Holden Commodore SS V-Series Redline Sportwagon v Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate 2015 comparison

Holden Commodore SS V-Series Redline Sportwagon v Mercedes AMG C 63 S Estate
Comparison Test

The large Aussie-made wagon may be on the way out but Holden is determined it won't be slinking off with its tail between its legs. It's added a monster 6.2-litre V8 engine to the sporty SS V-Series Redline at a price that says they still understand Aussie family budgets. By contrast, Mercedes-AMG is playing the shrinking game, swapping out its big V8 for a smaller 4.0-litre direct-injection twin-turbo engine. But with the Euro model costing three-times the price of the Holden, we had to ask the question: Is it three times the car? Let the Wagon Wars begin!

While SUVs continue to cannibalise the global car market, a pocket of resistant drivers remains resolutely committed to the sporty wagon. Offering similar flexibility and interior space to medium SUVs, the wagon is a great option for drivers looking for better dynamics and road holding from their load lugger.

We lined-up two of the best performance wagons available in Australia to go toe-to-toe, but a catch: there's a $100,000 price difference between the pair!

At $157,010 (plus ORCs) the Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate would need to be something special. And it is, in a technological whizz-kid kind of a way. Yet its competition for this test, the Holden Commodore SS V-Series Redline Sportwagon is hardly a dunce itself.

In fact if this were purely a head versus heart decision, then the Holden's $58,190 (plus ORCs) price tag should see it head the class – nowhere else in the car market can you buy such an all-round accomplished performance car for the price.

For a shade under $60k Holden says the SS V-Series Redline is the quickest production Commodore ever built. It claims a 0-100km/h time of 4.9sec.

Its new 6.2-litre V8 generates 304kW and 570Nm. Those are impressive numbers but are unsurprisingly bettered by the premium Mercedes, which boasts 375kW and a staggering 700Nm from its own twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine.

Our testing took place in country Victoria, with the aim of determining whether our home-grown wagon warrior could shake it with the latest European legend of the autobahn.

V8 Supercar driver, Luke Youlden began by putting put the cars through straight-line testing on the dragstrip at Heathcote Raceway.

On a track that was thickly coated in rubber, both cars were challenged to find good traction, but picking a strip of tarmac off of the racing line, each came into their own. Using the Mercedes dynamic Race setting, Luke set a blistering target in the C 63 S, achieving a 0-100km/h time of 4.39sec, just a touch off the manufacturer's stated time of 4.1.

The SS V-Series Redline arrived at the 100km/h mark a little over a second after the C 63 S, recording a time of 5.51sec, 0.6 off the time Holden says the car should achieve.

In a number of head-to-head drives, we found the performance difference to be consistent – and interesting. Both cars have a similar rate of acceleration from 0-50km/h – the Commodore took 2.82sec while the Mercedes managed 2.57. With comparatively less low-down torque, the Holden better applies its traction in the early stages of acceleration, but beyond that point – and as the cars reached into the taller gears – the Mercedes was able to stretch out a lead, with its twin turbos propelling it into a resounding victory.

Braking performance also favoured the Mercedes, which took 13.27m to brake from 60km/h to a stop compared to a slightly longer 14.27m for the Holden. It's a disappointing result for the Commodore as even though it's a segment size larger than the medium-sized C-Class, its weight is almost the same (1822kg compared to the Mercedes at 1829kg).

Outside of the dragstrip, we found outright power and torque differences were not so noticeable during real-world driving at road speed limits. Both cars assure complete confidence for the driver when accelerating to pass traffic, but the Mercedes' engine response was particularly impressive through third and fourth gear when the turbos kick in to deliver extra torque.

Off the line, the Holden feels slightly less jerky with its traditional torque converter auto, but the multi-clutch transmission in the C 63 S is a big improvement over its predecessor. Once up to speed, it's no contest. The Merc is far more intuitive in Drive and more decisive in manual mode than the Holden.

Both cars deliver in the aural department, sounding the business under acceleration. But it was felt the Mercedes generated a more manufactured exhaust note, where the Holden bi-modal exhaust sounded more authentic, like the last generation of big Mercedes V8s. The blip to the throttle through change down on both cars brought a smile to the face during spirited driving, where these cars come into their own.

Both cars handled well on a combination of road surfaces, with little cabin noise evident in either. Dynamically, however, we did experience some compromises in the Mercedes.

On exploring the Mercedes' range of dynamic options which include Comfort, Sport and Sport+, we felt that Sport and Sport+ were too harsh for rolling hills and bumpy surfaces. Sport setting feels very choppy, and while it works well when hooking the car into corners, it is too stiff and jarring while cruising on long open country roads. Even in comfort mode, the Mercedes had a tendency to feel bouncy on hilly terrain. One can imagine it is perfectly at home at 270km/h on a dead straight, newly ironed strip of German highway but its taut suspension shows up all the lumps and bumps of Australia's infamous country roads.

Slipping behind the wheel of the Sportwagon on the same roads was like coming home. While the Holden doesn't feel as tight and lithe as the Mercedes does in cornering, it does literally feel like it is made for our roads – which of course it is. It coasted through the same bouncy roads, with its home tuned suspension absorbing most lumps and bumps. Driving the Holden, the roads became more pleasant, but while the drive was just as enjoyable, it wasn't quite as exhilarating as the Mercedes.

The controls of the C 63 S feel lighter than the Holden, with steering strong, well-weighted and accurate, and although the Sportwagon did instil confidence it isn't as refined or subtle in its feel as the Mercedes with steering a little less responsive. That difference was also evident in braking which was similarly strong in both cars, yet somewhat lighter in the Mercedes.

The differences continued across the cabins, with the AMG's quality several leagues above that of the Holden, as you'd expect for your money. The seats are welcoming and fully adjustable including the ability to alter side bolsters to cosset or relax depending on how you set them. The control interface of the Mercedes' COMAND system is intuitive and straightforward to use compared to Holden MyLink, which although it features some app connectivity, already feels somewhat outdated and clunky.

Technology is seriously impressive including radar cruise control, 360-degree camera, steering assist and collision prevention including autonomous emergency braking.

One advantage of the simpler cabin layout of the Holden is that it's much simpler to jump into the Holden, slot drive and go. The Mercedes requires some acclimatisation but once you're accustomed, and you understand that all the buttons are optional, then the Merc can be just as easy.

It's a surprise that the C 63 S is almost as heavy as the Sportwagon as it feels more agile overall, that one size smaller dimension translates to a car that shrinks into the road and belies its weight, the Commodore proving itself more cumbersome through narrow back roads. Yet even though the Mercedes is not classified as a large car, its interior dimensions impress with its 490-litre cargo capacity just six litres smaller than the Sportwagon's capacious rear.

In a straight comparison, the Mercedes beats the Holden hands down, losing out on only load space and ride quality. But its $150k-plus price tag ensures it will only be an option for a few lucky drivers. At a third of the price, however, the Holden Sportwagon is most definitely not one-third of the car.

For drivers that are looking for great performance from a roomy car that can cope with Australia's undulating roads, then the SS V-Series Redline Sportwagon represents exceptional buying. It may lose out on power, torque and overall refinement, but it wins out with that smooth ride.

If you've been promising yourself that one day you'll own a big Aussie V8 then now is the time. The clock's ticking...

2015 Holden Commodore SS V-Series Redline Sportwagon pricing and specifications:
Price: $58,190 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre eight-cylinder petrol
Output: 304kW/570Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.1L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 304g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

2015 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Estate pricing and specifications:
Price: $157,100 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 4.0-litre eight-cylinder twin-turbo-petrol
Output: 375kW/700Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed multi-clutch
Fuel: 8.7L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 202g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP