Holden Rodeo 2003 Review

Pick-up trucks, or utilities, as their name suggests, are expected to handle a range of tasks not normally faced by other vehicles. A typical week in the life of a pick-up could involve everything from hauling building supplies to transporting the family, with off-road adventures on the weekend.

After two decades in Australia, the Isuzu-based Holden Rodeo has developed a solid reputation, to the point where it is now the second biggest-selling mid-sized pick-up after the Toyota Hilux. Last year 15,500 Rodeos were sold, mostly to fleet buyers, tradesmen, farmers, and police.

The pick-up market is all about offering buyers plenty of choice, and the new Rodeo comes in a staggering 56 model variations - 44 available forthwith and the remainder in a few months time.

Basically, there's three body styles - single, space and crew cabs; three trim levels - DX, LX and LT, and two or four-wheel drive versions.

A long wheelbase cab-chassis version, for extra carrying capacity, is also available. The standard tray size is increased to a class-leading 2311mm long and 1553mm wide.

With a host of improvements and new features, Holden claims its latest Rodeo is tougher, more practical, safer and better to drive both on and off-road.

All versions sport a new, modern look, including large square headlights, wraparound tail lights, a bold grille, and big exterior mirrors.

The new bodies are larger than before, which translates to more interior space, with 34mm more headroom, 42mm more legroom and 40mm shoulder room for front seat passengers.

For buyers who don't want to pay extra for the four-door Crew cab model with its room for three rear passengers, the LT Space Cab now offers two rear jump seats with seat belts.

Also adding to interior comfort is more standard equipment, with remote central-locking and CD player included on LX and LT models.

The range-topping LT sports model comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, chrome trim, power windows, in-dash six CD stacker, leather-wrapped steering wheel, twin airbags, ABS and cruise control on V6 models.

There's now a greater range of optional accessories available, including bull bar, air snorkel, hard tonneau cover, towing kit, alloy tray and wooden cargo liner.

The three-engine line-up remains, but each offers more performance and reduced emissions. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder, which replaces the old 2.2-litre, produces 94kW at 4800rpm, and 207Nm at 3200rpm.

The 3.2-litre has been replaced with a more powerful 3.5-litre version, putting out 147kW at 5400rpm, and 280Nm at 3000rpm. The gutsy 3.0-litre turbo diesel, meanwhile, gains more torque - 291Nm at 2000rpm. Each is available with a five-speed manual transmission or optional four-speed auto.

I tested all three powerplants during the launch - all with the smooth five-speed manual and a range of body styles and trims - with all performing well under a variety of conditions.

The 2.4-litre Rodeo was smooth and relaxed on the highway, providing decent performance as long as the revs were kept up; I still think it would struggle under a decent payload. The 3.5-litre petrol and diesel variants are definitely better choices for towing or off-road work.

Car-like features like the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering give the Rodeo impressive on-road dynamics, at least for a work vehicle. The stiffer chassis, combined with locally-engineered front-coil independent suspension, makes for comfortable and refined city cruising.

The Rodeo also retained its composure on bumpy dirt roads, taking potholes in its stride with little disturbance in the cabin.

The Rodeo's stylish, workmanlike interior provides plenty of room, as well as comfortable seats, good all-round vision and good ambience - the latter thanks to aerodynamic improvements and extra sound proofing.

Both the steering wheel and seats are adjustable, but the left footrest is too narrow for your average Blundstone. Storage spaces are numerous, but not always sensibly located, with the drink holder in the door poorly positioned near the window winder.

Powerful air-conditioning, though, was a welcome relief from the Brisbane humidity.

The stiffer chassis, and improved crumple zones, adds to the Rodeo's crashworthiness. Other new safety items include bigger brakes, while LT versions get ABS and twin airbags.

Four-wheel drive models can comfortably venture even further into the bush, offering good ground clearance, less front and rear overhang, and a limited slip-diff on LX versions for extra traction.

Electronic 'shift on the fly' - or 'touch on the fly' as the Asians innocently refer to it - is now fitted to all four-wheel drive models, allowing push-button selection of two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive high and low from the driver's seat.

The Rodeo's towing capacity has been increased to 750kg unbraked and 2000kg brake-assisted.

Despite all the upgrades, Holden has managed to keep price rises to a minimum. The Rodeo range starts at $18,490 for the rugged 4x2 single cab DX model with 'wash out interior', and rises to $39,290 for the plush 4x4 crew cab with 3.0-litre diesel, designed to appeal to recreational enthusiasts.

The RA Rodeo not only offers good value for money, but also scores highly on versatility, practicality, refinement and features - all things that should be regarded highly by hard-working pick-up owners.

If you're in the market for a tough-as-nails, go-anywhere utility, CarPoint recommends putting the Rodeo near the top of your shopping list.