Since Ford abandoned the wagon body style, opting for the Territory SUV, the large wagon market has had very little in the way of anything that isn’t European and doesn’t cost the earth. But now there’s an Australian wagon again, and arguably, the new style looks even better than the sedan.
The front of the car may be familiar to some readers from North America, as Holden exported the Holden Commodore as the Pontiac G8. That has ceased now, but not production of the Commodore.
This author tested the Commodore Sportwagon in both NZ$51,490 SV6 and high spec NZ$63,690 Calais V6 guise but there’s actually not that much to report because the cars drive very much like the respective sedans they are based on, apart from the extra room in the back.
Holden SV6 Sportwagon
What that means is a large, rear wheel drive car that in SV6 guise has sports oriented suspension that makes it fun to drive, albeit with a rather busy ride on less than perfect tarmac. The 195kW 3.6 litre engine provides more than enough power and while it would be nice to have a six speed automatic the five speed auto seems to get along just fine.
There’s still the interior, with trim that isn’t quite up to the standards of the Japanese, and the awkward handbrake that can catch a finger if the driver is not careful. Along with the extra space in the back, and there is plenty of space, the SV6 comes with Electronic Stability Control (ESC) incorporating ABS, EBD, EBA and TCS, special sports instrumentation, Bluetooth, leather wrapped steering wheel, sports body kit with front fog lamps, 18" alloy wheels, six airbags, and a particularly annoying Rear Park Assist. It switches on with a jarring ‘boing’ sound, and anything that requires a three point turn results in a constant assault of early warnings of things the car is never going to hit.
And then when the driver engages Drive, it switches back off again. In reality it’s not any different to any other park warning system, but it does have a very annoying sound.
Holden Calais V Sportwagon
In virtually every way the higher spec Calais V Sportwagon is the same as the SV6, but takes away the fidgety suspension and adds a six disc CD audio system with MP3 compatibility and auxiliary input, a DVD player with rear seat overhead LCD screen to keep the kids quiet, leather seat inserts with eight-way electric adjustment of front seats, rain sensing windscreen wipers, and front and rear park assist.
By making the sedan into a wagon Holden has added an attractive model to the range, both in looks and in the practicality of the package. Six cylinder large cars are not exactly the flavour of the month at the moment thanks to all the doom and gloom of fuel costs, but if a big family with lots of gear is after a new car the Sportwagon should be something you take a look at. It’s just a pity the park assist can't be deleted, or at least made less annoying.
Sam Domett - I have been a motoring journalist for over 15 years, beginning with my own website. I then moved on to the Manukau Daily News. My next job ...
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