GM Holden has taken a pretty bold move with the introduction of its new VE Commodore based Sportwagon. The previous VZ’s target market of commercial users saw the wagon stereotyped as a bland, boring ‘rep-mobile’.
Enter 2008 and the successful VE Commodore. Holden wants to clear that ‘rep-mobile’ image with a Chrysler 300C-esque station wagon that appeals to a broader market, including families and people with active lifestyles.
Speaking at Holden’s media launch of the Sportwagon, Chief Designer Richard Ferlazzo said the design philosophy was to create a vehicle that was tailored to those buyers considering an SUV. The Sportwagon is considered by Holden to be a compromise between function and form, with an emphasis on ride quality and design.
Holden’s Sportwagon is based on the Commodore short-wheel-base platform and not, as in the past, on the WM long-wheel-base platform. The Sportwagon maintains the same length as the sedan but still manages to be one of the most spacious wagons on the market.
The tailgate cuts into the roofline to allow easy access when parked against walls and other cars. The Sportwagon needs just 268mm of clearance to swing the tailgate open, meaning that hectares of room aren’t required to load the shopping or the kid’s soccer gear.
$110-million was poured into the development of the Sportwagon (on top of the $1.03-billion spent on Commodore and $105.1-million spent on the Utility program) with just over half a million kilometres spent on the road testing.
The sporty design comes at a cost to interior volume though. The outgoing VZ station wagon could house up to 1402-litres with the rear seats up, while the Sportwagon can facilitate just under two-thirds of that volume at 895-litres. The rear is more accessible though, with the load height being increased by some 36mm.
The drive route had the assembled journalists drive across a variety of surfaces including bumpy asphalt, gravel and twisty mountain roads.
Everything. Power, Braking, Handling, Quality, Comfort, the lot
Rear seats a bit cramped
