KEY POINTS:
Ford's performance range might seem like rolling anachronisms in these days of fuel shocks and shocked markets, but there's still much to like. Especially if you're not obsessed by V8s. Although I love their rumba at idle and can't resist the deep-chested roar of a V8 on song,
I must admit the turbo six is now better with more grunt, better balance and more real-world liveability.
And if, like me, you don't need four seats but appreciate a muscular sportster with a big boot, you can't get far past a ute like this FPV T6, the replacement for the aptly named Typhoon. And at $63,990 it's six grand cheaper than the sedan equivalent.
This thing looks purposeful enough in its acid-green paint, with those Alice Cooper eyes, sports seats and sporting accents. Forget the tray's tonneau; you don't buy this thing to be practical. That's just a bonus.
This in-line six-cylinder engine may boast 310kW and 565Nm - 15more than the V8 - but it's a pussycat round town, and well-matched to the auto transmission of our test car. But get a bit keen and that engine's feral scream will raise the hairs on your neck and launch you into Westie heaven.
Falcons have long been sweet handlers and fortunately this one's no different. Doubly fortunate as utes aren't best known for traction. With an empty tray and a gnarly and water-slick commute, the ESP got a good workout. Fortunately one dry day allowed a taste of what this ute's capable of, and its balance is impressive. With sport selected it proved blindingly fast; more than one neighbour's eyebrows bounced as the aggressive green machine shot into the rear-view mirrors, before resuming more sedate progress. At least temporarily, for what gets you every time is just how flat this torque's delivered - the graph is ruler-straight with peak torque arriving early and staying on stream until you call it quits.
Such performance has its price of course, and this is a thirsty beast. At around 14.5 litres/100km average it's not as greedy as the 17.3 litres/100km XR8 that replaced it in my drive. But yes, each fuel stop will hurt. Still, you don't buy an FPV if economy is top of mind. You buy it for passion; you buy it because you like the big, brash Aussies and aren't so stuck on V8s that you'll overlook the high-torque handling king of the range.
And you'll buy a ute because you're willing to overlook - or welcome - a few tail-happy shenanigans to get that big boot, and all the image the FPV brand conveys.
