Holden Epica 2007 review

Our expectations weren’t high because in all but name, the mid-sized Epica is a Daewoo, designed and manufactured by GM-Daewoo in South Korea and rebadged as a Holden for sale here. Back home it's called the Tosca which leads to the inevitable tongue in cheek comments about chocolate bars from those scribes old enough to remember.

Recalling the slogan Holden has indeed “Gone for a Tosca” in turning to South Korea for a Vectra replacement - a cheaper option than Europe. But all jokes aside, the finished product is unlike any Daewoo that we’ve ever driven.

While it’s not going to win any awards for looks, the car is quiet, roomy and comfortable, delivering good economy and well equipped for the price. Kicking off at $25,990 plus on-roads, Holden is hoping that it's good enough to steal a sizeable chunk of business from Toyota's all-conquering Camry.

At that price it undercuts Camry by more than $2000 but is lineball with Hyundai's Sonata and the Kia Magentis, the latter of which comes with electronic stability control.

It's one thing to have a good product, but that's still no guarantee of success as Daewoo’s Korean cousin Hyundai can testify. Hyundai has been turning out some great cars lately, sadly it's just that no one is particularly interested in buying them.

It's here that the Holden badge comes into play because it is the badge that will make the difference in the long run. With a Lion on the back, experience has shown that buyers don't seem to care too much where a car is from. At least, it doesn't seem to have bothered buyers of Barina and Viva, two of Holden's other Korean models.

Combined sales for Viva and Barina have topped 7200 vehicles so far this year. This compares to almost 7000 European-sourced Astras.

At the time of writing Holden had sold 179 Epicas since launch in April, compared to 286 Vectras for the same period last year. But it's early days yet.

To look at there's not much separating Epica from Tosca.

A quick visual comparison shows the front grille has been replaced and it has different wheels and badges - but that's about all. It's under the skin that the big changes can be found, specifically in the suspension and noise reduction departments.

Holden said the car was extensively re-tuned by its engineers at its Lang Lang proving ground to ensure that it met Australia's diverse driving conditions.

Epica comes in three different models - 2.0-litre CDX, 2.5-litre CDX auto and 2.5-litre CDXi auto. In a rather enticing move, both engines are small, in-line sixes rather than fours offered by Toyota, Hyundai or Kia. What's more, the Porsche-designed engine (yes, Porsche) has a smooth, refined quality feel with a nice note under load that drivers will find attractive.

The smaller engine is teamed with a five-speed manual while the larger power plant is available with a five-speed auto.

Our test car was the entry level 2.0-litre CDX manual. The 2.0-litre engine produces 105kW of power at 6400rpm and 195Nm of torque from 2600rpm, using premium unleaded. It could use some more torque, but without sounding like we’re trying to defend the car, it's an easy thing to accommodate. The key is to change down early and keep up the revs.

Mid-range response is good and the gearing is well matched to the engine, because it doesn't run out of puff as early as might be expected; with the best results found above 3000rpm.

The car is fitted with 16-inch alloys and 205/60 profile tyres, with a ride that is firm but in no way harsh, with good bump insulation offered by the suspension. It even handles reasonably well within acceptable limits.

Inside, the interior is impressively quiet, with supportive seats and generous leg room in the back. Conversation between the front and back seats is unstrained. Thankfully the headlights have been wired to turn off with the ignition, which means you can leave them on all the time for safety.

The window switches are backlit for night operation, but the steering wheel mounted cruise and audio controls miss out and can be hard to locate and operate as a result.

Fuel economy from the 65-litre tank is rated at 8.2 litres/100km, using premium - but it will run happily on standard unleaded with a slight loss of power. We got economy of 9.8 litres/100km during mixed testing.

Standard equipment includes air conditioning, front and side airbags for driver and front passenger, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, power windows and mirrors, and 16-inch alloy wheels, with a 15-inch temporary spare rated to 80km/h.

Traction control is fitted as standard which stops the front wheels from spinning, but the car misses out on the more sophisticated electronic stability control system fitted to Commodores.

All in all Epica is an impressive package for the price. If you look closely you can identify where corners have been cut, but all manufacturers are guilty of this and at the end of the day you get what you pay for. It offers the same sort of interior space as Commodore and with a largish boot. For $2,000 more you get the same car with the larger engine and automatic transmission or $5,000 more the top of the line model with a body kit and all the fruit. We can see the car appealing to families on a budget.

Holden is offering a 30-day 1,500km money back guarantee on the car until the end of the year, but be sure to read the fine print before signing on the dotted line, as it’s a little more complicated than that.