1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152 
VERTE TEMPEST XLS
Page 44
Page 45
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
IPRICE AS TESTED: £17,700 (ex-VAT). ENGINE: 4.0 litres, 192hp (143kW). GVW: 2,190kg. PAYLOAD: 495kg FUEL CONSUMPTION (LADEN): 19.7mpg (14.31it/100km)
Seeing a niche in the UK market that had remained unfilled for a decade, the outfit that currently brings you the AC sports car range found the answer in Australia. The Verte Tempest is a surprisingly "green" pickup which can trace its roots to those halcyon days before the British motor industry tried to commit suicide. The unfamiliar name hides the fact that it is actually built by a very familiar name indeed.
Ever since Ford dropped the South African-built Sierra-based Pro°, the market has lacked a natural successor. True, the Blue Oval has the Ranger, but like its competitors, its inspiration is Far East 4x4 whereas the good old British Commonwealth spawned the Verte Tempest.
You've probably never heard of such a thing, but you may have heard of the Ford Falcon, which is how the Tempest started life in its native Australia. Ever since the early days of shoe-horning large engines into products of the mother country, such as the Austin A5o, the high-powered pickup, or "Ute", to use the vernacular, has been a staple part of the motoring scene down-under. At home the Falcon is sold in both high-performance .4(ion and pickup versions, with the latter available with power units up to a 268hp, 5.olitre V8. Eventually Vern. Automotive, based in Frirnley, Surrey, intends to import both car and pickup into the UK, but for now is concentra ti n g on the commercial.
PRODUCTIVITY
Despite the new name, the pickup is 99.99% pure Ford Falcon, the only change being to replace the Ford blue oval badges with Vertes. For the UK, it comes with the lowest-rated engine, a 4.0-litre spark-ignition straight-six.
It may be the smallest engine in the range, but it still has the potential to be thirsty, so Verte has chosen to bring in the fully LPGpowered version. The gas system is a Ford inhouse installation and even comes with a unique green-painted cam cover. Compared with the petrol unit on which it is based, with 192hp at 4,500rprn it develops 19hp less, but also produces slightly more torque at a lower speed.
We now have a dedicated LPG test route, using most of our existing Kent circuit and giving directly comparable fuel figures. The Verte Tempest used 2016. litres of LPG giving an actual consumption of 19.7mpg. That sounds bad, but is softened by
the realisation that LPG's 36.9p/lit equates a rather more acceptable 39.mpg compare to the price of diesel or petrol. The Tempest no-litre tank has a usable 88 litres giving range of nearly 400 miles, hopefully enotrE to find one of the thousand-plus UK LPG ot lets now operating.
Our test vehicle is based on the Falcc XLS, an upmarket "lifestyle" version wit sports suspension. As a result, net payload a meagre 495kg, rookg less than a Vauxlu Combo. However you needn't panic, becaut the more functional XL version, whose n payload is the right side of a tonne, is alt available. Both versions will haul the San. 2,300kg braked -nailer. The load box is gene ously sized, and comes with a high-quali plastic loadliner, complete with clever she supports and a tonneau cover with easy I use elastic fasteners. Other than this, thougl load security is non-existent.
ON THE ROAD
The Tempest has a fascia that couldn't be an. thing but Ford, even down to the brushed ale minium dash trim as seen on the Fiesta. 01 XLS comes with comfortable low-mounte bucket seats with black/blue cloth trim, whit .e XL will probably have a three-seater !nch. The seating position feels even lower an it is, thanks to the load box waist being .gher than the cab window line. Behind the !ats is space for coats and holdalls, while a rge bin and CD rack in the central arm rest, merous door pockets and a glove box prode more storage. For the lifestyle market, up and sunglasses holders are included.
Beyond the multi-function steering wheel, ith cruise and radio controls, is a clear set of istruments including rev counter and zomph speedo (presumably converted eleconically from the native km/h), fuel and mperature gauges. The digital odometer [chides a DTE (distance-to-empty) reading, sefitl with the LPG system.
A generous equipment level includes elec. tric windows and mirrors, heated rear windows and remote central locking. As might be expected from its origin, the heating and ventilation is excellent, with the air-con feeding a full halfdozen face level vents and separate side window vents. Airbags are provided for both occupants. The rear fog light looks a bit of an afterthought, though. The radio/single disc CD player is the Ford global doubleDIN layout, but lacks the RDS system now taken for granted in Europe.
Anyone who's driven an American hire car can imagine how the Tempest drives, the only difference being that it handles better. Despite the reduced power of the LPG installation, the Tempest is quite quick enough, thank you. Progress is as smooth and effortless as any luxury car, with barely perceptible changes of the four-speed auto box. Surprisingly, unless you provoke it by flooring the throttle and turning sharply at the same time, it's quite hard to break traction. Economy is helped by the dual-mode transmission, and also by the fact that there's no need to drive the pickup hard to make brisk progress.
The sports suspension gives a firm ish ride which can crash out on the worst surfaces but is fine in the vast majority of situations. The powered rack and pinion steering is suitably sharp, providing handling abilities well beyond what you might expect. The only slight downside of the vehicle dynamics is the lack of ABS—we found the front wheels occasionally locking when stopping from low speeds on less than perfect surfaces.
SUMMARY
The Verte Tempest might seem an unlikely addition to the UK commercial vehicle market. Its importers see it appealing to two distinct sectors, the leisure buyers who will carry around their jet-skis and the like, and those commercial operators who will make it work for its living. The latter group will probably find the imminent XL version, with bench seat, no air-con and around f 2,7oo cheaper, more to their liking, if only because of the more sensible payload capacity.
The Tempest won't suit everyone's needs, and Verte's realistic sounding target of mo units this year and 500 next year reflect this. But an operator looking for a vehicle that will do a real job of work, at the same as providing an eye-catching PR opportunity, will find it could be the answer. And the LPG angle makes it acceptably cheap to run, with those all-important environmentallyfriendly credentials.
• by Colin Baniett