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21/11/2011
REVIEW By DEREK OGDEN & EWAN KENNEDY
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The Ford Falcon range has been given a lift by the addition of a state-of-the-art liquefied petroleum gas engine – the EcoLPi. With a recommended retail price $2500 above that of the standard six-cylinder engine the big Fords offer buyers power, torque and engine performance coupled with the space, comfort and towing capability of a family sedan. Best of all, it brings down fuel costs and emissions levels to those normally only seen in a much smaller car.
The EcoLPi system has also been added to the FG Falcon cab-chassis and utes with a similar price premium.
As LPG is a cleaner burning than petrol, there are government incentives to encourage buyers. Typically LPG costs only half the price of petrol, however that huge differential is due to less excise (tax) on LPG. It’s unlikely that situation will change in the near future, but nothing is certain in the world of tax collectors.
Even better, there’s a subsidy of $2000, so the cost of the LPG Falcon is likely to be just $500 more than that of the standard car or utility. Ford calculates the average motorist will recoup this $500 in about 23 weeks.
The secret of the engine’s success is in the injection system, with a similar configuration to that of the in-line six-cylinder petrol motor, which allows more accurate amounts of fuel into the intake port. No longer under pressure on leaving the injector, sudden expansion and rapid cooling of the incoming air charge creates excellent conditions for fuel burning. The result is improved engine performance, better fuel economy and lower exhaust emissions.
It’s not surprising, then, that it’s hard to tell the EcoLPi powered Falcon – in the test car’s case a G6 – from the equivalent petrol powered model. The only difference I found was a slight delay to engine firing on start-up.
The similarities are backed up by the EcoLPi figures – 198 kW of power at 5000rpm and 409 Nm of torque at 3250 rpm – which is the same as the I6 petrol engine when operating on high-octane (95 RON) unleaded fuel against regular unleaded (91 RON).
Compared with the previous E-gas LPG motor (156 kW and 371 Nm) this is 27 per cent more maximum power and 10 per cent up in peak torque. Yet fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions are down.
Fuel consumption from the Ford Falcon EcoLPi is about 25 per cent higher than that for the equivalent six-cylinder petrol falcon. The 120-litre gas cylinder can only be filled to about 93 litres as space must be left for expansion of the liquid into gas form. In country running the fuel range can be over 700 kilometres, around town this will drop to about 400 to 500 km.
Official ADR 81/02 testing with EcoLPi on the combined urban/highway cycle produced figures of 12.5 litres per 100km on Falcon XT and 12.6 litres per 100 km on G6, G6E and XR6 models, improvement of 16.1 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively.
Similarly, CO2 emissions, with Falcon XT were 203 grams per kilometre and G6, G6E and XR6 models 204 g/km – down from 240 g/km with E-Gas – 15.4 per cent and 15 per cent improvement respectively.
A major difference from the petrol powered FG Falcon comes in the boot where the size and position of the gas tank mean the spare wheel intrudes into the 535 litre luggage space. Ford also gives the option of either a puncture repair and inflation kit, which gives you a far larger boot, or a space-saver wheel/tyre that’s low enough to let you fit skinny items on top of it.
The rest of the EcoLPi G6 is just that – a Falcon G6. Wide opening doors make it easy to get in and out of the passenger cabin which provides a welcoming and comfortable environment for all no matter what their physical build.
The central command centre takes in a wide range of vehicle functions, including audio system controls and climate control, as well as providing the interface for features such as the Bluetooth mobile phone module and iPod.
A reversing camera is available on Falcon for the first time. Activated when reverse gear is selected, the fisheye lens is capable of providing a 130 degree wide angle view up to 10 metres behind the vehicle. It is an option on EcoLPi.
The EcoLPi shares with the whole FG Falcon range a five-star ANCAP safety rating, incorporating head protecting side airbags on every model for the first time.
Active safety is in the hands of Dynamic Stability Control recalibrated to match the Ford EcoLPi engine, transmission and suspension.
Compared with the petrol powered G6, it’s hard to tell the difference on the road, which is no bad thing considering how well the FG Falcon has been rated by critics.
Unlike other alternative fuels, LPG is readily available right across Australia and with the Ford EcoLPi system offers significant savings in vehicle running costs and immediate advantages in treatment of the environment. Both becoming increasingly important factors when it comes to buying a family car.
The complete Ford Falcon EcoLPi range, with prices (excluding dealer and government charges) is:
4.0 XT: $42,790 (automatic)
4.0 G6: $45,890 (automatic)
4.0 G6E: $52,890 (automatic)
4.0 XR6: $$46,490 (automatic) |
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