WHO says fuel economy and big cars don`t mix?

Buyers may be avoiding V6s and 8s like the bird flu, but here`s an offering that is capable of changing perceptions.

Ford's luxurious Fairmont Ghia is full of surprises.

It has undergone an impressive upgrade for 2006, along with its BF stablemates.

Ford has spiced up the package with a range of goodies that make the plush family sedan look, feel and go faster.

The most outstanding development is the inclusion of the ZF six-speed automatic transmission.

This is a world-class unit, introduced in the BMW 7-Series and also used by Jaguar.

It is silky smooth and assists in an 11 per cent improvement in fuel economy.

Drive the Fairmont Ghia with control and you can achieve average figures of just over 10 litres for every 100km covered. This is as frugal as it gets for cars this size, and some that are smaller. The claimed best average figures are 10.2 litres and our test managed 10.5 with about two thirds highway work and a third around town driving.

Enthusiastic pilots, however, will find it hard to resist exploring the delights of the reworked Barra 190 4.0-litre six cylinder.

The tweaked heart now produces an exhilarating 190kW of power at 5250rpm and 383Nm of beefy torque at 2500rpm.

There is plenty of braking power to match the extra grunt and Fairmont Ghia comes with Dynamic Stability and Traction Control.

This was the source of one of our few gripes with this superb car as the test vehicle developed some computer gremlins.

The traction control warning light stayed on and, at times, there was some whirring as the front right-hand wheel decided it needed more grip - once when we were travelling 40km/h on a straight suburban road!

Suspension has been improved as part of the upgrade and handling is sharper.

One of the big advances has been in the area of noise reduction.

The cabin is wonderfully quiet with the exception of a subtle roar of the engine when the driver sinks the right boot.

Bold 17-inch alloy wheels, bumpers and fog lights give the Ghia a sportier profile and the interior has also been revised with faux chrome highlights, called "liquid metal`` in the promotional material, and woodgrain features along the dashboard and steering wheel.

There`s new soft-feel door grab handles with satin chrome inserts.

A quality six-stack CD sound system, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, cruise control, remote central locking and trip computer are standard.

Soft leather seats complete the luxurious surrounds and the driver gets the royal treatment with an eight-way power seat with memory function.

New paint colors have been added, including Kashmir, Wired and Deja Vu.

The range of inclusions are, of course, what you would expect from a vehicle that costs $52,860.

With its newfound sportiness, refinement and improved fuel economy, those with the buying power will find plenty of value in the Fairmont Ghia.