Barton's Bayside

Model driven: Holden VE Commodore SS Ute; 6.0l V8 AFM petrol; six-speed automatic; utility – from $41,990*

The new Holden Commodore VE SS Ute ticks all the right boxes. Snappy styling with a hint of aggression in its appearance, 6.0l V8 engine, increased fuel efficiency, excellent handling, top safety features and a sporty and spacious interior. An ideal example of a utility, good for carrying your work gear during the week and perfect for towing a jet ski or boat on the weekend with plenty of room in the tray for all your gear. This is the best example of the Holden Ute to date.

Inside this Holden vehicle you will first notice the lack of noise at idle when you turn over the smooth running V8. The cockpit is designed primarily with functionality in mind rather than form, which will unfortunately not be to everyones liking. However, that’s not to say it isn’t a nice interior to be sitting in. The seats comfortably wrap around your sides, you’re not over-stretching in order to reach the gear shifter and the leather wrapped steering wheel has tilt and reach adjustments for additional driver comfort. Behind the seats you will find quite ample storage space for your groceries or backpacks if you don’t want risk them rolling around in the tray. The symmetrical centre console is well spaced out and easy to operate while still maintaining decent sized storage areas for your house keys, wallet and whatever else you want to empty out of your pockets. You also get power windows, electric mirrors, cruise control, remote central locking and dusk sensing headlamps.

The night mode illumination setup for the interior is excellent. Some very nice bright colours with the ability to dim the interior dash and console lights which will prove easy on the eyes on those long drives. Operating the audio system while driving is made a lot easier with simple steering wheel controls which also illuminate at night. The stereo also includes a six stack CD system with MP3 compatibility and an auxiliary audio input jack for your MP3 player. Integrated into the audio system is blue tooth capability with handy steering wheel controls. The air conditioning controls may be a little simple and plain looking but the ventilation system does what you want it to do, it gets icy cold in summer and nice and toasty in winter.

Holden car dealers in Brisbane have experienced a great deal of success with the VE Commodore Ute since its release in 2007. With the upgrades in performance over the last few years the latest model is set to continue that trend. The ute is powered by the Chevrolet produced 6.0l V8 engine, the Holden Commodore Ute produces more than enough power with its 260kw and 517NM of torque (manual – 270kw & 530NM). Improvements to fuel management and efficiency comes via the AFM setup (Active Fuel Management) which is essentially technology that shuts down cylinders when they’re not required. The system works seamlessly and you wouldn’t even notice it was working if it wasn’t for the display on the dash letting you know how many cylinders you’re running on. To state it simply, when you want to put the pedal to the metal, the Holden Commodore Ute will open up to 8 cylinders without any delay.

Putting all this power to the ground is GM’s 6L80-E six-speed automatic gearbox with Active Select. It is a big improvement on previous versions of the automatic transmission. While still not as fast to pick up changes in throttle pressure as you would like, it still makes a mockery of some of the Holden Ute’s competitors. And for the money you are paying to own one, you certainly get plenty of bang for your buck. When flicking over to Active Select (manual mode) you can start to have some serious fun with this bad boy. The manual mode allows for fast gear changing and quicker acceleration and the option to wind out the rev range and get some more out of your Holden Ute.

Handling wise you are not left wanting for anything more. You get four-wheel ventilated disc brakes, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) which incorporates the Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Brake Assist (EBA) and the Traction Control System (TCS). The suspension has great improvements with coil-over struts front and rear, Multi-link Independent Rear Suspension (IRS) and stabiliser bars front and rear. With all these updates the handling really will amaze and enthrall you. Gone are the days of the Holden Ute feeling like an unsteady and temperamental beast, this new kid on the block handles every bit as well as a sedan. The Holden Commodore ute can be thrown into corners and the driver can feel completely safe in the knowledge that this Holden Ute will hold its ground and if you push it a little too far then the ESC system will kick-in and help get you around the bend safely.

Speaking of safety, the Holden Ute has a 5 STAR ANCAP safety rating. The highest in its class. The Holden Ute gets Dual front airbags, seat-mounted side airbags & side curtain airbags for head protection. The Holden Commodore range also incorporates Holden’s Safety Cell technology. In the Holden Ute the A-pillars and B-pillars are increased in size and door intrusion bars and cross beams are fitted in order to provide a much higher level of rigidity for the cockpit. In addition the vehicle’s body is designed with crumple zones and load paths. These are a way of absorbing the energy from front or rear impacts and distributing it away from the occupants of the Holden Ute.

All in all the new Holden SS Ute is a fantastic package. Great V8 performance, improved fuel efficiency, a class leading 5 Star ANCAP safety rating and looks to kill. What more could a person want from a Holden Commodore Ute?

*Pricing is a guide as recommended by the manufacturer

*Manuals from $38,990