XH Falcon ute

Ford grafted a sleek new nose and a rounder roof on the existing XD-XG workhorse to create the EF Falcon-lookalike XH series.

The XF-derived cabin received a mild facelift too, but it still looked and felt like an old, old ute from behind the wheel.

The S received a standard airbag and the world’s first airbag compatible roo bar to go with it.

An upgraded 148kW/353Nm 4.0L I6 engine was introduced, along with a 164kW/366Nm Tickford 4.0L unit in the XR6 (with a reduced payload of 530kg to match).

The big news though was the addition of a one-tonne (actually 1140kg) payload in the Outback model, 15 years after Holden first offered it with the HQ.

More equipment was creeping into all models, while a raft of special editions began to appear.

Special editions:· May 97 – Tradesman: air-conditioning, alloy wheels, decals, bed liner.

· July 97 – S Splash: Alloy sports bar, alloy wheels, cruise control, upgraded audio, decals.