Holden Omega 2012 Review

When it comes to owning a ute compromise has always been the order of the day, a trade-off between cabin space and load capacity.

Holden has added one more to the equation with its new dedicated gas Commodore and it's all to do with the spare wheel, or lack of it, as the case may be.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

LPG prices have dropped again to lows of 60c a litre and below, or less than half that of 91 RON petrol. At 60c a litre, the cost of LPG to travel 10,000km in a dedicated gas Commodore ute is about $750.

The base Omega is priced at $37,990 and the SV6 is $41,990 and comes with a tyre inflation kit (a can of sealant and an air compressor) instead of a spare tyre as standard equipment or an optional (no cost) full-sized spare. Neither are entirely satisfactory.

Clearly a tyre inflation kit is a worry in a vehicle expected to cope with everything from back paddocks to building sites and from multi-lane freeways to outback tracks.

The can of sealant is suitable for small punctures of up to 6mm in the tread, but useless for anything larger or damaged sidewalls. Cracking a sidewall brings instant immobility.

Holden says that once inflated the patched tyre should travel for 8km to distribute the sealant evenly and should then be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. None of these issues affect the optional full-sized spare, but location does.

DESIGN

The switch to dedicated gas from the previous dual fuel system has come at a cost because of the redesign and relocation of the fuel tank. The new system has two parallel cylinders located under the floor of the tub at the rear axle where the spare wheel used to sit.

The 16-inch steel spare (17-inch alloy on the SV6) bolts to the front floor of the tub where it takes up about half of the width of the tray and limits the types of loads that can be carried. But it does come with a security cap and can be removed to increase load capacity. The rival LPG Falcon still has a full-sized spare wheel under the rear floor of the tub.

TECHNOLOGY

Dedicated gas engine is available with the 3.6-litre V6 Commodore engine in either base Omega trim or as an SV6. Engine output is 180kW and 320Nm, or 5kW and 3Nm more than than the previous dual-fuel engine, but 30kW and 30Nm less than the petrol 3.6-litre.

Peak torque kicks in at 2000rpm, a useful 800rpm lower than the petrol engine, and peak power comes on at 6000rpm or 700rpm lower. The ute's official combined fuel consumption is 12.4l/100km, or about 1.6l/100km less than the previous dual-fuel engine.

The economy gains come from tuning the engine to suit one type of fuel and the addition of a six-speed transmission replacing the previous four-speed. It is also cleaner, emitting 189 grams of CO2 a kilometre, easily passing the latest standards and scoring 4.5 out five in the Green Vehicle Guide.

DRIVING

Performance is close to the petrol version. Turn the key and the starter motor gives a couple of extra cranks before the engine fires. Step-off response is not quite as urgent as the petrol and it sounds a little coarser under load, but it is still a quick and lively performer. Most will be hard-pressed to tell the difference under the right foot.

VERDICT

Drivers will smile when refueling the 84-litre tank at current LPG prices, as long as they are wary of the extra weight behind the rear axle.

Holden Omega LPG ute

Price: from $37,990
Engine: 3.6-litre V6 gas engine, 180kW/320Nm
Tansmission: six-speed auto
Thrist: 12.4l/100km, 189 CO2 emissions

RIVALS

Ford Falcon LPG Ute EcoLPi
Price: from $31,490
Engine: 4.0 litre, 6 cylinder, 198kW409Nm
Transmission: 6-speed sports automatic, rear wheel drive
Thirst: 13.9L/100Km, 226 CO2 emissions
 

Ford Falcon - see other Ford Falcon verdicts

Holden Omega Ute
Price: from $35,490
Engine: 3.0-litre; V6 petrol; 190kW/290Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Thirst: 9.6L/100km
 

Holden Commodore - see other Holden Commodore verdicts

Ford Falcon Ute
Price: from $31,095
Engine: 4.0-litre; 6-cylinder petrol; 195kW/391Nm
Transmission: 6-speed manual; 6-speed auto
Thirst: 10-7-11.7L/100km




 

Ford Falcon - see other Ford Falcon verdicts