Holden Commodore Ute 2013 Review

Two seats, two doors, red paintwork and a very big boot -- welcome to the latest Holden sports car, the VF Ute. Not quite -- but sort of -- the load-lugger of the VF range comes in a few sports versions that are short on payload but long on image.

In fact there's an extra bit of swagger in the driver's step when alighting from one of these machines. But such is the skill of the VF Ute, you can forget there's no back seat when driving, apart from the absence of superfluous instruction.

VALUE

Chief among the changes to VF from VE was pricing, and in the case of the SV6 the beancounters have sliced $5500 from the tag, putting the SV6 manual at $32,990, with the six-speed auto adding $2200 to that asking price.

But for that you get a plentiful features list, including the full 8-inch MyLink touchscreen voice control infotainment system (but no satnav -- that's a $750 option) with four speakers and Bluetooth links for music and phone calls, an auto-release electric park brake, dual-zone climate control, sports (not leather, that's $1000 extra) trim, a leather-wrapped reach'n'rake adjustable steering, automatic headlights (but not rain-sensing wipers), 18-inch alloy wheels, and the remote engine start system (only on automatic models).

TECHNOLOGY

There's not been much done to the drivetrain but the ute gets the same upgraded dash package and some of the lighter-weight body bits such as the bonnet, plus there's no bootlid on the ute.

The 3.6-litre direct-injection V6 is claiming an 8.2 per cent reduction on thirst to now hit 9 litres per 100km -- although we saw 11.7 on test -- while producing 210kW and 350Nm, which are outputs at which no one should sneeze.

The V6 has been muted somewhat thanks to engine bay changes and firewall insulation, as well as wheelarch insulation that knocks some of the road noise on the head nicely too. The six-speed auto has also been on the brain food, as it's no longer as Jekyyl-and-Hyde in sport and normal modes.

DESIGN

Don't look for much in the way of change to the workhorse part of the ute. From your shoulder-line back it's the same as the VE, with the snout all VF, with neat creases and curves in the sports bodykit bits around the front -- bound to make any building site entry a journey of trepidation, but it looks the goods.

It sits on the same wheelbase as the luxo Caprice and has between 100 and 137mm of ground clearance, depending on which information you look at, but either way it's low-slung.

In-cabin storage behind the seats is deceptive, and the tray -- depending on how much the occupants weigh -- has a payload of around 700kg. The sad story for tradies is the one-tonner option remains a thing of the past, as does rear-three-quarter "head-check" vision. The A-pillars are still too thick and the side mirrors are still too small, but that's offset somewhat by the electronic blind spot system.

SAFETY

The load-lugger carries the same suite of safety gear that is present on the sedan and wagon models, as well as the five-star sticker from the crash-testing brigade. Among the long list of backups is a reversing camera, stability and traction control (which has a trailer sway control function), anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution and electronic brake assist, automatic park assist using the front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, the blind spot and rear traffic alert systems.

If all that doesn't work there are dual-stage dual front airbags, side seat and curtain airbags, seatbelts with load limiters and pyrotechnic pretensioners.

DRIVING

Let's cut to the chase. If you really want a workhorse, there are hordes getting into LCV utes, but for something nicer to drive day-to-day with a tray then you can do a lot worse than the SV6. The MyLink system takes care of entertainment, information and communication easily and is easy for a phone hook-up, offering sound quality that's above par as well.

It's got ride quality and handling prowess in shovel-loads, so hustling on a back road isn't beyond it, even without a load in the tray. Holden once had a habit of loading up its launch utes with sandbags to “replicate the typical tradie's load” but this one doesn't need it.

It's not a tail-happy B& ball wannabe, although I'm sure in controlled conditions it would happily oblige, but wet roads don't mean the stability control is overworked. The tray payload might be short of the magic one-tonne mark but it offers 1600kg braked towing capacity. I'm also a fan of the soft tonneau cover for the tray, just in case you want to use it for its intended workhorse purpose. Hard covers are great for security, but don't allow you the flexibility to cover an awkward load.

VERDICT

If you're not carting kids on a daily basis and have other toys to transport, the SV6 is a sharp-looking load-lugger.

Holden VF Commodore SV6 Ute

Price: from $35,190
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Capped servicing: first four standard scheduled log book services for the first three years or 60,000km
Resale: 53%
Service interval: 9 months/15,000km
Safety: 5 stars
Engine: 3.6-litre DOHC 24-valve direct-injection V6, 210kW/350Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic; RWD
Thirst: 91/100km, on test 11.7, tank 71 litres; 216g/km CO2
Dimensions: 5m (L); 1.9m (w); 1.5m (h)
Weight: 1681kg
Spare: Tyre sealant and air compressor kit