A wagon by any other name

Tag : auto bearing

This new Holden is so pretty that to call it a wagon is likecalling a Versace cocktail dress a frock, says DAVE MOORE.
Holden's new Commodore Sportwagon, which goes on sale in NewZealand next month, is designed to catch SUV owners who've enjoyedthe fun of tall-poppy driving while it lasted, only to find theycan no longer afford to run such overweight, over-qualifiedmachinery.
However, a less desirable trend the new Holden may cause would beto divert potential VE sedan owners over to its Sportwagon sibling,for the simple reasons that not only is it achingly good to lookat, it's also as quiet and nimble as the four-door from which it isderived, because it runs on the same wheelbase and underpinnings.
The previous more utilitarian VZ Commodore wagon ran on an extendedwheelbase and with the design brief for that model being aimedtowards ultimate volume rather than refinement and style, the VEload-carrier feels tauter, is definitively quieter and matches thesedan in terms of ride and handling.
Holden's marketing man Phillip Brook probably puts it best when hesays the Sportwagon hits "the sweet spot between form andfunction".
Despite being shorter by 14cm than the old wagon, the Sportwagon'sfunction is, in fact, not far short of the old car's, coming with ahigher waistline that compensates for the slightly smaller floorarea. In terms of load volume, the Sportwagon has a floor toceiling seats-up rating of up to 895 litres and a seats down volumeof 2000 litres.
I was concerned that the sleek Sportwagon roofline would compromiserear headroom, but Holden tells me that not only does the flush,fold-down bed length extend to almost 2m, the rear seats boast thebest headroom of any VE model, as well as more rear knee and legroom than the old VZ wagon.
So far there are no plans to include all-wheel-drive and third-rowseating in the new Holden, so defecting SUV owners will have tomake one or two compromises. Fuel economy won't be among them,however, as the new Sportwagon only adds three tenths of a litre tofuel consumption per 100km over the sedan version, which puts themachine well below SUV levels of fuel use, even in 6-litre V8 form.
When asked about future alternatively fuelled power units for theCommodore Sportwagon to further lower its carbon footprint, Holdenlists GM's research into hybrids, both series and plug in types:dedicated CNG and LPG and fuel cell technology. But the first onthe list in various executives' answers to the alternative fuelsquestion is always diesel, with a time-frame suggestion for theadaptation of a twin-turbo diesel V6 for Commodore use being"within two years".
Just 10 per cent of the old VZ Commodore wagon's home market wasmade up of private sales in its home market, so Holden is hopingthat a seven-model line-up will reverse that somewhat, by runninginterference against the Toyota Highlander and Ford Territory,which have made most hay at the expense of station wagons inAustralia during the SUV revolution.
Holden's chief designer Richard Ferlazzo says that the Sportwagonhas been crafted to eschew the workaday, load carrying reputationof wagons in general and position itself as a practical, butaltogether sexier, animal, while also taking a lead on SUVs byoffering Commodore sedan levels of ride and handling.
On the styling front, Ferlazzo's team has definitely succeeded,with the basic side profile having a rearward taper now, comparedwith the VZ model's flared back end which eschewed style forcapacity.
The extended glasshouse is cleverly blended into the Commodoresedan's telltale rising waistline, with almost Audi-esque"haunches" and a delicacy of detail around the windowlines that gives the vehicle a three-quarter rear view of realclass.
The tailgate extends and hinges well into the rear roofline notunlike that on the Honda Aerodeck of the 1980s. This allows usersto open the hatch when parked quite close-up to obstacles andleaves space underneath for taller owners when loading. Thetailgate is made up from two pieces and the join is covered, ratherneatly, with a chrome strip between the rear lamp clusters thatlinks with with the chromed "moustache" in the uppergrille at the other end.
Model by model, the Sportwagon is altogether more cohesive andgood-looking to my eyes than the Commodore sedan on which it isbased. This comes from having no silly add-on boot spoilers oraerodynamic appliques, just pleasingly honest lines and an on-roadstance that makes the Sportwagon probably the best-looking sedan orwagon ever to grace a Holden showroom.
With prices ranging from $1400 to $1800 more than their four-doorequivalents, the Sportwagon has the same home comfort equipmentlevel, with safety features like electronic stability programme(ESP), ABS, traction control, rear park assist and six airbagsfitted as standard across the range.
From driving each model extensively, I'd venture that they drive atleast as well as their four-door counterparts.
There appears to be no more road noise than in the sedan, which isquite an achievement considering the clamour normally associatedwith the old VZ wagon, which was really quite a boom-box.
I did come across some squeaks and rattles in the SS V model,something I didn't find in the Omega, SV6 and Calais V versions ofthe car. Those latter three Sportwagons ran on smaller wheels of16, 17 and 18-inch diameter respectively, compared with the sexy19-inch rims of the SS V. Although the six model line-up seemsextensive enough, consisting of the Omega, SV6 and manual and autoversions of the SS-V and Calais V models, a seventh car in the formof a non-V SS Sportwagon might be advisable, with a little moreride comfort than the 19-inch rimmed V model.
Apart from my twittery SS-V, the whole range displayed impressiveride and handling qualities, and in a straight shoot-out with thelatest revamped Falcon wagon, complete with its clunky live rearaxle, the Sportwagon line-up is something of a no-brainer.
I've always criticised the VE Commodore for its marketers'insistence in adding great plank-like spoilers to their bootlines,ruining what is otherwise a great-looking car.
I've also said that I'd pay good money to have these appendagesremoved. So along comes Holden and offers its pretty new Sportwagonwhich not only throws the spoilers away, but adds a sexier,load-bearing profile, better rear room and load space and chargesbetween $1400 and $1800 for the privilege. Nice work.