Holden Statesman V6 2007 Review

Road Test

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 4.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

For prospective buyers of Holden's large local limos, the Statesman and Caprice, the decision used to be a simple choice of two engines (V6 or V8) and the level of kit for which you were prepared to pay. The former was the entry level while the latter came with all the fruit -- and plenty of faux wood and chrome.

But in the latest WM range things have changed and now the decision is more about what sort of driving dynamic appeals to you most.

The Statesman is still the entry-level car starting at $58,990 in V6 form with the higher specced Caprice V8 (more here) topping the range at $69,990 but if its cruising comfort you prefer over dynamic handling, then the Statesman should be your choice.

Not that the car lacks a great deal in its dynamics, it is just that it doesn't have the edge of the Caprice. Around town and out on the freeway, the big Statesman simply glides over ruts and bumps with aplomb, courtesy of a nicely compliant suspension with spring and damper rates tuned for comfort rather than speed.

With smaller 17-inch, higher profile tyres than the Caprice, there is more give in the rubber too, which further aids a quality of ride that befits a prestige car. The big electrically adjustable leather trimmed seats offer plenty of comfort and support and the quiet and refined ambience allows you to enjoy the good quality sound from the six-stack CD audio system.

At the same time, however, out on a country C-road, you can push on a bit and the car sits flat on the road with a feeling of solidity and stability not seen in previous generations of Holden's luxury limo. Like the suspension, the steering in the Statesman has a slightly softer edge than the Caprice but it still delivers feel and feedback like no other LWB Holden before.

Inside the capacious and very well finished cabin, there is little noise that penetrates until you start to push the V6 into the higher reaches of the rev band. The 195kW/340Nm Alloytec 3.6-litre V6 is more than capable of getting the big 1.8-tonne Statesman off the line and cruising in a solid fashion but it still doesn't sound as smooth and refined as you might expect from a latest generation powerplant.

And while it does like to rev -- with the mid to top-end range being where the engine needs to be spinning to get the Statesman moving in a more rapid fashion -- the slightly agricultural soundtrack may keep you from pushing too hard, too often.

The transitions through the five-speed automatic transmission are reasonably smooth, although they do become more noticeable under hard throttle. Either way, it doesn't have the silky, seamless shifts under normal operation of the six-speed auto that is mated to the V8 engine.

With its enormous interior and quiet comfortable cruising characteristics, the V6 Statesman simply swallows the kilometres without any fuss, making it a great long distance cruiser whether you are behind the wheel or relaxing in the spacious rear seats.

Against its local Ford rival, it has raised the bar for quality, value and driveability and will even give a few luxury Euro and Japanese rivals a run for their money.

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