October e-zine 2008

Holden Colorado

Tough act to follow

A change in General Motors’ relationship with Isuzu has led Holden to scrap its Rodeo model after 30+ years and introduce a new workhorse – the Colorado.

While the Colorado’s marketing campaign has focused on the light truck’s ‘toughness’, it’s the remarkable array of variants that are sure to catch the eyes of tradesmen and fleet managers. From engines to cabin heights to body styles, there are an amazing 30 combinations available.

Petrol engine options are a 2.4-litre four-cylinder and a gutsy 3.6-litre V6, while there is also a torque-heavy 3.0-litre turbo-diesel (which boasts a three-tonne braked towing capacity). Further boosting its workhorse credentials, the Colorado is available as a 2WD or 4WD, with the 4WD showing genuine off-road capabilities.

As with so many light trucks, however, safety continues to be a problem. The Colorado has most standard safety features, but curtain airbags and stability control are not even available as options.

That said, its good looks, versatility and wide price-bracket pretty much guarantee the Colorado will shake up the others in its class.

Others in the class
Ford Ranger, Mitsubishi Triton, Toyota Hilux

Green vehicle rating
3 stars

Crash test results
Not available

Pros
Value, 4WD capabilities, styling

Cons
No curtain airbags or ESC

Price
DX 2WD 2.4-litre (petrol) $19,990
LT-R 4WD 3.0-litre (diesel) 45,990

Holden Epica

Diesel donk difference

There’s no sugar-coating it – until now, Holden’s Epica has been an epic failure. Sales languished at just 1591 for the year ending July 2008, representing a meagre 3.9 per cent of the mid-sized market. It’s not surprising then that Holden has changed tack and given the Epica a diesel engine to help differentiate it from its competitors like the Toyota Camry and Mazda 6.

Holden hopes the four-cylinder, 2.0-litre turbo-diesel Epica will attract fleet buyers and anyone else seeking better fuel economy. (It has also killed off its unpopular 2.0-litre straight six engine – its petrol offering is now the 2.5-litre version.)

The diesel Epica churns out an impressive 110kW of power and 320Nm of torque. Coupled with a new six-speed auto transmission, it offers good performance while achieving 7.6L/100km – significantly better than the petrol engine at 9.3L/100km. On the downside, the diesel variants incur a $2000 price premium.

While it is well appointed inside and out and is competitively priced, the Epica cannot match the warranty offered by Korean brands such as Kia and Hyundai. If Holden can plug this gap, its diesel Epica may well succeed where its predecessor failed.

Others in the class
Toyota Camry, Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6

Green vehicle rating
3 stars

Crash test results
4 stars

Pros
Fuel consumption, improved safety, styling and features

Cons
Can’t match competitors’ warranties

Price
CDX (petrol) $27,990
CDX (diesel) $29,990

FG Falcon Ute

A smooth operator

For many years the big Aussie ute has been as much a status symbol as a workhorse and Ford’s FG is perhaps the terminus of this trend. As sleek, glossy and all-round impressive as its sedan siblings, what’s most telling about the new ute is that Ford has opted not to offer the RTV variant – a model with higher ground clearance that was better suited to off-road tasks.

Everything that has made the FG Falcon one of 2008’s best reviewed cars is present in the ute. Suspension, steering and road handling are all vastly superior to that in the previous model and all the engine variants, from the stock 195kW straight six to the big 290kW Boss V8, are on offer.

It has plenty to please the fair dinkum tradesman too, most notably a new tonneau cover, which works like a snap-lock plastic bag and can be peeled up from any side and folded into sections for more convenient access. However, it also has an elasticised cord on its underside that can be fastened to small hooks to cover long or bulky items.

The ute’s weaknesses are few, although the upswept body section behind the door creates a sizeable blind spot (made better or worse depending on the seat position) and the graduations on the sports tacho/speedo in the premium models are hard to read. But these blemishes are flyspecks – the FG Ute is an object of desire.

Others in the class
Holden VE Ute, Toyota Hilux

Green vehicle rating
2.5 stars

Crash test results
Not available

Pros
Large variety of body options

Cons
No ESC at time of writing

Price
FG cab chassis (man) $27,795
XR8 side box (man) $34, 490

SsangYong Rexton II SPR

No petrol, please, we’re SsangYong

Rather than having a bet each way like most other manufacturers, SsangYong is backing diesel for a win. Eschewing petrol, it has relaunched its entire range with efficient diesel-only engines – an Australian first. The Rexton II SPR sits at the top of the range and is the Korean car-maker’s flagship vehicle, which will try to elbow into the people-mover market.

The Rexton II passes the first test, which is occupant room. However, while the front seats are reasonably comfortable, the second row is fair at best (especially for the centre passenger) and the third row is positioned close to the floor and is suitable only for children. In fact, the seating in general needs work as the back rows are hard to access and adjust.

The Rexton II fares better in layout and safety, with an easy-to-read dash cluster and convenient controls for the driver, plus ABS, ESC and driver, passenger and side airbags, and much more.

The build quality has improved (common to most Korean cars) and the fit and finish is generally impressive, although certain elements such as the display, steering wheel and the interior trim make it look cheap.

As for performance, the Rexton II is predictably sluggish off the mark, but the 2.7-litre diesel engine generates a respectable 121kW of power and 302Nm of torque (increasing to 137kW and 402Nm in the SPR’s turbo-diesel variant). That said, you’ll know you’re not driving a petrol sedan, with noticeable body roll, light steering and chattering engine noise.

While it’s far from the sexiest seven-seater on the market, the Rexton II does have a good range of standard features – and its low-consumption diesel engine will appeal to those who want to flash their environmental awareness.

Others in the class
Toyota Kluger, Honda CX7, Subaru Forester

Green vehicle rating
2.5 stars

Crash test results
Not available

Pros
Power, exterior styling, value

Cons
Noisy engine, space saver spare tyre, body wind noise

Price
Rexton II (man) $36,990
Rexton II SPR (auto) $49,990

Open Road e-zine October 2008

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