Maxx 245/45 R17 for the XR6 Turbo and the XR8 variants.

On the road

Ford's new generation Ute workhorse maintains its class-leading performance in FG guise.

There are varying payload weights ranging up to a hefty 1240kg, even greater car-like driving ambience and styles and powertrains to suit tastes and circumstances.

The two body styles — cab chassis and the styleside box — remain.

More emotion has been pencilled into the styleside box with flare and creases around the side body panels.

Some tyre size has been lost in beefing up the guards with the Ute looking slightly under-tyred, even in the hotter models.

As with the FG sedan, the Utes gain all the powertrain improvements with the improved inline six in both naturally aspirated and turbo configuration, LPG E-gas and the 5.4-litre quad cam Boss V8.

There are tangible improvements to the suspension, particularly at the rear with the leaf-spring set-up coming in for a redesign.

The shackle which previously had two attachment pins now has three, which, according to Ford's engineers, has had a significant strengthening effect.

All petrol-powered Utes are available with traction control (standard on XR models) but stability control (expected to come at the first model revision) has not yet been engineered.

Similarly, reverse cameras, which are available in the FG sedan, have not been engineered for the Ute.

These would have some appeal in the Ute to help eliminate the all-too-common problem of dings in the tailgate when reversing.

The centre bin, which has a lot of depth for decent storage, is probably a bit too high in that it can impinge on gear changes in manuals which have the stubby shift lever.

One addition which will be welcome by the engineering buffs as well as those who enjoy a sporty drive is the 6-speed Tremec 6060 manual and new clutch.

This gearbox has been lifted out of the Shelby Mustang and is a marked improvement over the previous addition.

The shift quality, which was often described as truck-like in the past, is much kinder and the clutch take-up point is smoother and sweeter.

Driveline noise has been greatly reduced and there is the addition of self-adjusting park brake on floor-shift models.

There has been more thought put into developing the new Ute in terms of practicality and refinement for tradespeople who like the multi-personality of their weekend workhorse cum Sunday sportster.