HSV Senator 2003 Review

In a nation where politicians are almost universally reviled, it's always seemed weird to me that HSV chose the name it did for the classiest of its Commodore-based line-up: Senator Signature? There is an obvious link between the scrawled mark of a renowned traveller like, say, Mal Colston, and luxuriant, high-class transportation, but the association is far from positive.

So the name is dead strange, but it doesn't stop the Senator Signature being the kind of HSV I should like. It's a little less likely to attract attention than the medical miracle from Queensland who used to occupy a seat and a half in our federal parliament's upper house, which is an excellent start. By HSV standards, the Siggy's exterior adornments are restrained and tasteful.

What's more, the HSV is also obviously more dynamic than your usual sedentary senior politician. HSV's Y Series update includes a handy 5kW power hike for the LS1 V8, the engine which powers almost everything the company builds.

Signature-specific Y Series upgrade highlights are the 19-inch wheel and tyre package (same as the 300kW GTS models), an even more comfort-biased suspension calibration than before (called 'Luxury 3'), and the Premium Brake System, with ventilated and cross-drilled discs and four-piston, red-painted calipers - with HSV logos at every corner.

Less obvious is HSV's desertion of polyurethane reaction injection-moulded plastic for major bodykit components in favour of the material preferred by most manufacturers - injection-moulded polypropylene. Tooling for the polypropylene costs about five times more, according to HSV, but the jump in quality it brings is apparently worth it.

I don't have any problem with the material quality of the Y Series Siggy's stick-on bits. Instead, it's the appearance that I don't like.

There are places where it's just too try-hard and over-detailed. The non-functional vents adjacent to the wheel arches annoy me most. Next in line is the form of the rear valance, which has, in plan view, a pronounced bulge. Looks okay from a distance, but stand close to the car's rear and it's queer.

The nose, on the other hand, isn't on the nose. The design highlight, for me, is the set of whopper five-spoked wheels. They're wonderful looking things and do a great job of emphasising the car's very butch wheel-to-body proportions.

TWR chief designer Neil Simpson and his team, who styled the Y Series range, were aiming for a look to rival certain German brands for sophistication and discretion. With Chris Bangle steadily flame surfacing his way through BMW's model portfolio, you've got to wonder how much longer this will remain HSV's stated aim.

HSV also loves to compare its cars with certain German brands. The latest data to hand, from a survey of 2001 calendar-year customers, apparently indicates that 25 percent of them named a BMW as their first alternative choice. Assuming these respondents actually drove a BMW before choosing to buy an HSV, it would appear that too much finesse, refinement and quality can be a big turn-off.

There's no question that the $80,000 Senator Signature has acceleration that's in another league entirely than, say, the $85,000 525i Executive. Nor is there any doubt that the HSV's brakes have at least the stopping power of any similarly priced BMW. Beyond this, it's laughable.

The difference is evident the moment you slide into the Siggy's heavily bolstered driver's seat. Even when the all-electric adjustable seat is dumped as low as it will go, it's still way too high for a tall driver. It's annoying, and very different from the bespoke driving position ergonomics of your typical BMW.

A further contrast are the HSV's tacked-on volts and oil gauges, perched up there on top of the centre console stack. Don't think you'd find anything that looked like this in a BMW, either.

Then it's time to move on to the dynamics. The Senator Signature does ride a little better than I remembered from earlier 'comfort'-suspended HSVs. And it can't be denied that it does grip the road with great conviction. But does the Siggy have the wonderfully absorbent and totally unflusterable ride of a BMW? No, it does not.

Does it possess the steering feel and precision, the superb chassis balance and responsiveness that BMW regularly delivers? No, it does not. Does the HSV have subtle and refined electronic systems to maintain traction? No, it does not.

The Senator Signature is but a poor duplicate of the genuine A-grade European driving experience. Not that this is likely to upset HSV's loyal audience. Like most other Australians, they probably don't expect honesty from a political figure, even when the Senator in question is a car.