| ReviewsOnline |
| Car review - Holden VU SS Ute |
| From CarPoint A wind-tunnel tested tonneau? Surely a world first for Holden. And innovations that must cement Australia's position of clear leadership in tonneau technology. Three years of research and development effort were invested by Holden in the cover for the new VU Ute�s tray. The B-pillars of the first all-new Holden Ute in a decade were shaped to smooth airflow across the rear third of the tonneau. Aerodynamic testing also dictated the positioning of the three bows that support it. The front bow is decoupled from the body structure - it's attached only to the bottom surface of the tonneau - which stops any flapping further aft from creating cabin boom. What with the whisper-quite tonneau and a bunch of other VX Commodore noise and vibration reduction measures, Holden claims the new ute is as and refined as a car. They're right. And it's not just the amazing absence of utey noises that makes driving the VU car-like. It's also the way that it drives. The Gen III - engined SS in particular, is a remarkably civilised thing. At least when, as it was for the launch in country NSW, it's loaded with a little ballast. For traction, cornering grip, handling balance and steering response, there seems little difference between the VU SS Ute and VX SS sedan. It is, in other words, a huge improvement over SS utes of the past. Its suspension set-up is also different, including the front that is basically Holden's FE2 sedan handling pack. The SS is also as luxurious a Ute as anyone is ever likely to want. The same $36,490 price applies to both six-speed manual and four-speed automatic versions, both of which come with standard air-conditioning, passenger airbag, ABS and limited-slip differential. The only options are premium sound and metallic paint, although a range of accessories are planned, including a front-hinged, gas strutted, lockable rigid tray cover for those who don't appreciate the effort Holden put into the regular tonneau. There's only one thing Holden's got wrong with the VU. It's nothing to do with the car, rather the claim made for the ute that its independent rear suspension represents a world first. The Subaru Brumby was just the first ute that we could think of with IRS. |
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