2007 Holden Epica – Korean Goodness
Previously when we wrote a bit about the Holden Epica, it caused a little bit of a storm, readers argued amongst themselves as to why Holden continues to bring out Korean made vehicles with a Holden badge stuck on. Anyway, last friday at the Brisbane International Motorshow, the Epica was unveiled, and my god was it ugly!
The Epica which goes on sale in early April 2007, will be available in two variants (CDX and CDXi) with a choice of either a 2.0 or 2.5-litre in-line six cylinder engine, depending on the model. At the motorshow, GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director Denny Mooney was there entertaining us with his Texan accent and trying to convince us that the Epica would offer outstanding value for money, an extremely refined drive and fuel economy comparable to a four cylinder car.
Firstly, if I can point out the obvious, for many years now Holden has been going on about how In-Line six engines are inferior to their V6 engines, obviously a stab at Ford's Falcon which is competing directly with Holden's own Commodore. But of course when you start sourcing cars from Korea, you really have no choice in the engine, so if its in-line its good!
Holden still hasn't released any actual pricing figures, but specifications are a little cleared now. A five-speed manual or automatic transmission will be offered depending on model. Whilst a respectable fuel economy (ADR081/01) of 8.2 litres/100km for the 2.0-litre manual variant and 9.3 litres/100km for the 2.5-litre automatic.
“Epica’s in-line six cylinder engine delivers a very refined and smooth ride and returns better fuel economy than some of the four-cylinder rivals in the mid-size sedan segment.
It has generous interior space, excellent standard specifications and stylish fit and finish. We believe Epica will suit the value end of the mid-size sedan segment but will also be a great alternative to vehicles right throughout that segment.” Mr Mooney said.
Its obvious that these engines are designed for Korean cars, a simple comparison between this car the Toyota's new Aurion would show a few things, I know the two cars are not in the same class and I am comparing apples and oranges but bare with me for a second.
Toyota's 3.5L engine in the Aurion puts out 200kWs and 336Nm of torque, and has a fuel economy of 9.9 litres. Whilst the 2.5 litre 6 cylinder engine in the Holden Epica puts out 115kW of power and 237Nm of torque whilst using 9.3 litres. Hmmm? so Mr Mooney's comments about the epica being refined, are absolute bullocks.
Let me assure all you potential epica buyers, this vehicle is not Australian, it has been given a suspension touch up and a rebadging here in Australia. The actual car is manufactured at GM’s Bupyong plant in South Korea.
Power figures for the two engines are as follows
- 2.0-litre 105kW - 195Nm.
- 2.5- litre 115kW - 237Nm.
The Epica model line up will be:
- 2.0-litre: CDX (manual transmission only)
- 2.5-litre: CDX (automatic transmission only)
An optional pack featuring leather trim (two colour options) will be available on the CDXi.
Holden Epica CDX standard features include:
- 16-inch alloy wheels (15” steel spare)
- front and rear power windows
- cruise control
- air-conditioning
- six-speaker CD audio system (MP3 compatible),
- ABS
- traction control
- front and side airbags for driver and front passenger.
Holden Epica CDXi models include all of the above, plus:
- 17-inch alloy wheels (15” steel spare)
- sports body kit
- climate control air conditioning
- side curtain airbags
- electronic driver information display
- eight-speaker six disc audio system (MP3 compatible)
- front fog lamps
- leather wrap steering wheel and gearshift.
Pricing: For both models it is still not clear as Holden is trying to work out how much the Australian public is willing to pay for their mistakes.
The Epica range will go on sale in April. God help us all.
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