2009 Holden Calais Reviews

Fuel economy has more to do with your mind, the size of your right foot and the type and colour of car you are driving.  Yes, you can do all the maths and physics and work out on paper how an engine, transmission, aerodynamics, weight and other factors can affect economy, but these are theoretical.  They make a statement on paper, but they don't make much of a statement in the real world.I recently drove three Holden V6 vehicles with the new 3.0 and 3.6-litre spark ignition direct injection (SIDI) engines.  The Omega and Berlina of all body styles get the 3.0L engine and the rest of the range has the 3.6L.Holden quotes fuel consumption figures for the Omega 3-litre at 9.3 litres per 100km, down from 10.7L/100km in the superseded model, while the SV6 Ute has the biggest improvement for the 3.6-litre, down 13 per cent to 10L/100km.I drove a grey Berlina Sportwagon (3.0L) which returned 10.5L/100km, an even greyer Calais sedan (3.6L) which yielded 10.7L/100km and a bright-coloured Ute (3.6L) which failed all economy tests with a poor 12.3L/100km.I can't claim to have driven to the standard conditions as laid out for official ADR fuel consumption figures and I can't even claim to have driven the same distance or type of road conditions for each. Yet these figures still reveal a lot about the cars' performance and economy.The first thing of note is how good the economy figures are for the Sportwagon which is heaviest with its big cargo area which I utilised with a loaded-up trip to the dump.  It's not the 9.3L/100km quoted by Holden but it's quite respectable and included the commuter crawl to work for five days, weekend shopping and errands, and very little highway driving.  It's also nowhere near the 6.48L/100km it achieved in the recent Global Green Challenge from Adelaide to Darwin.The Calais is also worthy of note. It performed much the same ‘real-world’ duties — albeit no trip to the dump — and returned almost the same economy figures as the Sportwagon.Both cars appeal to my family nature with their roomy cabin and functional design. Consequently I drove like a family man who needs to get home to his family in the 'burbs every night.Then along came the ute. It was fitted with a tow bar and there was our old beer fridge that blew up and needed carting to the dump, so it was in for some punishment. Plus there was circle work to be done ...Well, not exactly, but with the lighter weight and the bigger engine, it seemed to sprint off the line a little more willingly and dance around in an entertaining fashion in the corners. All this, plus the vibrant metallic orange colour ($500 extra), got me all excited all the way down my trousers to my big right foot.The result was fuel figures that seem to call Holden a liar.  So unless you are competing in the Global Green Challenge, fuel economy is largely going to rely on your attitude.  It also helps to have a sedately coloured family sedan or wagon.If economy is not your soul goal, but simply a happy side benefit, then you may be pleased to note that these new engines are also more powerful.  Holden claims the power output from the 3.6 is up 15kW to 210kW. And even though the new 3-litre is the smallest Commodore engine in more than 20 years, it still develops a healthy 190kW.The engines sound quieter and more refined. That is until you stamp on the loud pedal and then they wick up the volume quite pleasingly.  Cabin noise may also be decreased by Holden's use of new low-rolling-resistance Bridgestone tyres and the 50rpm reduced idle speed on the 3.6. It all helps economy and comfort levels.It should also be good news that they now all come with a six-speed automatic transmission rather than some of them being hitched to the old four-speed sludge box.But it isn't.  I can't believe I am saying this, but I don't like the six-speed transmission.  It feels like it has an overactive thyroid gland, too willingly dropping down one or even two gears at the hint of extra throttle.That may be great for performance, but not necessarily for economy or driver fatigue.  I found it quite annoying how much the transmission jumped around, even though it is quite smooth in its changes.There is simply no need for such volatile gear changing. After all, the small engine has 290Nm of torque pulling power and the bigger engine has 350Nm, up 30Nm from the previous engine.  Surely this torque can be used to draw the car up a hill or cope with a little extra throttle without shifting gears.

Back in the hairy-chested days of motoring, real men drove V8s; fuel was aplenty and a greenie was someone adept at growing spuds and peas in the back garden. But then the glory days came to an end. Fuel supplies are under threat, Greenies have become our social conscience and anyone driving a V8 is considered, by some, as being akin to an eco terrorist.We are told by those smugly behind the wheel of their hybrids that big V8s suck fuel; fuel is precious, therefore the muscle car is doomed. Or is it? Reports of its impending death are premature — in fact there was been a resurgence in V8 sales of late.That is due in part to car companies getting clever in the way they have got around the V8-so-it-must-be-thirsty problem. The answer is to turn a V8 into a V4 when all that power is not needed — and let's face it most V8s run well under a full load for most of the time.Shutting down cylinders is not a new idea but up until now there wasn't the affordable technology available to make the system work smoothly and reliably. The advancement of computers solved that problem, with General Motors leading the way in 1981.Today, companies like Honda (Variable Cylinder Management) and Chrysler (Multi-Displacement System) have joined the bandwagon, deactivating part of an engine when full power is not needed. Honda's Accord V6, for example, can happily run on all six, four or even three cylinders depending on engine load.Switching off cylinders means potential savings in fuel consumption and more importantly, reduced greenhouse nasties at the exhaust pipe.AFM drivetrain and fuel consumptionHolden has taken up the technology, offering its Active Fuel Management (AFM) system on all its automatic V8 models. Does it save a bucket load of money in lower running costs? The short answer is no, but there are savings to be made if you drive smoothly and wisely.I've been behind the wheel of Holden's impressive 6.0-litre Calais V, a car which can give its European rivals a run for their money in the prestige market. After three days of a mix of city and highway running, the V8 averaged a remarkable 11.1l/100km. By the end of the week and more city use, the consumption readout had slipped to 13.4l/100km, peaking at 14.6l/100km after all concept of driving with any frugality in mind went out the window. Holden says AFM can reduce fuel consumption by a litre per 100km, with the Calais' official fuel consumption rated at 12.9l/100km.But the AFM system can be a little odd at times. For example, sitting stationary at the traffic lights the engine, under no load, runs on all eight cylinders. You have to ask why? Plant your foot and the V8 does spring into life, but it lacks the satisfying raw V8 growl of a beast under the bonnet. It's more refined than that and very much in keeping with the car itself.It's hard to pick when the V8 shuts down half its cylinders (numbers 1,4,6 and 7) and runs as a four; the change is smooth. You can keep an eye on what's happening thanks to a readout in the instrument panel which tells you when all eight or just four pots are firing and what the instant fuel consumption is, so it becomes a bit of a party game to try and get the best readout possible.Holden says full V8 power is restored within a claimed 20 milliseconds when acceleration is needed. The bad news is that AFM robs the standard V8 engine of 10kW of power and 13Nm of torque, but the AFM's 260kW is still rewarding.Price and fitoutThe Calais V sells for $60,990 plus on-road costs but Holden recently launched a 60th anniversary model with a bit more bling for $63,290 — if you can find one.The Calais is a big, comfortable family car with a bright and airy cabin and good storage space. It already packs a lot of safeties and feel-good bling anyway including six airbags, traction and stability control, dual-zone climate air conditioning, comprehensive digital dashboard display, ceiling mounted DVD player with cordless headphones for backseat passengers, quality sound system, leather upholstery, power adjustable front seats, park sensors and auto wipers and headlamps. The test car came fitted with optional satellite navigation and sunroof.DislikesThe A pillar is too heavy and blocks vision, the handbrake is a finger pinching disaster of design, the rear seats don't fully split, only leaving a small ski hatch to the boot and there are too many warning beeps and buzzers to remind you to put you seatbelt on, when you select reverse and when you go back to drive.The bottom lineYou can have a V8 and display a paler shade of green. If you need the power of a V8, especially for towing, then the AFM version of the Calais makes sense. Holden Calais V AFMPrice: from $60,990Engine: 6-litre V8 with Active Fuel ManagementPower: 260kW, 517Nm; CO2 329g/kmFuel consumption: 12.9l/100km claimedTransmission: Six-speed sequential auto with manual shift if required