Ford's XR8, built in Australia, is
a surprisingly quick car, thanks to the combination of a 5.4 liter
V-8 with special four-valve heads and a six-speed automatic. This
is an ordinary looking sedan, but with a few clues to the performance
outside - a big air intake below the grille, twin large driving
lamps low down, and a wing at the rear. Unlike some of its competitors,
the wing does not obstruct rear vision.
The XR8 is the hotter version of the Falcon, a car unique to Australia. It is well proportioned and very spacious inside. First impressions are good, with doors that shut with hardly any effort and a good driving position. Also, the instruments are clear and simple - much better than the latest Commodores, for example, with white numerals on a black background.
Not so hot, but nevertheless with a reasonable turn of speed is the Fairmont Ghia, which gets the 5.4 liter three-valve engine with iron block from the USA. For the XR8 locally brewed four-valve heads push the power up almost 40 bhp to 345 bhp at the lowly speed of 5,250 rpm. Torque is 368 lb ft (500 Nm) at 4,000 rpm, so the engine does not have masses of low-speed pulling power, nor is it a high revver. In fact, it does rev to 6,000 rpm, but if you are manual mode of the auto, you often feel you could do with more revs - or more torque.
The six-speed auto, similar to those used by Jaguar, is a gem. In addition to the D mode, you can push the lever away to the other side of the gate, and then push forward to shift down, or back to shift up. This is ideal for twisty roads, where you want engine braking before some corners - and fast acceleration out.
Superb auto
For normal driving the D mode works well, with a very responsive kick-down, especially at low speeds. Thanks to the good spread of power from this quiet engine that overtaking is a breeze. But if you want the roar of the engine as you overtake, look elsewhere, this engine is far too polite for that.
Tall car
The XR8 is quite a tall car - but not as tall as its rival, the Holden Commodore, so it is easy to get in and out of, but there is quite a bit of roll in low speed corners - but not enough to get the passengers alarmed. The car wants to oversteer when you press hard on tight bends, especially if you accelerate hard through the bend, but you have to press pretty hard for this to happen. If the corner is bumpy, expect the back end to step sideways a little.
There is a stability control to help you should you get over-exuberant, and a limited slip diff to help control the power on wet roads. The steering is a little low geared for very tight corners, and does not give a lot of feedback.
Covers ground rapidly
On the open road, the XR8 covers the ground very rapidly, and is an excellent cruiser - quiet ands refined. On good surfaces, you get a good ride, and on the ridged surfaces you find on many main roads in Australia, the ride is not bad at all. On twisty roads, the car tracks very well, going where you point it, and holding its line through curves well. The XR8 is also stable on straight roads, with no tendency to wander.
Overall, the double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear end work well, giving a pretty good combination of ride and handling. Despite being a big, comfortable sedan with good luggage space, the Ford XR8 can be entertaining to drive, and relaxing on long journeys. Not a rocket, but surprisingly quick.
The seat in the XR8 is comfortable, and cloth trimmed, which is far better than leather when the going gets hot or cold. It also gives good lateral support. Another useful and unusual comfort item is the adjustable pedals, which can be adjusted fore-and-aft.
Ford does also have the FPV division, which produces modified versions of the XR8 which are called GT and GT-P, which have 380 bhp versions of the 5.4 liter engine, and although more sporty do not accelerate faster than the XR8.
Although the Fairmont Ghia lacks the flash of the XR8, it cruises well, and benefits from the six-speed automatic. It is a quiet, luxurious cruiser, with plenty of bells and whistles, but nevertheless has pretty good underpinning. It does not have the get-up-and-go of the XR8, but is still a pleasant and useful sedan.
The current Falcon range including the XR8 and Fairmont Ghia have been around for some time, but are still competitive cars. In fact, it is a surprise that neither the European nor US arms of Ford have decided to market the XR8.
