Holden Caprice 2013 Review

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory & delivery charges): $59,990
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Prestige paint $550
Crash rating: Five star ANCAP
Fuel: 91 RON
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 11.7
CO2 emissions (g/km): 278
Also consider: Chrysler 300C (from $43,000)

Like many people, my experience of Australian-made long-wheelbase sedans has been mostly confined to the rear seats, lounging around on acres of cowhide while making small talk with a polite, well-dressed driver on the way to the airport.

This is a real shame, as the best position in the latest Holden Caprice, at least the V8, petrol-slurping variant reviewed here, is undoubtedly the driver’s seat. Although the Gold Class-style movie experience up back comes a close second...

Of course, most of the 500-odd Holden Caprice limos sold in Australia so far this year are likely to be powered by the more fleet-friendly but less feisty 3.6-litre V6 LPG engine option also available. But the top-spec Caprice V V8 is a lot more entertaining than its conservative, plain Jane packaging suggests.

Press the starter button (or do it remotely from up to 100m away) and the 6.0-litre V8 burbles to life, with just a hint of V8 ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ at idle. Step on the juice pedal and it literally leaps into action, the 260kW and 517Nm on tap making light work of its 1891kg and 5.16m-long bulk. Meanwhile driver and passengers are cocooned in the same luxury surrounds experienced in the latest VF Commodore Calais V, albeit with more stretching room.

Launched in June 2013, the latest WN Caprice changes little externally from its predecessor, apart from some minor front and rear styling tweaks, although the latest ‘titanium’ paint on our test car was a nice change from the usual black, hire car look.

The biggest changes are inside, with the aforementioned Calais cabin upgrades adding such niceties as an 8-inch colour touchscreen incorporating sat nav and Holden's excellent MyLink infotainment system which, despite being available in cheaper Holden models offers plenty of premium features like internet radio apps and voice recognition, befitting the Caprice's luxury status. Of course the thumping nine-speaker Bose stereo system should satisfy the fussiest audiophile, too.

Also lifting the mood in the top-spec Caprice V are chrome, leather and suede highlights across the dash door inserts, although the light grey 'velour' along the top of the doors in our relatively new test car was already showing signs of discolouration.

The supportive, electrically adjustable 'premium' leather seats, together with the compact, grippy HSV-style steering wheel add to the 'driver's car' feel, although comfort and refinement remain the Caprice's forte.

Of course, rear legroom remains a strong selling point, with contoured seating for both outboard passengers, and two rear-seat DVD screens (with wireless headphones and remote control) now fitted standard to the top-spec Caprice. The only complaint from my seven-year-old was the big distance between the screen and her eyes, even with the front seat pushed back as far as possible!

Although not as practical as a mid-sized SUV's, the Caprice's deep boot remains cavernous, with a handy cargo net to hold groceries and other odds and ends.

While otherwise delivering a reasonably plush, serene ride, the Caprice also delivers a bit of civilised fun when the urge arises. The rear-drive sedan can take on most comers at the traffic light drags, while some in-gear, heavy-footed throttle input will also get the tail wagging, as we found out on a wet, slippery commute home one night. That said, the electronic nannies smartly brought it under control.

The big Holden sedan also corners better than you expect; the confidence-inspiring rear-wheel drive set-up backed up by strong brakes, responsive steering and plenty of grip from the low-profile Bridgestone Turanza tyres wrapped around new 19-inch alloys.

The taut suspension dispatches most bumps confidently with just a hint of initial harshness, while passengers are well insulated from external noise.

The smooth six-speed auto has both manual and ‘sports’ mode to elicit a bit more excitement, encouraging the refined V8 to spin freely to around 6000rpm before quickly engaging another cog and starting again. Despite the new quad exhaust set-up, revheads might argue it's too subdued for a 'big block' V8, with the noise more V6 than V8 at higher revs.

However, its refinement is most appreciated at highway speeds, where it lazily ticks over at around 1500rpm with just some low-level hum from the tyres interrupting the serenity.

Officially, the Caprice V8 consumes fuel at 11.6L/100km, but during our week-long test the average was closer to 17L/100km, not helped by the often irresistible urge to bury the right foot when the lights turned green.

Both Caprice variants benefit from a raft of new safety technologies including Auto Park Assist, Blind Spot Alert as well as a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors, while the top-spec Caprice V also gets Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning.

While I found the Forward Collision Alert system overly sensitive, the Blind Spot Alert is a great feature, overcoming the deficiencies of the tiny wing mirrors that otherwise make it difficult to spot traffic approaching on either side on freeways.

The Caprice also remains a decent tow tug, thanks to Tow Sway Assist and up to 2100kg towing capacity.

However, despite the upgrades, the clincher for anyone umming and ahhing over the latest Caprice is the significant cost savings, with Holden slashing $10,000 from the V8 range-topper to bring it under $60,000 for the first time.

If you can cope with the fuel bills, the Caprice V is arguably better value than the entry-level LPG variant, which is $5000 less but misses out on quite a few features including sunroof and rear DVD screens as well as useful technology like the Head Up windscreen display.

While the big Holden doesn't quite reach the heights of on-road dynamics, passenger pampering, and fuel-sipping performance offered by pricier European equivalents, for $60K it's hard to beat.

For private buyers, seven-seat SUVs long ago replaced big Aussie sedans for families wanting something classy with a bit of room, but in its latest guise the Caprice proves homegrown limos should not yet be confined to 'dinosaur' status.

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