MOTORNETNEWS  ROAD  TEST  -  SEPTEMBER  2007

HOLDEN  EPICA CDX

Holden's decision to source most of its small and medium car range from sister company Daewoo in Korea has been fruitful in that the imports are cheaper than those from Europe and the cars are very well equipped, however, the quality is  not as good and driving and handling are not as sharp as the Euro products.

On the upside the Epica, for instance, is a good looking car, has lots of room, is very well priced and is relatively economical. 

OUTSIDE:

The styling is very corporate Holden and looks not unlike a slightly smaller Commodore. It does look a lot bigger than most medium-sized cars and, apart from the rather high window line and slab sides, is quite attractive. 

The very 'Holden' grille with its large Holden logo dominates the front and the headlights sweep back into the guards that are slightly flared. The wedge styling sweeps up to the high boot line and the rear guards match the flares on the front. Multi-spoke alloy wheels do a fairly good job of filling the wheel arches although the body could perhaps drop a few cms to make it look even better.

The front bumper is quite deep and has an air intake to match the width of the grille plus recesses on each end - probably for the fog/driving lights on the upscale model. The bumper offers fairly good protection except that it does incorporate the grille. At the rear there are parking sensors in the deep bumper and wraparound tail lamps that are quite visible from the sides.

The insulated bonnet has twin gas struts to make it very easy to open and the engine layout is very clean  with good access to the maintenance points. Unfortunately, the ID Plate is mounted on the radiator support panel (an idea that was abandoned by most manufacturers in the 1970s as even a relatively minor nose-to-tail crash will destroy the plate).  The petrol filler is on the right hand side as the Epica is made in a left hand drive country and they haven't bothered to change it. Then again, Holden still persists with a right hand filler for the Commodore!

INSIDE:

The interior of the CDX is very plain  with lots of hard plastic. The upholstery is a nice patterned cloth and the front seats are comfortable and reasonably supportive.  Silver highlights on the dash break up the plasticky feel and chromed speaker rims on the doors, door handles, instrument dial rims, steering wheel spokes and the gear lever surround also help to relieve the monotony.

The 4-spoke steering wheel  has height adjustment only but does have remote buttons for the audio system and cruise control. The instrument cluster  is in a shallow hood that does allow some reflections but the dials are large and clear. The centre of the dashboard is dominated by a large central glove box where the dearer model has and LCD display. Below that is a console with controls for air and audio and these are pretty simple and well marked although they tend to have a cheap 'feel' about them.

Storage of odds and ends is taken car of by the centre dash compartment, a smallish glove box on the left, a padded armrest in the centre with a two-tiered bin, door pockets, an overhead glasses container and two cup holders. The rear armrest also has two cup holders. Each visor has a covered vanity mirror.

Head and leg room is generous in both the front and rear compartments and three adults can quite easily fir across the rear seat. Rear passengers are accommodated quite comfortably too, in fact appreciatively better than those in the rear seats of the Omega Commodore.

LUGGAGE AREA:

The luggage boot is a full, family-sized one and wouldn't be much smaller than the Commodore by the look of it. It is fully trimmed under the lid and there is a recess for closing without having to grasp the outside of the lid. Under the floor is a full sized steel wheel and spare tyre (You don't even get this in a Commodore or Falcon these days). 

The loading lip at the back is quite high - or should I say that the boot is very deep. This means lifting luggage and, of course, the spare wheel and tyre, can be a heavy task. The rear seats split fold to make the luggage area even more versatile and there is an internal release in case you lock yourself in the boot. Obviously a feature to satisfy the litigious Americans!

ON THE ROAD:

The Epica is quite a large car and has only a 115kW, 2.5 litre engine to handle the weight. Coupled with a modest 237Nm of torque the cross-mounted six-cylinder engine provides reasonable performance but could possibly be a bit breathless with five people and a lot of holiday luggage on board. The torque is developed at a low 2600rpm and this does help to give the car a better driving feel in traffic. The engine is quiet as most in-line sixes are and the 5-speed auto transmission is reasonably smooth. 

The ride is OK and handling  and road grip seem about average for the class. The cruise control isn't as precise as it should be and the steering is a bit vague. Obviously Holden's Australian engineers will start to have some more influence on suspension and steering design as the model progresses towards the first facelift. 

PRICE:            $27,990 5-speed auto -  $25,990 5-speed manual (only available with 2-litre 105kW engine) plus on-road costs.

STANDARD:    Dual front & side airbags; ABS brakes; air-conditioning; alarm system; 16" alloy wheels; cruise control; central remote locking; cloth trim; engine immobiliser; power mirrors, steering & windows; 6-speaker audio system with CD player; seat belt pre-tensioners; Traction  Control System.

OPTIONS:        Metallic paint $360.