Epica diesel imminent

Holden will add a turbodiesel variant to its Epica range -- and it will do so soon. While the manufacturer's corporate communications staff will admit little other than the existence of the new model, advertising creative briefs circulated for the car are more enlightening.

To feature a version of the same 2.0-litre common-rail direct-injected four-cylinder that powers the Captiva Turbodiesel, the Epica VCDi is expected to officially debut in July.

Already on sale in key markets in Europe wearing the Chevrolet badge, the VCDi boasts power and torque outputs of 110kW and 320Nm respectively. This matches the Captiva’s powerplant and is well up -- in real world terms -- on the 2.5-litre petrol six-cylinder Epica's rather anemic 115kW/237Nm output.

Unlike its Euro equivalent, it's understood, Holden's Epica will be available with a five-speed automatic gearbox.

The manual variant of the VCdi Epica returns a combined fuel figure of 6.3L/100Km in European testing and the automatic version, which is likely to be the only variant sold in Australia, returned a figure of 7.6L/100km. That represents a significant improvement over the 9.3L/100km combined figure the 2.5-litre petrol six delivers.

Questioned about the Epica diesel, Holden's National Manager - Media Relations, John Lindsay, allowed that the car would be launched within "the near future".

"It was something we flagged as coming, at the Melbourne Motor Show," he said. "It would be coming in the near future -- and that 'near future' is coming nearer."

"We kind of stuck it there on the side of the car rather than put it in the press release."

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