Holden Commodore Ute 2007 review

In the automotive world, it is the ute that has enjoyed the sort of change Clinton's people were so famous for. It is a shame they never met ... I'm pretty sure Governor Clinton, at least, would have loved it.

The ute in general — and the Holden Ute in particular — has garnered a mystic and a respectability far beyond anything its original designers could have imagined.

From a utilitarian workhorse the ute has grown to be regarded as the tradie's sports car ... and more.

In some ways, it is looked upon as representative of all things Aussie.

A hard worker that likes to play just as hard yet scrubs up well enough to hold its place in any society. The truth lies somewhere in the middle ground.

Increasingly, sales of utes are skewed towards the upper end of the model range. With a range of colour and comfort features at which a 1960s “chippie” would have turned up his nose, the modern ute is much more statement than work tool.

Holden's latest VE range Ute is by far the most sophisticated the company has put on the road.

There remains a little bit of “rough” about it so the boys can still knock back a schooner without feeling the urge to ask for a shandy.

But by and large, the upper echelon of this range — the SV6 and the SS — are sportscars with really big boots.

The cabin interior has been refreshed and revised to answer the storage questions that have long been asked of Holden.

Access to the rear of the seats has been eased by the standard fit of a flip-down seat release that opens the 245-litre storage area.

The jack and wheel brace sit neatly tucked away behind the driver but its functionality — particularly the winder — is open to question.

Clever in theory, the practical application of removing the tyre from its retaining wire requires not only determination but a change of clothes.

The illustrations in the owner's manual bear little resemblance to the actual positioning of the tyre necessary to release it from its retaining catch. The best solution would be to increase the length of the cable by enough to allow the spare to move further out from under the tray.

Back to the positives, and the heavy-duty moulded cargo liner standard on all models is a winner — as are the improved tie-downs.

In line with the acknowledgement that the utes are, after all, designed for work, they will carry full-size spares as standard across the range.

Across the range, twin airbags are standard and Holden is working on a way to install curtain bags ... but it should be noted that is still some way off. Features on the top-of-the-range SS V include 19-inch alloy wheels, projector headlamps, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a 150W premium audio system, dual-zone electronic climate control, a sports interior, hero colour-keyed instrument panel and cluster, centre-console sports gauges, large, colour-screen multi-function display, full map satellite navigation availability, leather-faced seat trim and leather-wrap steering wheel.

Not really the sort of environment you'd expect in a work truck.

It is much more car than truck and that fits right in with the rest of the Ute's characteristics.

The SS and SS V are powered by Holden's 6.0-litre Gen IV V8 with 270kW and 530Nm. The SV6 gets the 3.6-litre 60-degree V powerplant with 195kW and 340Nm — and, in truth, the smaller option suffers little for it. The Utes ride on fully independent suspension which saves the rear-end from the skittish behaviour of its forebears but pays a penalty in load capacity. The SS-V is certified for only a little over 600kg in the tray.

The manners are further aided by the electronic stability program which comes standard. It is the first time such a system integrating traction control, anti-lock braking, electronic brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution has been made a standard feature on an Australian-made ute.

Driving the Holden Ute is a hoot. The general balance of the car is a credit to the engineers, with a nice neutral feel aided in no small part by a 50:50 weight distribution — something not easily achieved in a load-carrier.

Inside the cabin it is easy to forget that this is not a Commodore. It is a little more coarse but the ride quality is good and the space is what you would expect from what is essentially the front half of a VE sedan interior.

But it's not all light and brightness.

The instrumentation can be difficult to read at a glance, although the central digital speed readout is a tremendous idea.

However, the most disturbing fault is the lack of vision out the rear — and the rear-three-quarter blind spots.