Holden Epica 2008 review

The mid-sized sedan has struggled for sales since replacing the classy (but costly) European Vectra, failing to deliver enough quality or driving enjoyment despite a value price point.

Now it has been re-jigged and revamped with a sub-Camry price and several significant upgrades _ from six-speed auto, six airbags and ESP stability control to the new turbodiesel _ to win more friends and mount a stronger challenge to the Toyota pacemaker.

GM Holden knows the importance of the Epica as it works to boost sales of everything around the Commodore in its showrooms, and it also knows the car can and will do better after tweaking which makes it what it should have been from the start. And the under-done 2.0-litre six-cylinder engine, which contributed to the sceptical reception from the Carsguide team, has been dumped.

“The petrol version established the Epica nameplate, but ideally we would have liked to have had the diesel from the start,” says GM Holden's head of sales and marketing, Alan Batey. “We believe the vehicle will be very successful. We are offering economy to the mid-sized equation. For under $30,000, you can now buy a diesel with a six-speed automatic and six airbags. How good is that?”

Even so, the updated Epica hits showrooms just as Mazda cuts the price of its classy 6and Ford does the same with its mid-sized Mondeo, and with Honda making good ground with an all-new Accord Euro.

So it won't be easy for Holden, even with the turbocharged diesel _ the same one used in the Captiva SUV _ coming into the Epica, with the promise of 110kW and 320Nm of torque and economy of just 7.6 litres per 100km.

Holden cannot help comparing the Epica diesel with the petrol Camry, trumpeting a 23 per cent advantage on fuel economy. It also says the move to six-speed autos from the previous five-speeder has improved highway economy by as much as 14 per cent.

Holden says about half of Epica buyers will go for the diesel, without setting an overall showroom target. It believes the combination of the diesel with a tweaked six-speed auto _ with Australian tuning _ will be a breakthrough in the class. The Epica, from GM's Bupyong plant in South Korea, has essentially been relaunched with the lacklustre 2.0-litre manual-only CDX now axed from the line-up. The Epica has always looked good and the back end has been tweaked a little, with new alloy wheels.

Equipment improvements include a telescoping steering column and rear-parking radar on the flagship. There are two models in the line-up, with the CDX opening and the CDXi for people who want more luxury for more money. Pricing starts at $27,990 for the 2.5-litre auto CDX six, with the highly-touted diesel coming in at $29,990, and the step up to the CDXi adds $3000 to the bill, with a leather trim choice for another $2000.

Driving

On the road the diesel Epica is a good thing. Surprisingly, it's the sporty choice in the range. It has solid pulling power in all situations, from city stoplights to highway overtaking, and the engine calibration means it is eager on kick-down but moves easily through its six speeds to the most economical gear. One of the evaluation cars had a brief miss-fire during the preview drive, but this was more likely down to crud in the fuel than any engine drama.

The gearbox is smooth and the engine is relatively quiet for a diesel, but rattly at idle in a car without the noise-suppression package essential for a class-leading diesel. But we have no reason to question the economy.

The Epica also seems a little sweeter in the suspension, although the electric power steering brings some strangeness to the wheel _ just like the new Accord Euro, but not as bad _ and we would have liked a left-foot rest and a touch-change lever, which is set for the sports shift used in the Commodore.

The cabin is a let-down _ drab grey, cheap plastics and poor finishing. Definitely no Camry.

It's not at the top of its class, but the price is right, value is good, and the diesel will do well.