Falcon Ute is YouTuber’s First Car, Coolest Ford Around
Powered by liquid propane, last of the Australian Falcons soars above all others with versatility and ruggedness.
It’s been nearly three years since the last Australian-built Fords left the assembly line. It’s also been that long since the last Australian Falcon took flight into the sunset. While the Falcon left the nest forever in the United States in 1971, the nameplate became an icon alongside the Holden Commodore all over the land down under.
Today, there are plenty of newer Falcons on the used lots, including in Melbourne, where YouTuber Matt Brand (a.k.a. MattBrandCars) recently purchased his very first car, a 2014 Falcon EcoLPi FG Mk2 Ute. Let’s see how he’s getting on.
“Today, we’re gonna be doing a very exciting, exciting review of what I think is probably the ultimate masterpiece of Australian design,” said Brand, “and really epitomizes Australian culture into one beautiful masterpiece of a vehicle. That is, of course, the Ford Falcon Mk2 FG ute.”
The FG era of the Falcon was, sadly, its last, running from 2008 through 2016 with two updates: the aforementioned Mk2 in 2010, and FG X from 2014 to October 7, 2016.
“This car here is an icon, and it is my car,” Brand said. “And I am genuinely sad that this car is no longer made anymore, or any of the other ute variants that came from Australia, like the Holden Commodore ute, or the Holden Commodore sedan, or the Ford Falcon ute, or the Ford Falcon sedan, or the Ford Falcon wagon, or the Holden Commodore wagon, or the Ford Falcon panel van. It is a real shame.”
Aside from national pride, Brand and many Australians chose the Falcon for its low cost of entry, low cost of maintenance, versatility, extensive use by taxi companies and police fleets (and, therefore, tons of parts availability), and the overall reliability and durability of the drivetrain and body.
His EcoLPi takes a step further as far as going green goes, as its inline-six uses liquid propane to get things moving. The resulting output is 265 horsepower and 302 lb-ft of torque, all on one of the cheapest fuels available at the pump. It can also, as Brand mentions, keep up with hot hatches like the third-gen Focus ST and the Volkswagen Golf GTi.
“Now, this car has some aftermarket additions to it,” said Brand, “and the biggest, glaring one is this bull bar right here. This is great for travelling on the highway, and not being scared that if a kangaroo jumps in front of you, you’re gonna write your car off, because this thing is pretty strong, and it is the first point of contact in hitting something.”
Meanwhile, the topper (installed by the previous owner) is not only perfect for adding extra security to the bed, but also for providing the potential for a cozy place for a nap after knocking back a few Melbourne Bitters at infield of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit during the Melbourne 400, which Brand has done by purchasing a purpose-made mattress for a more comfortable rest.
“Now, if there is one place that Ford cheaped out on in the making of this car, it is the interior,” said Brand. “There’s nothing terrible about the interior. It’s just very much stuck in the 2000s, when it was designed.”
And while it may not win any beauty contests, the interior does have comfortable seating for two, which is very important when traversing across the continent on the straight (but not necessarily always smooth) roads. It also has enough storage space for whatever one picks up at the local 7-Eleven.
As far as driving the Falcon goes, it can move, especially with the six-speed ZF automatic shifting the power to the back. However, Brand notes it’s not the most fuel efficient ride around, getting around 11.6 mpg. Luckily, it runs on liquid propane instead of gasoline, so his wallet doesn’t take a huge hit at the pump. Not a bad deal for “the king of Australia.”
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