Carpool: Holden Caprice V V8
Updated local limousine is more refined from the inside, but you wouldn’t know by looking at it
The car: Holden Caprice V V8
The price: from $59,990 plus on-roads
Vital statistics: 6.0-litre petrol V8; 260kW/517Nm; 6-sp auto; RWD; 11.7L/100km and 278g/km CO2.
Why we're driving it: Holden has updated its long-wheelbase Caprice to bring it in line with the all-new VF range. We're driving the flagship V8 model.
Likes: The hushed cabin and softer suspension tune bring new levels of comfort and compliance to Holden's big limousine. The V8 engine works well with six-speed auto. Uncompromised leg and head room for all passengers. Purchase price has been dropped by about $10,000, meaning it now slips under the luxury car tax threshold ($60,316). Standard equipment includes Calais V trimmings plus twin seat-mounted DVD screens, auto-dimming rear mirror and a remote vehicle start system, which cranks over the engine from up to 100 metres away and activates climate control.
Dislikes: Other than new 19-inch alloys, there are no external changes to differentiate the latest Caprice from its predecessor. Some of Holden's weight-saving efforts across the VF range, including the aluminium bootlid and bonnet, haven't been applied to the Caprice. Still no split-fold seats for the new model. The reverse camera is lazily integrated into a chrome strip along the boot lid and the roof-mounted radio antenna takes away from the car's elegance.
Would you buy one?
Not unless I owned a chauffeur business. The latest Caprice offers improved levels of refinement and in-car technology, but a $5000 premium over the Calais V V8 is hard to justify to the everyday person.