The Falcon that dragged Ford into the 21st century

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Original story first published in Drive on 1 November, 2002

Ford knows it has to make the new BA 'Barra' Falcon work.

"There’s a hunger here," said a Ford suit at the launch. "It happens when you've been kicked in the goolies for the past five years."

Holden has delighted in planting the boot in the shape of the Commodore hard and often since 1998, when Ford lost the plot with the disastrous AU model.

Ford has always been passionate about the Falcon’s unique 'Australian-ness', its simple, tough character and is equally determined to maintain it.

RELATED: The Ford AU Falcon was a $700 million flop

However, the old guard at Broadmeadows could not move the badge forward from the 1960s, either in engineering, market perception or on-road behaviour. The Falcon, in the metal and as a brand, became an antique.

A relatively new team of young engineers and designers, including a few European imports, has done what was necessary: shattered the old Falcon mould, then reshaped it in 21st-century form.

The base model Falcon XT sedan tested here is the volume seller. It lines up against Holden’s VY Commodore Executive, and is priced at $33,640 for the five-speed manual, or $34,650 for the four-speed automatic.

Ford has bolted a new 24-valve alloy head on to the 4.0-litre straight six, with infinitely variable camshaft timing on the inlet and exhaust sides. Just like BMW.

It also uses an electronic accelerator, direct drive oil pump, single chain drive for the camshafts and exhaust gas recirculation.

The Falcon didn’t really need a power boost, but it sure got one. The objective, of course, is to make the Commodore look like a wimp. Mission accomplished. The 4.0 now produces 182kW, 30kW more than the Commodore's 3.8 V6.

It's no contest in the torque stakes either. The XT shovels out 380Nm of stump-pulling grunt at 3250rpm, against the Commodore's 305Nm at 3600.

What the Falcon engine did need was refinement, top-end responsiveness and improved fuel economy. Score two out of three.

The XT auto absolutely flies by family sedan standards, covering the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.8 seconds, about a second quicker than the Holden.

The performance gain is nearly all at the top end, where the freer-breathing multi-valve head provides more revs to play with, greatly improved responsiveness and extra thrust at 4500rpm, just where the old Falcon motor got the staggers.

Much smoother than before, the 4.0 still shudders on its mounts at start-up, and retains some of that familiar gravelly Falcon texture and sound, especially under hard acceleration.

At 100km/h, the auto has it ticking over at a lazy 1800rpm. Leave it in Drive and you get stunning overtaking performance when it kicks down.

The XT auto weighs nearly 1.7 tonnes within sight of a mid-size four-wheel-drive so despite the fuel efficiency gains from the high-tech engine tweaks it still consumes a lot.

Ford obviously believes that Australians don't care about fuel economy, because it is nowhere on the Falcon priority list. On the highway, you’ll be lucky to better 10 litres/100km. In town, consumption depends upon your driving style.

Given the engine's tractability, it’s easy to lightfoot it for a reasonably frugal 13-14L/100km. Pedal harder and the rate can climb to 17. The tank holds 68 litres.

The new four-speed automatic features adaptive shift programming and sequential operation. You can also flick the lever to the left and leave it there, where fourth is locked out and a sports shift program is automatically selected.

The ability to select gears manually is one of the car's hero marketing features, but on the road there is little reason to use it, other than when towing.

For most situations, the auto is sufficiently responsive in Drive it never shifts off the power, and the shifts themselves slide smoothly in both directions.

The BA sedan finally sees the live rear axle consigned to the scrapheap. The independent double-wishbone front end is retained, while the AU platform has been stiffened. Spring and damper calibrations, suspension mounts, the steering gear and ratios are all new.

Now that it steers from the front rather than the back and has a surprisingly sporty, taut feel for its size and sits flatter on the road, the XT is the first base Falcon in which you can drive at more than five-tenths and feel safe.

The XT's steering is extremely direct, too much so for the relatively tall ride height. The sharpness and sensitivity in its initial stages exacerbates weight transfer and makes the back end feel a little twitchy when you point the car into a corner at highway speeds, or change direction quickly.

Other BA derivatives notably the XRs and Fairmont Ghia with lower, stiffer suspension, wider tyres and lower centre of gravity, steer with great precision but feel just that bit more neutral and balanced.

The test car's steering at low speeds was also strangely heavy and dull, particularly just off centre. However the dreaded back-end lurch when the Falcon hits a mid-bend bump has disappeared, as has the need to take half a dozen bites at finding the right line in a corner.

Roadholding is fine and the suspension maintains discipline on rough surfaces. The 215/60 16-inch tyres' grip is secure by cooking model rubber standards.

Traction control, though, is an option worth having on a rainy day.

Ride comfort is excellent, and confirms the significant advantage over the Commodore in sophistication of suspension layout and tuning.

The brakes, with aluminium calipers, larger discs and three-channel (four with traction control) ABS, are also new. On a long, hard downhill run, resistance to fade and consistency of performance was reasonable, given the base model's mass. In normal conditions, feel and progression are also very good.

Outright power in an emergency stop from 100km/h is adequate; base-model brakes inevitably take a while to halt such a weight.

You would swear, looking at the almost identical base Falcon and Commodore interiors, that each had spies in the other's design studios.

With power adjustable height and tilt to match the Commodore, the Falcon's driver's seat initially feels too soft and underpadded in the cushion. However, it is comfortable on a long day's drive and sized for big blokes.

The driving position is far more comfortable and efficient than the AU's. Clever design makes the cabin appear more compact and infinitely more upmarket.

The driver’s seat and wheel now line up. The gear lever has been moved back, closer to the driver, as are the audio and air-conditioning head units on the slim, cockpit-style dash.

This natural, easy-to-use layout uses the minimum number of switches, buttons and knobs. A large screen clearly displays information.

Air-conditioning and power front windows, two Falcon XT features, are absent from the Commodore Executive. A CD player, remote central locking, two-stage driver’s and passenger’s airbags, force-limiting front seatbelt tensioners and a trip computer are included.

Fit and finish are still shy of acceptable. We have sampled more than a dozen BAs now; the body is solid but the interiors have too many gaps, poorly aligned edges and ill-fitting bits and pieces. This must improve as production gets into full swing.

The test car had a squeaking ventilation fan but was otherwise rattle-free. The indicator wand works with little finesse.

Some rear headroom has been sacrificed to the lower roofline, and access is still on the tight side, but a couple of tall adults can spread out and travel very comfortably on the contoured, supportive seat. There's much more road noise; the high-pitched thrum is quite intrusive.

The boot is long and wide, with a 60-40 split-folding back seat to extend capacity. The floor is not flat, due to a depression over the spare wheel well.

Every time I get into a Falcon test car, I automatically assume the cab-driver position: the left hand gets draped over the top of the wheel, the right elbow sticks straight out the window and I slump, semi-comatose, in the seat.

I should be ashamed of myself, I know, but at least I use the indicators and can find Manly without asking.

Until now there has been little point in taking the Falcon too seriously. Different story with the BA. It’s good enough to drive with two hands on the wheel.

STARS: 3.5/5

THE GOOD

• The 21st century Falcon
• The market's best value for money in performance, space, equipment and comfort
• Greatly refined engine with plenty of power and torque
• Classy suspension package
• Comfortable ride
• Interior design

THE BAD

• Fit and finish in the cabin need improvement
• Steering a bit too sensitive for a big, tall sedan
• Thirsty
• Traction control should be standard
• Rear seat access and road noise
• Uneven boot floor.

THE VERDICT

Falcon does a phoenix

VITAL SIGNS

Did the Ford BA Falcon return Ford to the top of the sales charts?

In a word, no.

While sales of BA Falcon did see the Blue Oval close the gap to arch-enemy Holden in the sales race, the gap between the two local manufacturers proved a bridge too far.

Holden's venerable Commodore continued to outsell Ford's new Barra baby, but both brands played second- and third-fiddle to a sleeping giant now awake – Toyota.

The Japanese had sporadically claimed the top spot on the Aussie sales charts (1991-94, 1998, and 2000) but when it reclaimed the mantle as Australia's number one car brand in 2003, it didn't look back. Toyota has held the top spot ever since.

That's not to diminish the Ford BA Falcon, which was a vast improvement over the unloved AU, not least of all because of the new inline-six under the bonnet.

The 'Barra' was a vast improvement over the ageing 'Intech' six it replaced, both in terms of refinement and performance and it went a long way to repairing Ford's AU Falcon-induced ill reputation in the eyes of the public.

Just how good was the 'Barra' engine?

In a word, legendary.

Touted today as arguably one of, if not the best, engines ever engineered and built in Australia, the Barra enjoyed two decades of service in a range of Ford models – from Falcon to Fairlane, LTD and Australia's only home-grown SUV, the Territory.

Its versatility was one the Barra's strong suits – from naturally-aspirated inline six doing time in fleet Falcons, to a range of turbocharged XR6s, and even and LPG engineered version aimed at the taxi industry, the Barra served a wide range of masters.

Its flexibility and longevity have made it a firm favourite in the after market industry while 'Barra' engine transplants remain commonplace today, Ford's lusty inline six finding a new home under the bonnets of a host of non-Ford cars.

So, have you ever owned a Ford BA Falcon? Do you own one now? Tell us a bit about your experience in the comments below.

The post The Falcon that dragged Ford into the 21st century appeared first on Drive.