HSV Senator 2010 Review

HSV Senator

Road Test

Price Guide (recommended price before statutory and delivery charges): $83,490
Options fitted to test car (not included in above price): Nil
Crash rating: Five-star ANCAP
Fuel: 95 RON PULP
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 14.5
CO2 emissions (g/km): 345
Also consider: FPV GT-E

About our ratings

HSV's E2 Series brought about one of the most significant (and controversial, depending on who you talk to) changes to the way its high performance large cars look. Except for the perhaps this vehicle, the Senator.

While the ClubSport and GTS models display brazen front and rear end styling cues that ensure they'll never be mistaken for garden variety Commodores, the Senator will appeal to drivers who want the performance, but perhaps not the visual drama of its stablemates.

It still gets a low stance, sports body kit, rectangular exhausts and large 19-inch alloy wheels, but there's no high-rise rear wing. At a glance it can easily blend into the background -- which can sometimes be a good thing.

Like all good V8 performance cars, there's a satisfying 'whomp' when you turn over the engine for the first time, and it must be said that the cabin is nicely outfitted. Like all VE-based cars the interior is already looking a little dated (watch out for a touch-screen update to Commodores and HSVs soon), but it's a comfortable car with good seat support and intuitive controls and decent ergonomics in the most part.

As the standard-bearer of luxury in HSV's regular-wheelbase range, some of the switchgear could do with a revamp and dash plastics aren't as plush as those used by cross-town rival FPV...

At the same token, if you drop the hammer the HSV Senator comes alive like a dozing myna bird startled by a wayward shoe.

Holden Special Vehicles reckons the Senator will reach 100km/h from rest in about 4.9sec. We couldn't get anywhere near that figure (about half a second off) but at full throttle the Senator is anything but diplomatic. The rear ends squats momentarily as power fights with the traction control, the car shooting forward like it's late for a crucial upper house hearing. Turn the electronic nannies off, however, and you'll be greeted with sounds, smells and sensations that are usually found on the racetrack.

As any fan of big-bang rear-wheel-drive muscle cars from the GM family will know, the current HSV E2 Series are powered by a 6.2-litre 16-valve V8 engine. It's a fairly low-tech design by modern standards -- no direct injection, only two valves per cylinder and you can forget dual overhead camshafts -- but out in the real world the engine is immensely powerful and relatively refined.

Peak power of 317kW arrives at 6000rpm while maximum torque of 550Nm hits at 4600rpm. Though this figure's higher for a large displacement engine there's more than enough low-mid-rev poke to keep the HSV trundling along should you feel the need to conserve fuel.

A lot of HSVs are used by owners as everyday drives, and while this particular model with its large engine isn't ideally suited to stop start commuter traffic (though the automatic gearbox does make it simpler), it's very happy to cruise at the legal limit on the highway, supping petrol at a not-too-offensive 9.0L/100km or below.

Claimed overall consumption for the combined cycle is 13.9L/100km which I find hard to believe, as in heavy traffic it chugs down more than 20L/100km. But really, if you're looking at buying an HSV, fuel consumption probably isn't going to be a concern.

Taking the big bruiser for an extended drive along winding roads is rewarding, the heavy car's mass somewhat nullified thanks to clever chassis tuning.

Magnetic ride control (MRC) is a nice addition too, allowing drivers to change the car's shock absorber damping rates at the touch of a button. In practice, the car becomes a little stiffer and exhibits less body roll through corners with the system turned on. It does have a noticeable effect on how the car corners -- it's not just a gimmick.

The Senator tips into corners eagerly and unless you're pushing the car to within an inch of its limit it doesn't understeer too much. That said, if you do enter a corner with too much pepper and have to dial in more steering lock the car has a tendency to push wide through corners.

By and large the HSV Senator can be hurried along without too much trouble. If things really do go pear-shaped you won't have to worry too much (or for too long) as the three-stage stability control system is always ready to help correct driver errors. The three modes are normal, competition, and off.

If hard driving isn't your thing, or you simply don't get the chance to do much of it, the Senator can still perform the duties of a luxurious everyday driver, albeit a thirsty one. Like its donor car, the VE Calais, HSV's Senator is a very spacious vehicle with enough room for five adults and plenty of luggage.

In normal mode ride quality is impressive for a car with 19-inch alloy wheels. I liked that the cruise control has been updated to brake the car automatically on downhill sections too. This comes in very handy in States such as Victoria where speed cameras will only give you a 3km/h threshold before deciding that you're speeding.

For the price you get a fair bit of kit and the performance levels on offer are very impressive. You won't find the build quality of a BMW here, but for the same price you'd be lucky to find anything from Germany or beyond with Senator's blend of interior space and arresting V8 performance.

Though the E2 Series Senator doesn't get as much visual differentiation as its sportier brethren, it gets enough tweaks to make it a better vehicle than its predecessor.

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