Take a little bit of XR, give it the
practicality of the XL and what do you get? The XLS!
Replacing the XH Falcon 'S', the AU XLS gives the 'S' back some
of it's credibility with a much more sporting nature. Take the
two most common elements of any budget build and you'll find them here
(lowered suspension & good looking wheels). Add to that a classic dose
of handling (courtesy of XR) and a painted grill copied by many a sedan
owner - including Ford on it's AU1 Falcon 'Classic' - and you've got one
great looking, great handling sports ute or tray back depending upon what
you choose.
"Powered by Ford" takes on a new
meaning with Ford's already copious 4.0 litre SOHC straight six - backed up
by the option of a 175kW 5.0 litre V8 (a little less power in the 8 than
we'd like to see but with torque to spare!). It's worth noting that the
six uses "fail safe cooling" - a very worthwhile function especially if
you come acroppa out on the job or while on holidays. After all,
what more could a person want? Tuned more towards looks and handling than outright load carrying ability,
the XLS still retains a healthy 550kg payload with auto and occupants.
Check out the
list below to see the all the nitty gritty details of what the AU1 XLS came
with - the improvements over the XL are marked in italics.
AU XL Ute
& cab chassis standard equipment:
Available in style side bed, tray back or cab chassis formats.
Engine choices:
4.0 litre inline six cylinder.
157kW @ 4900 rpm.
357Nm @ 3000 rpm.
Overhead Cam with roller rockers & roller cam followers.
Alloy head with direct heat detection sender on the back
of no.6 combustion chamber.
Stronger head studs with greater pull down tensions.
New two-piece head gasket to further aid in reducing
blown head gaskets.
Sequential fuel injection.
Dual resonance intake manifold for a better torque spread.
Serpentine accessory drive belt for quietness and
increased reliability.
Fail safe cooling (engine can literally run without coolant in it - theoretically
it is impossible to cook this engine due to loss of coolant). *This
feature un-available while running on LPG.
‘Smart start’ - prevents you from engaging the starter motor if the
engine is already running.
Structural sump for quieter operation and increased block
stiffness.
New alloy rocker cover for improved looks and quieter operation.
New stiffer and better balanced crankshaft for quieter
operation and less NVH.
Longer conrods for better fuel economy & better burn
control.
New short skirt anti-friction coated pistons for better
fuel economy.
Overall, a much sweeter and easier engine to rev than
ever before...
Engine Option
#1:
5.0 litre V8.
175 kW @ 4600 rpm (up from 165 kW @ 4500 rpm in EL).
395 Nm @ 3200 rpm (up from 388 Nm @ 3000 rpm in EL).
Pushrod valve actuation.
Cast-iron heads.
Sequential fuel injection.
Serpentine accessory drive belt.
Pressed steel rocker covers and sump.
Engine
Option #2:
Factory fitted “Tickford” LPG conversion:
Including no loss in power.
Works with Distance to Empty calculator.
Integrated look to dash controls.
Uses standard fuel gauge for selected fuel.
Greater economy than most aftermarket units.
Cannot be fitted by dealer or aftermarket - only by Tickford on new
vehicle as delivered from factory.
Dealer fitted “Parnell” LPG conversion:
Some have commented it handles “dirty” gas better
than the Tickford unit.
Only a small power loss.
Costs less to install.
Can be fitted at any time by dealer or aftermarket.
Gearbox options:
5 speed manual standard
4 speed auto (including overdrive and converter lock up) as a no-cost option.
Suspension:
"Sports suspension" and handling package standard - courtesy of the XR utilities.
Fully independent double wishbone front suspension - forged upper & lower control arms, forged
spindle.
Live rear axil on XR developed leaf springs with outboard shock absorbers
('wide track') for ultimate motion
control with this type of suspension.
Steering:
Power assisted rack & pinion for exceptional steering feel (try it - you'll never ever know
if you never ever go!).
Plastic tray liner standard on style side rear box, including in built drink holder in tailgate,
cargo divider slotts moulded into the sides and space between the rear wheel arches to fit
a standard pallet.
Std black tonnau cover with 2 steel bows.
Security:
'Smartshield' security system, remote central locking/keyless entry.
'Tibbe' keys & locks.
Passenger side interior lock knob deleted (one less break-in point).
Brakes:
ABS brakes optional (available only with the Limited Slip differential when fitted to 'one tonne' utes).
Floor mounted hand brake - left side of driver.
Seat mounted hand brake with bench seat option - right side of driver.
4 wheel disc brakes standard - vented fronts, solid rears.
Asbestos free pads all 'round.
Interior / Glass:
Interior in "warm charcoal" colour theme.
Prestige 100 Watt AM/FM stereo radio/cassette with 4 speakers, CD changer controls (CD stacker not included) and mobile phone mute
features.
Optional Prestige 100 Watt AM/FM stereo
radio/cassette/single CD with 4 speakers, CD changer controls (CD stacker not
included) and mobile phone mute features.
6 stack CD changer optional with XLS & XR's.
Carpet floor covering standard.
Digital clock in central dash binnacle.
Interior cargo net.
Low coolant indicator on dash.
Service req'd indicator on dash.
Power operated side windows.
Heated rear window.
Fixed speed intermittent wipers.
Driver's airbag.
Steering wheel mounted volume control & seek functions for radio / cassette.
Optional cruise control with steering wheel mounted controls - very easy to use.
Cloth trimmed bucket or bench (optional - fitted with column auto only) seats.
Quick tilt forward driver's seat for easy access to internal storage area.
Child seat anchorage point.
Instrument panel includes Tachometer, fuels level, water temp and Distance To Empty (DTE) function.
Audible warnings for Turn signals, lights left on, high engine temperature and low fuel.
Warning lights for low oil pressure, high beam, alternator fail, lamps on, brake fail, hand
brake on, low fuel, high temperature, rear demist, door ajar, seat belts, ABS (where fitted) and
airbag.
Other options available:
Sump guard
1600 kg rated tow bar with automatic gearbox option (limited to 1200kg with manual gearbox).
2300 kg rated tow bar (dealer fitted option) - only with automatic gearbox.
"Cabin Tidy" - specially designed bin for behind the seats.
Mobile phone platform
Custom formed (for the AU) mudspats.
Rear sunshade.
Headlight shields (clear plastic).
Fire extinguishers.
Carpet mats.
Bonnet protector (clear plastic).
"Smart Bar" - that's a air-bag friendly bull bar to you & I!
