Holden Reviews

The Holden Astra convertible is due back in local showrooms later this year after a four-year absence, but the all-new model will be wearing a different badge.It’s part of revival of General Motors’ German brand Opel in Australia and is now called the Cascada, which is Spanish for waterfall, an unusual choice for a car with a soft-top.VALUEWe won’t know how much the Opel Cascada costs until later in the year but its pricing in Germany is a decent clue. There it is priced five per cent less than the Volkswagen Eos and Peugeot CC convertibles, which cost about $50,000 in Australia. The Cascada is bigger than its former peers, too, with the promise of more metal for the money (even if it does have a fabric roof).Opel’s drop-top is now closer in size to the BMW 3 Series or Audi A5 sun-lovers. Previously it competed with the Volkswagen Golf and Peugeot CC cabriolets in size. Given its new dimensions Opel may be tempted to inch the price of the Cascada closer to the $80,000 starting prices of its similarly-sized German peers.However, that would be a brave move. If Opel can get the Cascada comfortably under $50,000 it will have a winner on its hands.DESIGNIt might have the Astra’s familiar good looks but the only exterior parts carried over are the headlights, front fenders and door handles. The rest is all-new. It sits on the same underbody as the Opel GTC coupe but has extra strengthening to compensate for the lack of a roof.Imagine twisting a shoebox with its lid on, now imagine twisting the same shoebox box with the lid off and you’ll understand why the extra bracing is required. The structural reinforcements add up to 150kg to the car’s overall weight compared to the coupe.Opel opted for a fabric roof (with extra sound-deadening as an option) because it is lighter than the folding metal roofs (50kg all told) and more compact. This gives the Cascada a decent-sized boot (280 litres with the roof down versus 380 litres with the roof up). The boot is quite shallow but at least the back seats flip down so you can fit larger cargo (180cm long and 570cm wide if needed).TECHNOLOGYOpel claims to have invented a special coating for the leather seats that reduces the temperature by at least 30 degrees Celsius no matter how hot the day, and whether the roof is up or down. We weren’t brave enough to test the theory with the backs of our legs. Besides, it’s winter in Europe any way. We’ll add it to the ‘to do’ list.When it comes to convertibles the figure that matters most is not the 0 to 100km/h time but how long it takes for the roof to open or close. In the Opel Cascada’s case, it can lift its lid in 17 seconds, and then put it back on in the same amount of time. Only the Audi A5 (15 seconds) and Volkswagen Golf (9 seconds) can deliver open-air driving quicker, according to figures supplied by Opel.The Opel Cascada can also raise or lower its roof while moving up to 50km/h – or while standing next to it and using the remote key fob.Opel’s standard array of bells and whistles are available, too, such as lane keeping, blind zone warning and a crash alert system (although that does not yet automatically apply the brakes as do similar systems from others brands).SAFETYAs with many convertibles the Opel Cascada comes with only four airbags (two front, and two side-mounted in the front seats) because they are difficult to package in the roof or the rear of the car.Nevertheless a five-star Euro NCAP rating would be likely given the extra body strengthening, although the independent authority rarely tests niche models such as this.Stability control and hill-hold assist are standard. A rear camera was fitted to the test car sampled in Europe. We hope this becomes a standard feature on Australian models given that the rearward visibility is limited.DRIVINGIt might only have a relatively small 1.6-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine but don’t be discouraged by its size. It is one of a new generation of engines that deliver big performance in a tiny package. And is miserly to boot.The Opel Cascada is not supposed to be a race car but it has sufficient urge to keep with the flow of the traffic and to keep up appearances. There is even a nice, subtle engine and exhaust note for those with a trained ear.The suspension is like a magic carpet ride. I’m not sure what has happened at Opel in the years since its cars left Australia, but they’ve clearly hired some talented people in the suspension engineering section.Most convertibles get a bit of a wobble over rutted roads, and it’s true the Opel Cascada is not as taut as a hatchback, coupe or a sedan. But as far as convertibles go, it’s more than adequate.The suspension tends to glide over the worst the road can throw at it, and yet it’s not floaty. The steering is also pleasant enough, although on the tight European roads the car felt wide.The seats are comfortable, and the roof lived up to its promise of keeping most of the road noise at bay.The only real blots on the report card are the usual complaints about the too fussy and confusing air-conditioning and radio controls, and the fact that we can’t tell you what the automatic is like because there were none available to test.VERDICTAnyone looking to buy a pose chariot that’s nice to drive will feel at home in the Opel Cascada. Anyone looking for a performance sports-car that puts the wind in your hair will likely look elsewhere.

Holden Barinas come from a variety of backgrounds. From 1989 until April 1994, Barina was a Japanese Suzuki Swift with a different name, though it sold in fewer variants than did the Swift. From April 1994, Barina was built by German car maker Opel.Then from December 2005, Barina was produced by the South Korean company Daewoo. These days Daewoo, now GM-Korea, has quite a few Australian engineers and designers so there's plenty of local expertise in them.To further increase confusion, Opel Corsa entered the Australian market for the first time in September 2012 and is the ‘grandson’ of the Barina that used to be built for Holden by Opel.It’s still early days for the Corsa in Australia, but owners of the German Barinas are paying close attention to them. Not only do Corsas have sportier dynamics than the Korean Barinas, the importer is closely related to Holden in back-office operations.Holden Barina is a small car that’s generally tough in its build and put together to a good standard in any of the factories just mentioned. It has earned a good reputation for being simple to drive and park.However, some older models didn’t have power-assisted steering as standard so can be a handful at parking speeds. If you do come across one be sure to road test it at very low speeds to see what you think.The Barina is sold as a three-door or five-door hatchback, or a four-door sedan, the latter not offered at all times. Occupant space in the front seats is fine. Some drivers complain the pedals are too close together in the German versions, others don’t have a problem.Rear seat legroom is rather restricted unless the front occupants are prepared to give up some of their space. Hardly unusual in a car in this class. Boot space is marginal in the ‘Suzuki’ Barina, better in the ‘Opel’ and ‘Daewoo’ versions. Naturally the rear-seat backrest can be folded down to increase luggage room when required.In their Suzuki and Daewoo formats the Barina is mainly aimed at suburban running. The German Opel Barina isn't out of place on country roads provided they are not too rough; corrugated roads can knock them around. They are designed to cruise at 140 to 160 km/h in their home country so dawdling along at 110 km/h in Australia sees them barely raising a sweat.The current GM-Korea Barina isn’t too bad on the rough stuff, but is still better left to the suburban areas. Handling in the European-sourced Barinas is enjoyable and will appeal to the enthusiast. The Suzuki and Korean models can be on the soft side, though a decent set of tyres can make them reasonably pleasant to drive.All Barinas have four-cylinder engines. The Suzuki engine is a 1.3-litre unit (three-cylinder engines used in some Suzuki Swifts but were never installed in Barinas). Though the engine is small, performance is reasonably good because of the light weight of the car.The European-built Opel Barina comes with several different engine sizes. The 1.2-litre engine was sluggish and a poor seller, it was discontinued midway through 1997; the 1.4-litre is the most common engine and provides on-road performance that’s fine for most people.There's also a hot GSi motor in the Opel versions of the Barina. It had 1.6 litres until the 2001 model, then 1.8 litres (re-tagged as the Barina SRi) made it a genuine hot hatch at a pretty modest price.Engines in the current Barina, the South Korean one, have a capacity of 1.2 litres in the low-cost Spark model and 1.6 litres in the others. The 1.2 is on the dead side but the 1.6 provides reasonably peppy performance. These days there’s no high-performance option on Barina, but the Opel Corsa OPC, launched early in 2013 is a great little hot hatch.Five-speed manual gearboxes are probably the best bet unless you are going to be doing a lot of heavy-duty commuting. The automatic in the ‘Suzuki’ Barina is a three-speed unit, that in the German Opel and Korean models a four-speed. The automatic option isn’t offered in all versions of the Opel-based Barina.From November 1997 until late 2000 some three-door hatches were converted into two-door cabriolets by HSV in Melbourne. They are great fun to cruise in when the weather’s right, but their extra weight makes them sluggish in acceleration and handling suffered because of the removal of the roof.The cabriolet is even smaller in the back seat than the others, so is really a two-plus-two not a four-seater. Spare parts prices are generally favourable and there are Holden dealers in virtually all areas of Australia. Those in remote country areas are unlikely to stock every Barina part, so you may have to wait for parts to be shipped from a major city.Barinas are reasonably easy for the amateur mechanic to service and repair, though the underbonnet area is on the crowded side and work can be frustrating at times. Having a workshop manual on hand before you lift the bonnet makes a lot of sense. Insurance charges are generally reasonable, some companies will ask extra for the higher-performance Barina GSi and SRi.WHAT TO LOOK FORThe engine should start reasonably quickly and idle without too much movement. Listen for a rattle when it first kicks over, even if the rattle dies away after a couple of seconds it probably means the engine is badly worn.After the engine has been idling for a minute or so, hit the accelerator pedal and look for a puff of smoke from the exhaust. This could indicate serious engine wear.Make some fast gearchanges and listen and feel for a manual gearbox that baulks or crashes. The problem usually shows up in the critical third-to-second downchange before any others.Automatics that are rough in their changes or which change too frequently, may be due for an overhaul.Check that the brakes don't pull to one side under hard application. If ABS is fitted, feel for a pulsing through the pedal when you push it very hard.Look for front tyres that are worn unevenly. This could be caused by something as simple as poor wheel alignment, but it could also mean the body has been twisted in a prang.Rust is not normally a problem in Suzuki-built Barinas, but if it does get a hold it can make a real mess of the body in a relatively short time. Be wary of this because rust repairs can cost big bucks.Opel cars are significantly better for rust protection and the only problems we have seen are in cars poorly repaired after a crash. Korean cars look to be well rust proofed and are standing up well.To be on the safe side, check for rust in all lower areas of the body, doors and hatchback, as well as the surrounds of the front and rear windows and the petrol filler flap.CAR BUYING TIPSmall cars with low kilometres on the clock have probably spent most of their lives in heavy-duty traffic with their engines cold. This is not good for longevity of mechanical components.

When Holden launched the Sportwagon in 2008 it didn't include an LPG powered model. The engineers were still working out where they could put the gas storage tank whether it would mean relocating the spare wheel.Guess they ran out of options because the spare is still sitting bang smack in the middle of the boot - correction, to one side of the boot. It's disappointing but that's the price your pay for economy.Priced from $44,490, the Sportwagon LPG is a good looking bus, even in spartan Omega clothes. The Series II model includes dual zone climate control and a colour touch-screen Holden-iQ system with single CD player, USB input, auxiliary input, integrated iPod support and enhanced Bluetooth with phone book display, touch-screen dialling and audio streaming.Unlike the Falcon, Holden has opted for a vapour injection system which it argues is the better option. The heart of the system is the 3.6-litre V6 that has been optomised to run solely on LPG.Producing 180kW of power and 320Nm it produces slightly more power and torque than the old dual fuel system. Yet the new LPG Commodore uses 1.6 litres/100km or 13 percent  less fuel than before at a rate of 12.3 litres/100km. With an 84 litre tank it has a theoretical range of 686km but some of this gas will remain inaccessible.The standard 3.6-litre V6 produces 210kW of power and 350Nm of torque and is rated at 9.9 litres/100km. The 3.0-litre six in comparison produces 190kW and 290Nm and is good for just 9.2 litres/100km.No comparison would be complete without a reference to Ford's liquid injection system, a system it claims is superior. It's 4.0-litre six delivers 198kW of power and 409Nm of torque and uses 12.3 litres/100km (the same figure as Holden). Bear in mind however that you can no longer get a Falcon wagon.The LPG wagon is $2500 more, but private buyers of new factory-fitted LPG vehicles can apply for a $2000 Federal Government rebate. With only $500 difference in price, it means you'd have to travel only 10,000km before recouping the extra money and the system would start paying for itself.At the time of writing the price of petrol was $121.9 and LPG 57.9 cents a litre. The cost of filling the gas tank at this price would be $48.87.Okay. Not as good as the Ford and lacks the urgency of the petrol engine but the performance is acceptable. In terms of the car itself, having the window switches between the seats is annoying and the exterior mirrors are still too small. We were getting 11.7 litres/100/km after about 500km. If you're not demanding and looking for cheap, practical transport, then the LPG wagon could be the one.

With up to 26 variants, the new Holden Colorado ute comes in three body styles - three-seat Single Cab, Space Cab with rear access doors and two jump seats and the Crew Cab - the last body aimed at providing comfort that's almost car-like. Value Prices start at $26,990 for the entry-level DX two-wheel drive,

It’s all about performance. We have road tested electric cars in Australia, Japan and Europe, and each time have come away with smiles on our faces. Smiles induced by effortless performance that’s not only quick but quiet – eerily quiet.Battery range is the biggest downside of electric cars and though there have been improvements in the last decade the ever elusive ‘better battery’ is still nowhere in sight.You can tell potential buyers that 90 per cent of people living in metropolitan areas commute fewer than 80 kilometres daily, but they still say that ‘range anxiety’ is their number one reason for not buying an electric car.General Motors has therefore come up with an interim solution, by introducing an electric car, the Chevrolet Volt, that carries around a petrol engine to drive a generator to power the electric motor when the battery goes flat.Volt isn’t cheap at $59,990 but think back to the days of $10,000 plasma TVs and you will understand the desire of some people to be ahead of the pack with the latest and greatest.The infotainment system has two 7-inch colour LCD screens for satellite navigation, Bluetooth, USB with iPod connectivity, a 30GB disk drive and DVD player, many of which can be operated through voice recognition.Bose Energy Efficient Series speakers use 50 per cent less energy than comparable Bose systems, yet sound remains crystal clear. That’s clever.Volt is covered by a three-year / 100,000 kilometre warranty on the vehicle, while an eight-year / 160,000 kilometre transferable warranty covers battery and Voltec components, including all 161 battery components, charging and thermal-management systems and electric drive system components.Capped price servicing of $185 is offered on Volt’s first four standard scheduled logbook services for the first three years or 60,000km, whichever comes first.According to the Volt’s engineers, the latest in lithium-ion batteries allows the electric motor alone to drive the Volt for up to 87 kilometres. In our recent week’s extensive testing we found ourselves travelling 65 to 70 kilometres before the Volt automatically turned on the petrol engine. This engine is a 1.4-litre unit that’s related to the 1.4 in the Holden Cruze.The lithium-ion battery gains charge from regenerative braking when the brakes are applied or when the car is running downhill. This ability to recover energy that would otherwise have been turned into heat by the brakes is a big feature of electric cars.Holden Volt can be recharged from any standard 10-amp household outlet. A six metre charging cord is stowed under the cargo area and normal extension leads, with an appropriate safety rating, can easily extend that distance.It’s a slow process - typically we found that it took about an hour to charge the battery for an indicated eight kilometre increase in range. As most owners would charge the car overnight at home, or all day at work, the slow charge will seldom be a problem.Charging stations, called Charge Spots are being set up around Australia by Better Place. These are few and far between in these early days, but there are major plans for the future.With a discharged battery and the petrol engine running, our Volt had petrol consumption in the five to six litres per 100 kilometre range. This is a very good figure for a petrol car of this size.The touch screen above the centre console displays instant information on energy use and power flow. It also gives feedback based on driving style, climate settings and energy usage.There is an extra level of interaction via a moving ball efficiency gauge that, if kept in the centre of the scale, shows the vehicle is being driven to optimal efficiency. But don’t become too distracted by this - because if you do optimal safety suffers...Holden Volt is a stylish vehicle inside, looking futuristic without going over the top. We love the shape.Occupants can settle into four leather upholstered seats with contrasting-colour panels and double stitching. There is no centre rear seat due to the space taken up by the batteries. The two rear seats have quite restricted legroom unless those people in the front are willing to give up some space.The view out for the driver is masked by huge A-pillars that verge on being dangerous in the way they block front-three-quarter vision. The screen directly in front of the driver is used to display info on speed, battery and fuel levels, tyre pressure and trip computers. Centre stack functions are operated through touch screens.We love the way you can drive an electric car and barely touch the brake pedal in normal traffic. The amount of braking being provided by the regenerative system is surprising at first and for most of the time the Volt can be driven as a one-pedal car.Steering produces a positive feel at normal driving speed but is on the light side at low speeds and when parking. The suspension delivers a comfortable ride and handling stability in day-to-day usage.We found reversing to be a scary at times because the high torque of the electric motor means the Volt wants to take off with a rush when going backwards. Those who don’t left-foot brake could find it a real hassle.The front spoiler is extremely low and rubbed on every speed hump or platform and gutter crossing we drove over - no matter how slowly. We are assured the flexible spoiler won’t be damaged, but the one on ‘our’ car was already looking shabby. The spoiler also re-arranged the gravel on a friend’s driveway and he had to rake it back into place after the Volt left!Drivers can use three driving modes. Sport enhances Normal mode to give a more positive driving experience through faster response times and heightened feedback. The Hold setting conserves battery power, drawing an electric charge from the petrol generator to drive the wheels.Electronic stability and traction control combine with lane departure warnings so that inattentive drivers may be saved from themselves. Front sensors can be set to one of three distances from a vehicle ahead.There is a driver activated horn that makes a gentle noise to warn pedestrians of the almost-silent car approaching at low speed.

Holden Barina and Toyota Yaris go head-to-head in this comparative review.

The new Holden Commodore is the most important new car of 2013. The upcoming VF, and the VF alone, points to the future of motoring in Australia.

Some bright spark forgot to include an auto in Holden’s light hatch when it launched in 2010. The Spark (Holden calls it a Barina Spark but it is no relation to the light-sized car) now belatedly has one as it chases the estimated 70 per cent of light car buyers who opt for a self-shifting transmission. The adage that you get what you pay for has never been truer and the $14,490 price reflects its cheap interior and average handling.The Spark only comes in one spec and the four-speed auto adds $2000 to the $12,490 price. Equipment runs from alloy wheels to Bluetooth connectivity, auxiliary and USB inputs for the four-speaker stereo and steering wheel-mounted controls for the phone and audio. That compares well with its competition, but back seat passengers will have to work out how to use a manual window winder.The 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine has another 43cc of capacity to give a bit more grunt than the one used in the manual Spark. With 63kW/113Nm it leads the sub-$15,000 pack for on-paper performance. The auto also gains electric power steering that has been locally tuned to improve response.There’s nothing wrong with the outside of the Spark. It sits on 14-inch alloy wheels and has a trendy look to it. The same applies inside, where the motorbike-inspired instrument display should appeal to students looking for cheap transport or first time car buyers. But the plastics look and smell a generation old, clearly showing its Daewoo origins.The Spark trails only the VW up! for safety but is still only a four-star car as judged by ANCAP. The body is solid but some of the impact is transferred into the cabin, posing a potential risk to the chest and upper thighs. It earned 31.02/37 overall to be just behind the Nissan Micra but light years above the Alto. Six airbags and ABS with stability and traction control are standard.The Spark responds relatively quickly and will be a good thing around town or on the highway. Put some weight on board and point it at a decent hill and the transmission’s age dulls the experience like an authoritarian parent at a teenage party. The auto reacts too quickly to any change in accelerator pedal pressure, hunting for a higher gear before slurring back into a lower cog when it realises it can’t hold revs.Nothing dramatic, but it will see a lot of owners burying the right foot and blowing the claimed fuel consumption. The torsion beam rear end and limited suspension travel also see the Spark bang through decent bumps rather than roll over them.The steering is direct and only needs a light touch to change direction, but the lack of feedback means there’s a disconnect with exactly where the wheels are pointing. The instrumentation is clear enough, though, and the seats are OK, but interstate runs won’t be recommended with adults in the back. The cargo area is a modest 170 litres, reinforcing its status as a shopping trolley.

Commodore Z and Chrysler 300 Ltd go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Holden hasn't had a genuine off road passenger 'fourbie' for more than a decade, ever since the demise of the Holden Jackaroo and before that, the 'postcode' size Holden (Chevy) Suburban.Smaller Captiva SUV has limited dirt credentials and the Colorado ute on which the 7 is based is too much of a tradie truck for people wanting a family vehicle with off road capability.Colorado7 was developed alongside it's ute sister and is built on the same Thai production line but differs in a number of areas, in particular, the rear live axle/coil spring suspension and the wagon body (on-chassis ute style). Front suspension remains a double wishbone setup.With a Toyota Prado GX five-door diesel wagon nudging the $60 grand mark on the road, Holden's new Colorado7 medium large, genuine off-roader seems like a real bargain at a starting price of $46,990 for the LT model. It's more of a competitor for the awful Mitsubishi Challenger and costs about the same.Two models are available; the LT and leather equipped $50,490 LTZ which scores 18-inch alloys, LED tail lights, chrome body hardware and climate control among a somewhat generous equipment list for the ask.Both vehicles have plenty of kit - the usual stuff you'd expect in a new model like Bluetooth, multi-function steering wheel, trip computer, power ancillaries and cruise control. Nothing really clever though... like some of the Europeans.We only got to drive the LTZ with leather, climate control and electric adjust driver's seat. It was OK. The seat is a bit flat and that overpowering grey plastic is not nice. It shares a similar boof-head style with the Colorado ute which might be to some people's taste (not ours) and is a good size for general duties - not too big though it's a fair hoik up into the cabin.The third row of seats folds into the floor and is relatively easy to access for smaller people. Second and third row seats tumble-fold into the floor to create a large load space.Power comes from the same 2.8-litre four-pot turbodiesel out of Colorado ute that achieves a strong 132kW/470Nm output while consuming fuel at a claimed average of 9.4-litres/100km. The engine and a six-speed conventional auto transmission are standard on both models.As is selectable 4x4 with 2WD and 4L and 4H available by turning a dial in the centre console (on the fly too) though we couldn't get it to work on our test drive. This type of 4x4 system is old-school but preferable for serious off road driving.Crash rating is five stars and it has safety features such as a reversing camera and rear park assist.Despite it's on road ride/handling shortcomings (like a truck), Colorado7 is quite handy off road where the soft suspension comes into its own as does the ride height/ground clearance and other off-road features. Still, one of the drive cars got stuck on a slippery hill off road due to the road biased tyres losing traction.It will tow 3.0-tonnes though we wouldn't like to do it to a Colorado7 we owned. There's a sump guard for rough roads and other handy stuff like hill start assist and a limited slip rear diff. We were left in two minds about this vehicle. It's only average on sealed roads, bit of a bus actually but is pretty good off road.So... good if you get out into the bush or tow a smallish trailer/boat/van, not so much if you intend using it as a people mover around town.