Ford FPV F6X 270 2008 Review

There's no question that it's fast, but we can't help but wonder if FPV has gone far enough with its cosmetic changes to please fans?

The turbocharged F6X 270 (the number denotes the engine's power output) looks clearly under the tires as it rides on the same 18-inch Goodyear wheels as the donor Territory Ghia Turbo.

FPV boss Rod Barrett admitted he had doubts about the styling of the car, but only until he saw the finished product.

Having seen and driven the finished car, we still have our doubts.

Of course, there's nothing a little options and accessories won't cure, and we're sure a lot of that will continue.

The F6X starts at $75,990 for the five-seat version, and the third row of seats brings that figure up to $78,445.

That's $10,500 more than the Territory Ghia Turbo, with the only options being a third row of seats, sat-nav, and a lane kit (the latter will set you back $385).

The GT style side stripes on most of the promotional photos are not standard.

As with Territory, there won't be a V8 because there's no room for it under the hood.

By comparison, 67% of FPV buyers choose a V8 engine.

Barrett believes that in terms of price and performance, the car has no real competitors, either imported or local.

"It has the performance of a Porsche Cayenne, but it doesn't have the price of a Porsche Cayenne," he said.

The F6X arrives ahead of the launch of the all-new Falcon, codenamed Orion, due to debut at the Melbourne Motor Show later this month.

The Falcon will herald the new Typhoon and GT FPV sedans in early June, no doubt with bigger and more powerful versions of the turbocharged six and V8.

The turbocharged FPV version delivers 270kW of power and 550Nm of torque and, as far as the F6X goes, it will stay that way.

Turbo Territory puts out 245kW but far less torque.

The turbocharged six is ​​mated to Territory's familiar ZF six-speed automatic, which allows the driver to shift manually.

No instructions.

In addition to a more powerful engine, $75,000 will buy you larger and more powerful Brembo brakes and a suspension that has been retuned to reduce body roll.

Inside, there are two-tone leather upholstery, but there are no gauges like in the sedan.

Four airbags and a rearview camera are standard.

A full-size, matching alloy spare is located under the rear.

Surprisingly, the station wagon hasn't been lowered, still standing at 179mm like the standard Turbo.

Together with the small 18" tires, you get the impression that FPV had mom and kids in mind when putting this together.

At 2125kg, the F6X can still hit 0 km/h in 100 seconds.

FPV engineers have been working with engineers at Bosch to recalibrate the electronic stability control system, which is described as less intrusive.

The wagon's size and weight require it to show more body roll than the sedan in corners.

Regardless, it still exudes confidence and it takes a lot of effort to get the wagon out of shape.

Fuel economy when using premium unleaded fuel is estimated at 14.9 liters per 100 km, but this figure can vary greatly in either direction depending on driving style.

Overall, it's an attractive package, but perhaps it doesn't go far enough in terms of style.

The F6X 270 will go on sale February 29, 2008.