There is no doubt that Holden’s Sportwagon range has hit the sweet spot with buyers and the premium versions have only one direct competitor. At $53,790, the SS V costs a surprising $7500 more than the SS but boasts desirable additions, chiefly 19-inch alloys with 245/40R19 rubber in lieu of 18s with 245/45Rs, leather upholstery and dual-zone climate control. Besides, there is the undoubted additional status of that ‘V’ badge.
For many years more than two-thirds of total Commodore and Falcon sales were to government and private fleets. The previous generation Holden wagon was actually designed to appeal to such customers, especially Telstra. Traditionally both manufacturers have built their load-carriers on the same long wheelbase as their flagship limousines. But Ford dropped its Fairlane/LTD models at the end of 2007 and sales of the Statesman/Caprice appear to be in terminal decline. In this context, the decision to develop a new style of Commodore wagon now seems to have been prescient.
The Sportwagon was developed concurrently with the sedan range and is built on the same 2915 mm wheelbase. Identical in length to the sedan, it is 136 mm shorter than the old hearse-like VZ wagon. Weight is up marginally and the price premium is $1000 more than an equivalent sedan, representing first-class value.
The SS V lives absolutely up to its name. With a 270 kW 6.0-litre V8 driving through a six-speed manual gearbox, the test wagon delivered a special driving pleasure. In one way it was a blast from the past because the combination of a big V8 engine and a manual transmission in a wagon is rare these days. You can’t, for example, buy the Chrysler 300C Hemi wagon with a clutch pedal. Just as the SS V ute is a twenty-first century sports car, so is this wagon.
While you don’t buy such a vehicle with much thought to fuel economy, the SS V Sportwagon does well (even without the new Active Fuel Management feature which shuts down four of the eight cylinders under light load conditions and is standard on automatic V8s). On long trips, the 6.0-litre V8 behaves more like a six, delivering economy in the order of 8.5 litres per 100 kilometres. High gearing, courtesy of that sixth ratio, is a key contributor. The six-speed automatic is almost equally thrifty.
Performance is magnificent and the torque means you can usually be in a higher gear. It is only heavy traffic that thwarts the Sportwagon’s best efforts at economy. Spend much time bumper to bumper in first and second gears, however, and your average will fall to 20 litres per 100 or worse.
Whether lightly or heavily laden, the SS V Sportwagon handles exactly like its sedan counterpart. Steering feel is excellent with plenty of weight at the rim, so you always know exactly where the front wheels are pointed.
Ride comfort is good with hardly any suspension noise making its way into the plush cabin. Turn-in is sharp and the car feels beautifully balanced through corners. The interior is well appointed, although the ergonomics require some familiarisation and the gauges are fussily calibrated. Holden would do better to put the cruise control switches onto the steering wheel rather than using a gawky stalk because priority is given to the sound system controls.
The front seats are supportive and stylish, while the rear ones fold down in 60:40 split to make an almost flat load-carrying space of a whisker under two metres in length. Cargo volume is 2000 litres, which is dramatically short of its predecessor but still plenty for most customers. Closest in concept to this vehicle is the 300C Hemi wagon (which was there first), but the SS V is some $6000 less expensive. If you are looking for performance and luxury with a greater load-carrying capacity, your next stop is an SUV. In summary, it becomes difficult to see why you would choose any Commodore sedan rather than its Sportwagon counterpart.
Thumbs-up:
Combination of sportiness and versatility, great open road economy, styling
Thumbs-down:
Thick A-pillars hinder forward vision, confusing switchgear
