IT is safe to say that big cars are hardly the flavour of the month, or indeed year.
With fuel costs soaring and buyers turning in droves to smaller, more economical models, the traditional family vehicle has become less popular than Tamsyn Lewis.
Earlier this year Mitsubishi was forced to shut its large car factory after the demise of its 380.
And both Ford and Holden have taken a sales hit on beefier models, including Falcon and Commodore.
However, despite all the market pressure, Ford has released a stylish new generation Falcon capable of clawing back some ground.
The most noticeable changes include increased room, better performance, smoother, higher-tech manual and automatic transmissions, European styling, and a vastly improved interior layout with superior quality plastics and fittings.
Another key focus, of course, has been fuel economy. Despite the gains in power and torque, Ford boffins have achieved a reduction in petrol consumption with the XT test vehicle averaging a little over 10 litres per 100km.
There are three families of vehicles in the FG Falcon sedan range.
These include the base model Falcon XT, which we took for a spin, the plusher G Series, incorporating G6, G6E and G6E Turbo, and super sporty XRs, which include XR6, XR6 Turbo and XR8.
XT is again going to be a hit with fleet buyers and also raises the bar for private customers looking for an entry-level car with plenty of standard features.
The XT, priced from $36,490, comes with the choice of either an in-line 6 petrol engine, or an optional 156kW E-Gas dedicated LPG engine with a four-speed auto.
The I6, which produces 195kW of power and 391Nm of torque, can be matched to a new five-speed automatic transmission with Sequential Sports Shift, or optional ZF six-speed automatic transmission that offers even better fuel economy.
There are loads of goodies, including standard automatic climate control, four-way power driver's seat, four-speaker single CD audio system, a new, larger Interior Command Centre (ICC) LCD screen, cruise control and 60/40 split fold rear seats.
All petrol Falcon sedans come with an advanced safety package, incorporating driver and front passenger airbags, front side head/thorax airbags, driver and front passenger Beltminder® system, Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Traction Control (TC), and Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).
Side curtain airbags, in conjunction with front side thorax airbags, are standard on premium sedan models, but are also available as an option across the rest of the sedan range.
Ford's all-new FG Falcon earlier this month became the first Australian-built car to receive a five-star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).
In the looks department, the Falcon has improved leaps and bounds.
An enhanced track width gives the Falcon XT a stronger, more dynamic appearance and dramatically lifts its visual appearance over its predecessor.
One of the neighbours, among those who take great interest in the many weird and wonderful chariots that find their way into our driveway, is a Holden man. But even he, was besotted with its classy outline, initially mistaking it for a posh European number.
Inside, there are also many refinements.
There’s added room for five occupants and the layout is more user friendly.
Everything falls easily to hand with the wheel-mounted cruise control and audio buttons making the pilot’s job easier.
There is a cockpit feel to the driver’s position and visibility has been improved with small side mirrors replaced with larger ones.
The XT drives more like a sports sedan than a family car and is capable surging to 100km/h in around 7.5 seconds.
The 4.0-litre engine, as with the outgoing model, performs with the minimum of fuss, raising a roar only when pushed hard.
Falcon handles well for a big car with good grip and handling and the suspension cushions occupants from even the most bone-jarring of our potholes.
Ford has produced a much-improved vehicle that ticks all the boxes for family buyers.
Those who look beyond their fuel fears will see a car that offers increased style, safety and comfort.
Hopefully, the bird has not flown for Falcon.
Falcon XT at a glance
4.0-litre 195kW / 391Nm DOHC DI-VCT in-line six-cylinder engine
Five-speed automatic transmission
Optional ZF six-speed automatic transmission
Virtual Pivot Control Link front suspension
Forward mounted, Y-shaped steering rack
Variable ratio steering gear
Revised Control Blade IRS
Monotube shock absorbers
Goodyear Eagle Excellence tyres
16-inch steel wheels with wheel covers
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) with Traction Control (TC)
Anti-lock Brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA)
Self-adjusting park brake
Remote with flip-style ignition key
One-touch start
Chrome radiator grille header bar
Reinforced Grille Opening Reinforcement (RGOR)
Black bezel, bright ring headlamps
Body-coloured exterior mirror scalps
Chrome rear decklid appliqué
Driver and front passenger airbags
Side head/thorax airbags (front-seat mounted)
Driver and front passenger Beltminder™
4-way power driver's seat
60/40 split-fold rear seat
Front power windows
Rear power windows
Power mirrors
Remote central locking
Automatic headlamps on/off feature
Automatic climate control
Outside temperature display
5.8-inch ICC display screen – LED-backlit LCD dot matrix mixed mode screen
4-speaker 112-watt single CD/MP3 audio system
Mid range audio adjustment in addition to bass and treble
3.5mm auxiliary audio input
Steering wheel audio controls
Instrument cluster with automatic illumination
Multi-function Display (MFD)
Digital speed display
Trip computer
Set-Point cruise control
One-touch (lane change) indicator
'Domain' cloth trim
'Metro' cloth insert trim