Holden Omega 2011 Review

LPG has been strongly touted over the past few years as being an economical fuel source compared to petrol. But that benefit has started to dwindle as conventional engines have downsized, become more efficient and more environmentally chummy.

Take the Holden Omega LPG dual-fuel. Aimed at the tradie and fleet buyers, it offers a simple, economical and fairly comfortable vehicle. But there are still compromises -- for both your wallet and the environment.

VALUE

You have to weigh the $38,890 price for the dual-drinker against the latest petrol-only Omega ute at $3400 less - but $1400 after $2000 government rebate. But to do that, you need to measure the 175kW/318Nm 3.6-litre's claimed 15.1L/100km on LPG - which is how most people will use it -- against the 3.0-litre petrol's claimed 9.6L/100km and not dissimilar outputs at 190kW/290Nm.

With current fuel prices (which vary on location), that means 1000km costs about $94 on LPG, and about $40 more on petrol. So you have to travel 35,000km to make up the price difference.

On test, after 420km of mixed driving it took 67.7L of LPG and 8.3L of petrol for a total cost of $55.90, so our 1000km would cost closer to $130, but in real-world driving the non-LPG ute would also return a higher fuel figure than the claimed one, so the difference could still be around $40.

The emissions weigh-up is grimmer. On LPG, the ute belches 244g/km of CO2: more than the 3.0-litre's 229g/km - and for that matter, more than the 210kW/350Nm version of the petrol V6 at 236g/km. And no amount of driving evens up that imbalance.

DESIGN

The body looks solid and simple, but the LPG tank means a large lump in the tray, and while you can sit something on top, it reduces the payload area and prevents you anchoring large objects behind the cabin. The tank also reduces cargo capacity by 109kg to 700kg, but you still get the braked towing capacity of 1600kg.

The filler caps are both under the same lid, and this leaves little room to get your fingers around the LPG one when refilling.

The interior relies on hard plastics - the steering wheel is particularly unpleasant -- but enough effort has been made to give the cabin a comfortable feel and there's plenty of room behind the seats for storage. It also has a reasonable equipment list, including dual-zone climate control, Bluetooth and the Holden-iQ touchscreen infotainment system.

The main gripe is lack of visibility, with the thick pillars and high rear window forcing you to look twice in lane-changing and parking.

TECHNOLOGY

The Alloytec V6 engine starts on petrol and automatically switches over to the gas-injected LPG after a few seconds, but will switch back if you run out of gas It's a capable unit, but it's mated to a museum-eligible four-speed auto and you can't help wondering how much another cog or two would improve the fuel economy.

Holden is currently working on an LPG-only system, due to arrive later this year.

The independent rear suspension feels a bit firmer than in the sedan, and the ute rides and handles fairly well with an empty tray. The steel wheels' 16-in diameter helps with that, but it improves more with some weight in the tray.

SAFETY

Five crash stars, helped by six airbags, stability and traction controls, and anti-skid brakes with brakeforce distribution for optimum braking and brake assist for extra effort in emergency stops.

DRIVING

We'd factored in that the LPG ute would mutter at hills, and it didn't take much foot input before it needed to kick down. But we didn't expect it to make so much racket. It's an industrial symphony, with transmission noise singing harmony and tyre roar as the chorus - all of which begs for better damping in the cabin. Otherwise it offers a fairly practical experience. Give it a task and it steadily sets about getting it done, then dusts its hands off and lines up for the next one.

The 11.7m turning circle is handy for a workhorse, and its road manners are as good with the tray empty as when loaded.

Overall, there are no real problems, and the cabin is a well-equipped and pleasant enough mobile office, but the ute doesn't really shine in any area. The poor visibility and antique four-speed transmission make everyday tasks just a bit harder than they need to be, and the LPG consumption doesn't compare as well to more modern and frugal petrol engines as it once did to the previous guzzlers.

The main factor will be whether you're prepared to pay the extra up front to save bowser budget later in its life.

VERDICT

It's a good prospect if you're going to drive it long enough to recoup the extra cost and don't mind losing some payload area. Otherwise go for the petrol version or wait to see the new Falcon Ute with liquid phase injection LPG that arrives mid-year or the LPG-only system Holden will launch later in the year.

HOLDEN OMEGA LPG UTE

Price: from $38,890 (- $2000 government rebate)
Warranty: 3 years, 100,000km, roadside assist
Resale: 62%
Service: 15,000km/12 months
Thirst: LPG only 15.1 litres/100km; 244g/km CO2. LPG/petrol 13.4 litres/100km; 217g/km CO2
Crash rating: 5 stars
Safety equipment: six airbags, ESC (inc ABS, EBD, EBA, TC)
Engine: 3.6-litre, V6; LPG/petrol; 175kW/318Nm
Transmission: 4-speed auto; rear-drive
Body: 2-door ute, 2 seats
Dimensions:  4894mm (L); 1899mm (W); 1476mm (H); 2915mm (WB)
Weight: 1734kg
Tyres: 225/60R16 tyres, full-size spare