Interior & Equipment

Inside the F6, the FG Falcon roots are obvious, however some nice detail touches remind the driver that this is no ordinary Falcon. In fact, it’s not really a Falcon at all.

In a charcoal-dominated environment, our test car featured the optional ‘Technique Leather’ sports seats, the standard sports seats being a combination of Technique cloth with ‘suede-feel’ bolsters and silver stitching.

While perfectly comfortable, they are built with ‘wide’ Aussies in mind and perhaps don’t provide enough lateral support.

An attractive ‘optical check accent’ trim is a feature across the dashboard and doors. There are also the usual FPV extras: leather-bound steering wheel, FPV starter button, individual build number and blue illumination instrument cluster with unique FPV graphics, helping to set the F6 apart from the XR6T.

As you would expect (given the price), the interior features a premium kit including steering wheel mounted cruise control and audio switches, dual-zone temperature control air-conditioning, front and rear power windows and alloy pedal covers.

Our test car was also fitted with the optional (on auto equipped cars only) adjustable pedal box, making achieving the perfect driving position extremely easy.

A roomy and comfortable place to spend some time, the F6 is also more than capable of swallowing a family-sized load of luggage. The boot space is massive, a point noted by our photographer whose equipment usually fills a boot and a back seat.

Safety Features

Unbelievably (and thankfully) for the first time, the F6 is equipped with Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and side curtain-airbags, both of which are now standard across the entire FPV range.

Other safety features include Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), driver and passenger airbags, and Beltminder technology for the driver.

Keeping thieves at bay is a remote alarm and FPV’s ID Datadot identification.

The Drive

At TMR we’ve recently driven the FPV 5th Anniversary GT and HSV’s Clubsport R8, both highly capable, powerful and FAST Aussie performance sedans, so this was always going to be an interesting test drive.

It’s easy to get comfortable in the F6. In my case (I’m 6ft tall) drop the seat, move the steering wheel up to its maximum height position, drop your wrists over the wheel to get the right distance and then adjust the pedal box to suit: perfect.

Turn the key, hit the starter and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how smooth the 4.0-litre inline six is. Out on the road, it’ll take a few kilometers to adjust to the brake feel. There is plenty of pedal feel but those big Brembos are keen to reveal their might and you find yourself backing off the pedal pressure earlier than normal, in order to stop smoothly.

You can however, be guaranteed that stopping will never be a problem. Once you have adjusted to their feel, the big Brembo brake package does nothing but inspire confidence. We didn’t try them on a track but suspect plenty of new owners will and they will not be disappointed.

Our time with the F6 included a run from Melbourne central out to the Dandenongs, a round trip that provided a mix of winding roads and straight freeway miles, a combination that revealed just what a Jekyll and Hyde the F6 is.

You can amble along in 60 zones, cruise at 100km/h on the freeway and gently nudge your way through the tourist traffic in the Dandenongs and frankly never realise the potential of the car you are driving. In fact you’ll find yourself prodding the accelerator just to check that all is still as it should be.

There is no real exhaust note, no grumbling V8 gently rocking the car, nothing aside from a faint turbo whine at low rpm to even hint at this car’s potential.

If you want to really get to know the F6, you’ll need to find the right stretch of road and grab it by the scruff of the neck.

Bumping the shifter into sports mode is the first step, allowing that trick ZF gearbox to get serious. It will hold revs longer, find the perfect gear for corners and constantly adjust as it ‘learns’ your driving style.