Holden Commodore Evoke sedan 2013 Review

What we liked:
?>> Classy new interior?
>> Talkative electric steering?
>> Livelier throttle response?

Not so much:?
>> Still not aurally pleasing
?>> A-pillars still thick
?>> Peak power loss

Price: $34, 990 (MRLP)
?Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol
?Output: 185kW/290Nm?
Transmission: Six-speed auto?
Wheels / Tyres: 16 x 7.0 / 225/60?
Fuel / CO2: 8.3L/100km / 198g/km
?Safety: Six airbags / Five-star ANCAP

Car companies heavily debate the amount of improvement they put into their entry-level models. After all, make it too good and the temptation exists for buyers to spend fewer dollars rather than head up the range where the manufacturer makes a better profit margin on every car its sells.

In the case of the new Commodore Evoke, it seems Holden has decided to forget about such concerns and simply build the best car it can.

Evoke? That’s the new name for cheapest model in the VF Commodore sedan line-up; it replaces both the VE Berlina and Omega, which in turn replaced the VT-VZ Executive, which replaced the SL way, way back.

According to the Encarta online dictionary ‘evoke’ means to “stimulate memories from the past”, “cause reaction or feeling” or “cause something to appear”. Of those three, the second definition most obviously applies to driving the Evoke. And surprise and pleasure are the relevant reactions or feelings... Often a combination of the two.

Firstly, you’ll only take a few seconds to notice just how much quieter the new car is than its predecessor. That applies to road noise, but most obviously to the engine. The old SIDI 3.0-litre V6 emitted some harsh and unappealing sound effects into the cabin (Holden engineers call them “trashy notes”), but they have been quelled.

The Evoke’s still not whisper-quiet by any stretch, but it is a nicer noise now.

Then there is the way the 3.0-litre and the 6L45 six-speed automatic transmission now combine. The new Global A electrical architecture has allowed the software to be re-calibrated and the relationship between the two to be smoothed out, delivering a feeling of higher quality and better response, even if 5kW has been sacrificed along the way.

And that 43kg overall weight chop also helps make the Evoke feel livelier under the throttle than its predecessor. The car is also livelier on its feet, in part thanks to the arrival of electric assist power steering, but also to a revised FE1 – or Touring – suspension set-up to go with it.

Holden’s chassis gurus have tuned the EPAS (which combines with a linear ratio rack rather than the VE’s variable ratio) to be much sharper immediately off centre. That necessitated a stiffening of the suspension to keep body control and steering in phase.

The result, admittedly on Holden’s own ride and handling circuit, is very impressive. The initial dead zone of the hydraulic steering turning off top dead centre has gone, and the body’s tendency to uncertainly keel over has been banished too.

It’s not so much making a bad car good, but making a well-tuned car even better.

Rolling on Bridgestone 225/60 R16 rubber, the way the Evoke points, transitions its weight and sticks to the road is confidence inspiring and enjoyable. It is one of those cars that really interacts and communicates with the driver.

The EPAS system is an outstanding example of the breed and should allay the fears of the traditionalist that the end of hydraulic steering signals the end of ‘feel’.

There’s another aspect of the Evoke that is a surprise and pleasure and that’s the interior. Gone is the dark, slabbed interior of the VE, replaced by a sweeping modern dashboard with an eight-inch monitor at its centre.

The interior is fitted out in a level of trim that is better than you would expect from an entry-level car. It looks good, seems to work well based on our limited exposure and adds to the Commodore’s already well-known interior ace – acres and acres of space.

We’re surprised and pleased by the VF Commodore Evoke – but you might have already figured that out. We think some buyers will be too.

>> First Drive -- VF Commodore SS
>> First Drive -- VF Commodore Evoke
>> First Drive -- VF Commodore Calais V
>> First Drive -- VF Commodore SV6 Ute
>> Along for the ride: In a very small way motoring.com.au played its part in the VF