Holden Reviews

If motorists embraced electric cars as affectionately as mobile phones, Australian freeways would be congested in silence. It may yet happen but compared with mobile phones, it's a long road from creating an electric car to finding ready owners.Apple launched its first iPhone the same time as Chevrolet announced the electric Volt sedan. That was 2007. We're now up to iPhone 5 and Chevy has been making the Volt for less than two years in the US, selling about 15,000 this year to date.The Holden Volt finally gets to Australia next month with a $59,990 price tag. Holden's director of energy and technology, Richard Marshall, admits it's been a long road but says reliability and durability were paramount.”“It has to fit into the way you drive,” he says. “People have to feel confident and comfortable with the technology. New technology suits early adopters and it's those buyers who build the advocacy.” Holden says it already has “very good response” to the car.Is $59,990 too steep for a small car? Undoubtedly, yes. This is a Holden Cruze with a new drivetrain. It seats only four and rear-seat room isn't for big people. But the equipment in the car goes some way to help justify the price. A small way.There is cruise control, sat-nav, lane departure warning, collision alert, an Apple-inspired dash with gloss white panels, upmarket audio, leather and so on. Punch the calculator and at an average of 3.9 litres/100km (it has a small petrol engine to drive a generator to charge the batteries), it would take 52 years to equal the fuel bill of the $25,040 Cruze with a 1.4-litre turbo engine.Even if you never used petrol and kept the electric-only daily drive under 80km, it would take 22.5 years to break even with the petrol Cruze. But - and it's a huge but - you would glow in the knowledge that you are part of a bigger picture to reducing air pollution and only your neighbour who cycles to work is greener.It is a modified Cruze but looks a whole lot better. The shape is close to future-proof, is compact for busy streets and can seat four adults for short trips. The two rear seats are cramped and taller passengers will bounce their heads on the sloping rear glass window. Hard plastics abound and, sadly, cheapen the car. Clearly the big money is in the drivetrain.The dashboard is bright, simple and even attractive until you turn on the ignition key. Then it lights up with a bazillion graphs and letters, numbers and shapes that would make an Airbus 380 pilot shiver. Get used to the complexity of the read-outs and it's all interesting data designed to make you get the most out of the car. Primary school children with a genetic gift for electronics will feel right at home.Where do I start? The 1.4-litre petrol non-turbo engine does not drive the wheels. Simply, it's a generator - a gen-set - that charges the 200kg of lithium-ion batteries. In turn, the batteries run one, or both, of the electric motors through a planetary gear set (automatic) with four driving modes - pure electric, high-speed, range extension and normal.Every time the car brakes or coasts, the rolling wheels power one of the electric motors which changes into a generator. You plug this car into a normal 6amp or 10amp household socket overnight and it should be fully charged in the morning with a respective 10 hour and six hour recharge time.It'll also warm up its electrical circuit and in winter, even turn on the cabin's heater and the heaters in the front seats. It will cost about $2.50 every time you charge the batteries - equivalent to a fridge. If you don't charge up, don't worry - the car will turn on its engine and create electricity to power the electric motors and, at the same time, start recharging the batteries. It doesn't need a fast-charge plug because it has its onboard gen-set as a charger. There are also heaps of electronic features on the dashboard. Volt gets a five-star crash rating, has eight airbags and all the high-end electronic brake and chassis aids. But it also adds a front and rear park sensors, rear camera, collision alert (though not autonomous) and a lane-change warning system. Puncture sealant replaces a spare wheel.The childish chant to breakdown issues: “Silence is golden when you drive a second-hand Holden” now takes on a new, less derogatory meaning. The Volt is beautifully quiet, rolls confidently without feeling like a golf cart and just feels like a really quiet car.There are four modes for the drivetrain but the normal mode is perfect for suburban and city driving while the high-speed, or sport, mode will make you the king of traffic-light acceleration. It is surprisingly quick and the lack of noise - it's more a hushed whoosh like starting an electric fan - masks how fast the car is going. It's fodder for speeding tickets.Ride comfort is good, though there is some low-speed jiggling caused by the suspension coping with a hefty 1720kg dry weight and irregular road surfaces. Steering is better than some electric systems though it can't hide the car's weight and its tendency to understeer into corners. No biggie - this isn't a sports car.I had to overlook most of the instrument features because it was distractive to the art of driving. When the engine finally turned on - I had run the batteries down after more than 60km - there is a muted rumble, but no more than a conventional car.

Ford Ranger XLT and Holden Colorado LTZ go head-to-head in this comparative review.

The Holden Volt offers drivers to perfect reasoning for never queuing at a service station again. Even better, owning one of these means you won't be topping up the annual profits of already highly profit-able oil companies.Built in the United States, the Holden Volt has a recommended price of $59,990, plus on-road charges and will be subject to Holden’s capped service fees. The charging is as easy as topping up a mobile phone; by plugging it into a conventional domestic 10 Amp power point for six to ten hours, costing as little as $2.50. A 15 Amp connection brings the full charge time down to four hours.The lithium-ion battery, developed in conjunction with the LG Chemical Company, can also gain charge from regenerative braking in which energy lost while the brakes are applied is converted to electricity stored in the battery.Occupants are cradled in four deep and highly supportive leather upholstered seats (heated at the front) and benefit from electronic climate control air-conditioning, while the driver has access to keyless entry and engine start, front and rear park assist and rear-view camera. He or she can also activate the pedestrian-friendly alert system.A sophisticated infotainment system makes use of two dashboard-mounted 7-inch full colour LCD screens which deal with satellite navigation, Bluetooth, USB with iPod connectivity, a 30GB disk drive and DVD player. Many of these functions can be operated through voice recognition.The cabin is lined with top quality plastic material (weight is the enemy, remember), while Bose Energy Efficient Series speakers use 50 per cent less energy than comparable Bose systems, yet sound remains 100 per cent crystal clear. The centre stack control panel is touch operated; while the screen directly in front of the driver is used to display info on speed, battery and fuel levels, tyre pressure and trip computers.Holden Volt is an electric vehicle that does away with ‘range anxiety’ that’s suffered by some who drive pure electric cars. That’s because it has two sources of energy – a battery that allows an electric motor alone to drive the car up to 87 kilometres and a petrol generator that can produce electricity to keep the vehicle moving for up to 600 kilometres on a single charge and a full tank (35.2 litres) of premium (95 RON) fuel.The latter, a 1.4-litre petrol motor, extends the range by maintaining a charge in the battery to power the wheels until the battery can be externally charged or the Volt refuelled. The petrol engine doesn’t power the wheels directly.Apart from all of the above the Volt is a conventional car with the ability to carry up to four occupants in quiet comfort, something highlighted on an inner city drive program for the motoring media in Sydney that we thoroughly enjoyed. Based on the Holden Cruze platform, the quality of fit and finish inside and out is high.The Holden Volt rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and features projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights and an integrated rear spoiler. There is no engine compartment cooling through a radiator grille. That is achieved by directing a flow of air under the bonnet from underneath the vehicle.Safety is paramount, with the Volt calling on a cohort of hi-tech systems to take care of people both inside and outside the vehicle. Occupants are protected in the event of a crash by high-strength steel body crush zones and eight airbags. Electronic stability and traction control look to preventing these ‘unscheduled incidents’ together with the latest technology such as lane departure warnings which alert the driver to wandering out of a lane without signalling.Front sensors can be set to one of three distances from a vehicle ahead. If the Volt edges too close, an alarm will sound. There is also a driver activated alert that warns pedestrians of the almost-silent car approaching at low speed.In the absence of a traditional transmission, electric propulsion, delivered seamlessly through the front wheels, gives the vehicle instant maximum torque off the mark resulting in quick and immediate acceleration. An extra level of interaction is on tap, showing a moving ball efficiency gauge that if kept in the centre of the scale shows the vehicle is being driven to optimal efficiency.The touch screen atop the centre console displays real-time information on energy use and power flow, plus advanced efficiency feedback based on driving style, climate settings and energy usage.Drivers can take advantage of three driving modes – Normal, Sport and Hold – at the press of a steering wheel-mounted button. Sport enhances Normal mode to give an exhilarating driving experience courtesy of added response times and heightened feedback. ‘Hold’ conserves battery power, drawing an electric charge from the petrol generator to drive the wheels.

Bauxite is an age-toughened rock or gravel that can be turned into metal (aluminium). But it is so tough it can just as easily turn metal into gravel.

Dismiss this article about a large Australian car and it may cost you money. Despite what you may have been told, you can buy a big, affordable made-for-Australia car that will beat European diesels hands down in running costs.The reason is gas - liquified petroleum gas (LPG) that is about half the price of petrol, available almost everywhere and home-made from a gas shelf near you. The similarly-equipped Omega wagon with the 3-litre V6 petrol is $6000 cheaper than the LPG Berlina here and appears to get better fuel economy at 9.2 L/100km.But the 12.3 L/100km of the LPG version actually equates to about 6.5 L/100km because LPG is half the price of petrol. Holden says the range is now about 700km.If that doesn't swing you, the capped service on the LPG-fuelled Berlina is $265 a year for the first three years and Holden finance is now 0.5 per cent comparative rate. Then there's the $2000 rebate from the government. But - and there's always a but - this car's rate of depreciation would make an incoming Space Shuttle jealous.The Berlina model tested has extra gear over the entry-level Omega which lifts it out of the fleet brigade. But at $47,990 it's not especially cheap. Value is in the similar LPG-fuelled wagon limited edition Equipe. It costs $42,490 and includes 18-inch alloys, leather upholstery, metallic paint and a rear camera.The Berlina alone isn't bad - rear-park sensors, iPod/USB/Bluetooth audio, colour touchscreen monitor, 17-inch alloys and an electric driver's seat.Once rated alongside noses for their ubiquity, the Commodore wagon has been driven off the streets by small-engined Asian cars. Styling is a traditional Aussie rear-drive two-box shape and despite the squeezed parameters in which Holden designers live, the Sportwagon - nee station wagon - is a pleasant and purposeful thing.There's heaps of cabin room, flat-fold rear seats and firm-but-comfortable front seats borrowed from Lufthansa. But the dashboard design is aging fast and the fold-down handbrake lever is itching for a chance to pinch the skin on your fingers.The LPG system is now dedicated - that is, no more dual-fuel compromise - but remains a vapour system. So it takes the liquid from the 84-litre rear-mounted tank and warms it to gas before plunging it into the engine's cylinders. It's not as efficient as the new Ford EcoLPi liquid-injection unit.This tester is a 3.6-litre V6. The LPG Commodores get the proper six-speed automatic and other than the fact they dish out more torque than the petrol equivalent, that's about the extent of new-age innovation. Regardless, it's a simple and durable package.This is a high point. In addition to being surrounded by a lot of metal and having so much space around the occupants, the Commodore gets electronic stability and traction control, a five-star crash rating, rear camera, park sensors, brake assist and a string of other aids. There's also six airbags. Holden gets an elephant stamp for offering a choice of spare wheels.The aerosol repair kit is standard then you can offer money for a collapsed spare, a space-saver spare or a real wheel. The tester had a real one but to make it fit, it sits upright in the wagon's cargo area and limits load carrying.Holden employees like to drive. That's evident in a family wagon that has very predictable handling and even the "fun'' word can be applied. It's a sure-footed car that has very accurate steering feel, flat cornering stance and excellent ride comfort over uneven surfaces. Tyre noise on coarse bitumen is low compared with most imports. It's a big car but handles like one a lot smaller, though the large-diameter steering wheel can feel bus-like.The LPG engine is responsive - though needs extra cranks to start - but sounds harsh and thrashy when under acceleration. The saving grace is the six-speed automatic. Also unfavourable is the soft brake pedal feel. But, above these minors, the wagon is actually a good drive and though some cabin plastics may tell you otherwise, the car feels more durable on the road than many rivals

Wouldn't it be excellent never to enter a service station again to buy fuel? To never pay the extortionate government taxes and oil company gouge at the bowser. If you could cut emissions to near zero, well, that would be icing on the cake.It sounds like a pipe dream but is now entirely achievable if you have a lazy 60,000 bucks to spend on Holden's new Volt extended range electric vehicle.Is it worth the dosh? Depends on your thinking. An "early adopter" or anyone with a green tinge is a potential buyer. More pragmatic types will say it's better spending that sort of coin on something like the super frugal diesel-powered BMW 318d.But the point about Volt is that it ushers in totally new technology in a quest to cut fuel use and reduce emissions. It is part of our driving future, here, now.Fully electric cars are practically useless because of extremely limited range and something like a Prius is just a petrol powered car with an electric helper engine. Volt is something else altogether.The US-made, four seat, five-door hatch drives solely on its electric engine(s). Yes there are two of them mounted concentrically, one inside the other, to one side of the engine bay. For the first 50-90km (depending on how you drive), Volt is on pure electricity from its lithium ion battery pack mounted under the rear passenger compartment floor. After that, the 1.4-litre Holden Cruze petrol engine generates electricity to pump into the battery and then into the electric motor(s) to drive the car. The second, smaller electric motor is engaged at higher speeds to take the load off the larger unit and to alter gearing through a simple gear set for more efficient operation. There are no gears to change and the petrol engine is not connected directly to Volt's drive system.The generator engine will not re-charge the battery once it's depleted. That has to be done by plugging Volt into a (domestic) or dedicated "charge point" electric power outlet. At home, Volt will take about six hours to fully recharge, possibly less and it can be set to only recharge during off peak times. There's a small petrol tank at the rear of the car to feed the 1.4-litre generator engine. Got all that?What you need to know is it all works seamlessly offering similar performance to a 2.0-litre petrol four cylinder car with Lexus like silence and smoothness - or better. If you live within say 30km of work or drive less than say 60km a day, recharge, and you won't need petrol. Drive further and you will - eventually.An unofficial competition among US Volt owners to see who can go without petrol for the longest time is attracting attention with some owners clicking over a petrol free year. But if you don't use the petrol in the tank or if the engine doesn't start once a month, Volt starts the engine itself in maintenance mode.It needs to run occasionally. The drive experience is one of a luxury medium size sedan. It has a sporty feel, plenty of acceleration and thanks to the low centre of gravity, excellent cornering characteristics.Volt is “fully loaded” with luxury kit that includes a centre stack with numerous iPod style controls. The audio is Bose, there's cruise control, full connectivity but no audio streaming. The interior is funky/modern with two-tone leather and looks nothing like any other car currently available. Just like the outside - an elegant looker, distinctive and functional with a five star crash rating.

Range anxiety isn’t an issue with Holden’s electric-powered Volt. The $59,990 price is, which is why Holden is saying the range-extending hybrid will initially appeal to early adopters.The four-seat car combines a battery with a theoretical 87km range - in reality it’s somewhere between 50-70km - along with a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine that generates power for the electric motor, rather than drive the front wheels directly. Fitting the 200kg battery pack has cost the centre rear seat on the Cruze-based platform but other than that it drives - and goes - just like Holden’s most popular car.The high entry price is one of the handicaps electric vehicles and hybrids are still trying to overcome. New technology isn’t cheap, be it an LED TV or the latest iPhone. Early adopters tend not to care … average families will wait for the price to drop and the tech to prove itself before climbing on board.In the case of the Volt, an average daily commute of 50km will translate into roughly $1100 in annual fuel savings. The Volt can be charged at home using a regular 6/10amp power supply, in which case the charging times are around 10/six hours. Opt for a fast-charge point from Better Place and that time falls to four hours.Beyond the concept, the battery pack is the smart component of the Volt. GM-developed software monitors the 288 lithium-ion modules that make up the pack - which is fitted in a T-shape between the front seats and across the rear pews - and regulates the charge to minimise hot-spots that compromise battery longevity.The same system heats/cools the battery to keep it at the optimum operating temperature. The 1.4-litre petrol “generator” that powers the electric motor once the battery charge is depleted is a detuned version of the 1.4-litre engine fitted to the Cruze. A smaller capacity engine would have done the job just as well, but for GM it was an off-the-shelf solution that cut costs - and therefore the final price. Cruise control, Bluetooth connectivity, satnav, lane departure warning and a collision alert system are standard.The collision alert isn’t adaptive cruise control, though. Instead it sounds a warning if the Volt is approaching another vehicle too quickly.The Volt is the best-looking hybrid on the road, if you exclude the more exotic Telsa machinery. Optimising drag means the five-door hatch has a rubber front spoiler that will scrape every time its driven over a speed hump or an angled drive. The sound is disconcerting but the fact it tucks up under the car means there’s no visual damage. Inside a white centre stack houses all of the switchgear.It looks futuristic and functional, though some of the displays on the seven-inch touch screen are eco-trendy rather than geniuinely informative: I don’t need to know how efficient the aircon is; I just want it to work. The seats and steering wheel stalks are straight out of the Cruze. Rear visibility is limited by the thick C-pillars, but a reversing camera offsets that.The Volt has earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating, with an overall score of 34.56 out of 37. The safety body notes that “Protection from serious leg injury was marginal for the driver”. There are eight airbags as standard along with the usual software systems. Just as importantly, Holden is educating the emergency services about what and where to cut in the event the Volt is damaged during a crash.Despite the weight - the Volt is heavier than a Commodore - it goes and rides reasonably well. Acceleration is a flat nine seconds from rest to 100km/h and it is only the low rolling-resistance rubber that limits its ability in the twisty stuff. The hard compound means the Volt understeers earlier than a Cruze. Fit a set of decent tyres and that won’t be a problem, though it will reduce the electric-only range.The hatch sits flat through the turns thanks to battery pack being fitted low and in the middle of the vehicle, but fore/aft pitching is noticeable when pressing on over roads with humps and dips. Using petrol to power an electric vehicle seems counter-productive but it makes the Volt a genuine option in a one-car garage.During the week electric-only driving should be achievable and the petrol generator gives owners the freedom to travel where they want on weekends. Over a 300km drive, Carsguide posted 4.6L/100km despite intentionally vigorous driving. I’d be happy with that - if Holden can get the price down to $40K.

A big V8 Commodore Sportwagon, an SS V no less, can arrive or depart as noisily as the driver dare.The Sportwagon is a lot of metal for the money - priced from $55,290 (or $ $57,290 for the auto as tested), the SS-V six-speed auto is a family wagon that the driver in the family will want to drive solo.The features list has the touchscreen satnav and entertainment system, with hard drive and USB input for the iPod, leather trim, 19in alloys, a limited slip differential, 19in alloy wheels, sports front seats, a power-adjustable driver's seat, cruise control, rear parking sensors and camera, reach'n'rake adjustable steering, automatic headlights (but no auto wipers, that's Calais V only), dual zone climate control (with rear vents), power windows, Bluetooth phone and audio link, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with phone, audio, trip computer buttons.The six-litre overhead valve V8 is not exactly cutting edge but when teamed to the six speed automatic gets the brand's Active Fuel Management (AFM) cylinder drop-out system, which aims to save fuel by cutting supply to four of the eight cylinders when not required.The only drawback is slightly less urge - power (measured on 98RON PULP) drops 10kW to 260kW and peak torque is 517Nm, down from the manual model's 530Nm. And it lays claim to an ADR figure of 12.3, but the more powerful six-speed manual (that doesn't drop four cylinders) boasts an ADR consumption figure of 12.2.The test car finished it's time with us sporting a 17.7 litres per 100km trip computer figure - with more demure driving that figure would be reduced but the V8 needs some throttle pressure to make the right noises and solid forward progress.Flared wheel arches, an aggressive road stance, quad exhausts and a svelte rump - for a wagon - shows the family load lugger doesn't need to look dowdy or plain. The driver can get a good driving position in the Commodore, something the Adelaide car has over its Melbourne opposition - the seat and steering wheel have decent adjustment range and the dashboard doesn't feel like it’s going to squash your knees.Forward vision is only marred by the thick A-pillars, which is something not limited to Holden - the extra crash performance strength has come at the cost of a blindspot for the driver that needs careful attention, particularly at T-junction turns into traffic.The interior is starting to age but is well-laid out and useful - apart from the annoying power window and mirror switchgear in the centre - and while the cargo area might not be as voluminous as the old repmobile Commodore wagon, it still has 895 litres of cargo space, or 2000 if you drop the rear seats.The big Holden kid-carter wears five stars from ANCAP - stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, front seatbelts with load limiters and pretensioners, dual front, front-side and full-length curtain airbags all appear on the safety features list.Much was made about the VE's body strength when it was launched, including the use of ultra-high strength steel particularly in the B-pillar. The test car also had the optional full-size spare tyre fitted.You might not look at a wagon as a fun vehicle to drive, but you'd be wide of the mark. The SS V - even in the automatic - is capable of covering ground at a considerable rate, without feeling like the additions to the rear end detract from the experience.If anything, a little extra weight over the rear makes things more amusing. The steering is light but accurate and the wagon is a doddle to pilot around town, with ample low-end grunt from the engine. The transmission is not as smart as some of the opposition's transmissions but it remains an improvement over some of the earlier Holden autos.Ride quality is testimony to the good work of Holden's engineers, dealing with bumps without resorting to rattling teeth out to maintain cornering ability. On a familiar back road the Commodore wagon turns in with enthusiasm and hangs on with gusto - only the overly-aggressive Sport mode is a negative, one that prompts the driver to opt for manual changes.Making the V8 sing and making more use of the upper rev range does have its drawbacks, mainly at the petrol pump. If you want to get the most out of the engine then PULP is a must-have, so when the trip computer is regularly in the mid-teens the V8 Orchestra's novelty might wear off at $1.40-plus a litre eith the electronics off there's scope for anti-social behaviour, or a little wag of the tail, depending on your right foot.Cabin accommodation is good, with rear passengers getting decent space on comfy pews, with easy installation of child booster seats thanks to an anchor point on the backrest, which doesn't restrict the load space. They also get aircon vents without the overhead glare coming through the sedan's rear window, which can get rough on rear occupants in summer.

Big, broad and ready to work, but ride height is no longer a clue to the drivetrain.Light-commercial buyers opting for rear instead of four-wheel drive won't get an inferiority complex from being looked down upon - quite literally - by the 4WD ute brigade. Ford has the Hi-Rider Ranger and the new Colorado 4x2 range sits in a similarly lofty position to its 4x4 sibling, just don't go marauding into a big mud bog while hunting for the (absent) rotary 4WD on-the-go switch.The dual-cab LTZ five-speed manual is priced from $40,990 - $9000 cheaper than its 4WD equivalent, which is about par for the course in the segment. The flagship LTZ sits on chunky 17in alloy wheels, with a full-size spare, front fog lamps, power-adjustable and folding external rearvision mirrors, a soft tonneau cover (although the test car has the hard cover, for $2520), an alloy sports rollbar, side steps.There's also cloth trim, bucket seats, driver gets electric adjustment, single zone climate control, power windows, three in-cabin 12v outlets, LED tail lights, Bluetooth, cruise control, trip computer, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift, eight-speaker sound system and wheel-mounted controls for the phone, sound and cruise control systems.The light-commercial brigade is not at the forefront of new technology - the rear leaf springs in the suspension date back to Cobb and Co horse-drawn mail wagons - but the segment has some up-to-date equipment. The 4x2 is about 53kg lighter than its 4WD sibling but is propelled by the same powerplant - a 2.8-litre double-overhead cam turbodiesel four-cylinder, an old-school turbodiesel.The five-speed manual has to make do with less torque - 440Nm - but the same 132kW power figure. It's an iron engine block with an alloy head, fed by common-rail direct-injection using a variable-geometry turbocharger. The turbodiesel also has an electronic throttle valve and a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system to cut down reduce exhaust emissions.While a five-speed manual gearbox might seem so last year compared to the six-speed auto, it is 1.2l/100km less thirsty than the auto, a gap that was borne out after our time in the car. The 4x2 manual returned 9.6l/100km, not quite the ADR number of 7.8; it's also claiming to be 0.1l/100km less thirsty than the 4WD equivalent.This is no prissy-looker, as the General has taken a similar path to Ford's Ranger, giving it a strong, square look that says it's ready to shoulder a load. The flanks and rump are generic dual-cab ute - the top-spec Colorado comes standard with side-steps, the alloy sports ropllover bar and a soft tonneau cover that allows better use of the rear tray.The test car had the hard tonneau, which offers better security (it and the tailgate are key-lockable, although not with the same key) but offers less loadspace flexibility. The interior is good without being outstanding - the seats are comfortable and the driver gets electric adjustment (but tilt-only steering), decent amounts of in-cabin storage and three 12v outlets - two in the front, one in the back - but no vents for backseat passengers. Surely it gets hot in Brazil?Holden is making hay will it has five shiny stars for Colorado's ANCAP rating, which is a big step up from the old car's two-star result. The safety features list includes dual front airbags (but no front-side airbags) and full length curtain airbags, stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes (with rear drums) with electronic brakeforce distribution and hydraulic brake assist.Holden does get points for three childseat top-tether anchor points in a useful position high behind the back seat, which makes them easier to utilise. Some of its opposition have the fixture points in difficult-to-reach places that make it hard work for the ute to double as weekend family transport.Having stepped out of a 4x4 LT into the 4x2 LTZ and not being hugely impressed with the LT, I wasn't expecting the manual rear-driver to be much different. It wasn't. The ride quality hadn't suffered for the upsized wheel/tyre package and the cabin has enough room and is a comfortable place to spend time.The Colorado's powerplant is still on the noisy side and can get a little bogged down if you don't keep the revs up to it.It suffers from numb steering, a large turning circle and too many turns lock-to-lock and the handling is not up the segment leaders. The five-speed manual feels as though it teams more effectively with the engine than the auto - the change is not going on any sportscar benchmark lists but there's less drivetrain snatch that afflicts some of the other key players in the segment, particularly when there's a fair load of torque going through the driveline.Fuel economy and sharp pricetag help soften the average first impressions of the Colorado, as do the five-star crash test rating, the one-tonne payload and 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity. Once up and cruising on the open road the big ute lopes along reasonably well, offering good visibility through the front and from the external mirrors - the mirrors on the Commodore that followed (that look small at the best of times) look even smaller by comparison.Despite only driving through the rear, the LTZ didn't dislike unsealed surfaces and didn't suffer the tail-happy habits of some of its opposition in the same terrain, even with electronic nursemaids on a break and some provocation. The Colorado ute is not a bad vehicle, it's just that when you consider the US$2 million development budget - twice what Holden had for the VE Commodore program - there was an expectation it would be a bigger step forward, and it's not.

The dual-cab ute segment is going gangbusters and Holden has been itching to get a new model into the segment. The Colorado - a global truck developed by GM Brazil at a cost of US$2-billion - is sourced from the company's Thai plant and comes to market with a sharp price tag and upgraded grunt.The first stint in the new model is behind the wheel of the LT dual-cab automatic, with some Holden accessories on board as well.The LT is priced from $45,490 and that's well and truly in the ballpark when stacking it up against the opposition, most of which also comes from Thailand. The standard fare is a five-speed manual transmission but the optional six-speed auto adds $2000.The features list includes air conditioning, power windows, Bluetooth phone link, two 12v outlets, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio, phone and cruise controls, power mirrors, 16in alloy wheels and cloth trim.Sadly, there's only tilt adjustment for the steering wheel, no rear air vents and while the cover says there's a USB input point within the dash, what's beneath it is not even close. The test car had a few options - among them $3510 worth of Genuine Holden Canopy, which has a rear light for the tray but no demisting capability.The Colorado up-spec models are powered by one of the GM global powerplants - a 2.8-litre double-overhead cam four-cylinder turbodiesel, which won't be mistaken for a petrol engine.Holden says it (when teamed with the optional six-speed auto) deliver 132kW and 470Nm - 10 per cent more power and 40 per cent more torque than the superseded 120kW/333Nm three-litre turbodiesel. The new model's iron-block alloy-head engine has common-rail direct-injection feeding the four-cylinder turbodiesel, which uses a variable-geometry turbocharger and a balance shaft for greater smoothness. The intake side of the equation uses an electronic throttle valve and there's also a cooled exhaust gas recirculation system to reduce exhaust emissions. The new model is a little heavier than the old one, which might explain the slight increase in fuel use - up from 9 to 9.1l/100km despite extra gears in the auto, which puts it on par with the heavier Ranger.GM has gone the bull-nose route taken by Ford with the Ranger, but once passed the nose it's a fairly straightforward dual-cab ute. The tray on the test car was covered by a Holden accessory canopy that has fold-up windows on the sides and at the rear, as well as a sliding "pass-through" window butted up against a solid rear window for the cabin.Holden says the sliding front window was a deliberate design for the canopy to allow access to clean the rear window of the cabin, but I'm not sure - a drop-down or flip-up system (like the side windows, but folding inwards) might have made more sense.There's some useful touches to the interior storage, with two gloveboxes ahead of the front passenger and a half-decent centre console, while the rear seat gets a 12v outlet but no rear vents - something that is not as common industry-wide as it should be.It's one of the key selling points in the segment now some companies are demanding ANCAP five-star ratings and Holden has it with this new LCV, a two-star jump from the old car. The active safety features list includes stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes (albeit with rear drums) with electronic brakeforce distribution and hydraulic brake assist, as well as the ability to run in 4WD if the going gets truly treacherous.Inside the cabin there's dual front airbags (but no front-side airbags) and full length curtain airbags, but the Holden has three childseat top-tether anchor points behind the back seat, which are easy to utilise - some of its opposition have the fixture points difficult-to-reach places and make it hard work for the ute to double as weekend family transport.The big Holden ute has presence a-plenty on approach, like the Ranger you're not going to miss it on the road. The cabin is comfortable enough in terms of seating but the driver gets only tilt steering and manual seat height adjustment, making an ideal driving position not easy to achieve; cold morning starts were further delayed by the glacial pace of the windscreen demister.First impressions underway reflect the specs - the engine is noisier and, despite claiming the similar outputs to the Ford Ranger, feels more lethargic. The Colorado drivetrain feels underdone compared to the Ranger/BT-50 powerplant, something that can also be said for the chassis.Ride quality is reasonably good in the Colorado but at the expense of turning and body control - the Ranger in particular manages this compromise with more dexterity. The steering ratio makes for busy arms for quick changes of direction and don't expect the wheel to offer much in the way of information regardless of surface.It feels more at home on the dirt, chugging over most terrain with little fuss, or you can leave it in two-wheel drive and turn the electronics off - the low-end torque becomes a little more apparent and the arms get busy on the wheel again. On the open road the Colorado lopes along at a good rate, with the engine's torque giving it good cruising range - the fuel use at the end of our stint was just over 10 litres per 100km. The 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity will get it plenty of attention but that alone won't be enough to get it to the top of the LCV heap. For US$2 billion and 2.5 million kilometres of development, it should be better than it is.