DURING the Falcon’s glory years of the 1960s and ’70s, its long-lived catch cry “The Great Australian Road Car” reflected both a dynamic superiority over the Kingswood and Valiant as well as an unrelenting march towards eventual sales domination a decade later.

Now, in rousing defiance of the series’ expected demise, a four-cylinder turbo heart transplant not only beats new life into the old battler, it exemplifies the old ad tagline more accurately than any previous locally-built vehicle at this price point. Ever.

Australia, just drive an EcoBoost and find out how good it is.