Ford Falcon Ute XR8 2008 review

The Australian ute has long been a mate to a diverse collection of characters. From farmers to tradesfolk, delivery firms to families, the concept of a sedan-like cabin with working tray out back has offered a range of services and transport needs across the country.

Among owners there has always been a number who bestowed extra love on the ute, well back to the scrub-running days of HD Holdens with aftermarket mag wheels, four-on-the-floor gearbox shifts and triple SU carburettors added to the milieu. These were sports machines for many, extensions of the drivers' fantasies.

The current crop of these spirited chariots include Holden and Falcon V8 machines, some with extra-special attention to detail.

And among these cheerleaders is the FG version of the XR8, a machine of some merit. Style changes over its predecessor may be subtle but are most effective (especially in freddo-green). The new Ford ute has some nice muscle to the metal.

The cabin is all Ford XR with sports seats and sophisticated dash stacked with the best of today's conveniences — from decent six-stacker CD player to traction control switch. There is as well a host of steering wheel controls to consider.

Visibility to the sides and out back — here with roll bar and spoiler on the optional tonneau cover — is not great. The other quibble is a steering wheel that needs more height adjustment to allow more room between seat and the bottom of the wheel.

Driving

These are details left behind as 290kW fires up with a little rock 'n' roll rumble through the seats as the V8 sits impatient at idle.

The ute jumps and scrabbles off the line. Maybe Ford's turbocharged XR6 utes provide more performance but the controlled fire and fury of a big V8 is hard to beat. It ran here through the six-speed sequential auto transmission to highway speeds with fluency.

There was always, at any road speed, enough power and torque on hand to fill traffic gaps.

And there was always enough grunt to have the rear swing out for that old-fashioned fun before traction control intervened.

There are some road and mechanical noises filtering through to the cabin, reminders that behind the driver is a load-carrying tray sitting on leaf springs.

There is, too, some bump-thump and very firm ride when the XR8 is sitting on the optional 19-inch wheels.

But the steering is sharp and the rear well-behaved, the XR perhaps more easily balanced on the throttle than the coil-spring Holden SS.

Only when thrown (and quick steering allows this) into a tight, slowish corner does the front of the Ford kneel a little more than expected.

So on to the faster, flowing turns, snug down in the sports seats, music from the mechanicals and exhaust as the driver works up and down the gearbox.

The Falcon XR8 is a fine machine for a little fun, just as it is, with a 540kg payload, for work.

It does not have the refinement or the ultimate ability of an XR8 sedan but it does have a deal of style and versatility.