- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
5.7i, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
245kW, 465Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 10.5L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2003 Holden Caprice review: All the frills
Your average Statesman/Caprice buyer has quite conventional priorities
Good: A great touring car, especially four up. As much performance as you will ever need. Improved dynamic ability and driving enjoyment. Excellent brakes. Ride. Luxuriously comfortable, supportive seats. Space. Headlights.
Bad: Interior decor may be too vaudeville for some tastes. Primitive four-speed auto. Poor radio reception. Too many screens and buttons on the dash. Thirsty in town. Front suspension transmits a bit of road shock. Commodore fit and finish quality.
Verdict: Goes the distance.
Stars: Four (out of five).
Your average Statesman/Caprice buyer has quite conventional priorities. He (they're all blokes) is probably a chops and three veg man. He wants maximum metal and muscle for his dollars. Four cylinders are at least two too few. He wants outright size, for practicality, for comfort and for its association with status.
And, most important, he wants an Australian car. He's not interested in your squeezy, gutless, complicated Continental jobbies that cost a motza to service and fix.
Some (let's call them the duck confit eaters) would reply that paying $72,990 for a stretched Commodore specifically, the top of the line 5.7-litre Gen III V8 WK Caprice is ridiculous.
They would, with some justification, point to the long list of comparably priced Europeans as evidence, along with the fact that, in certain areas, the engineering in Commodore and its long-wheelbase derivative is in the antique class.
The WK Statesman/Caprice is based on the WH, which appeared in 1999 and revived the badge's fortunes. Holden will export 11,000 WKs, badged as the Chevrolet Caprice, to eight Middle Eastern countries this year, more than double the number sold locally.
New sheetmetal gives the WK a more athletic, contemporary appearance which, in the Caprice, reflects Holden's search for younger buyers. Holden claims that the edgier styling has also contributed to improved aerodynamic stability.
Both variants get the structural, suspension and steering tweaks introduced last year on the VY Commodore. The Caprice's quest for the fountain of youth is further evident in a more aggressive mechanical package. It has a 245kW version of the Gen III, progressive rate front dampers, a lower stance with stiffer springs and 17-inch alloy wheels shod with 225/50 tyres.
Some of these modifications are a response to Holden's Middle Eastern experience, which totals more than 40,000 sales to date. Its customers there are similarly all male. They drive fast and hard, in conditions often tougher than ours.
The Caprice also reflects a worldwide trend in luxury sedans, which has seen dynamic ability increasingly taking precedence over a limousine ride. The Germans are trying (with mixed results) to deliver both with adaptive suspensions; Holden must rely on less costly, conventional means.
Restyled along VY Commodore lines, the Caprice's paddock-sized interior has lots of extra twinkly bits and high-gloss surfaces to reflect its youthful aspirations. Holden calls it the technical look. (Don't know about that interpretation. An Audi interior says technical. The Caprice's doesn't. Carlotta hits the Casbah is closer to the mark. Minimalist it ain't.)
There are plenty of things to play with. The hero feature is a rear-seat DVD player, with two screens mounted in the front seat head restraints, plus headphones so, while the movies are on behind, the front occupants can listen to the in-dash six-stack CD audio system.
Sumptuous leather upholstery, matching beige shag pile, power everything, cruise control, automatic air, park assist, front and side airbags, active front seat head restraints and Holden Assist are also standard.
Holden has played with calibrations to improve the tractability and refinement of the Gen III V8 with each model. The 245kW version is a sweet touring engine. It purrs along at 1600rpm at 100kmh in fourth, drives the Caprice from 0-100kmh in a rapid 6.9 seconds and on the highway uses relatively little fuel.
Power and torque (now 465Nm at 4000rpm) are sufficient for any situation; a full-length twin exhaust provides a lovely sound.
The ancient General Motors hydraulic auto is well off the pace in shift speed, smoothness and responsiveness but, behind the Gen III, four ratios are enough. At least it no longer feels like it's about to eject itself from underneath the car when it kicks down a couple of gears.
The stretched Commodore has always been a fine open road car, with Holden's local knowledge able to deliver an excellent ride/handling package for our less than perfect roads.
In tautness and composure, the WK steps up a notch with better control over body movement and more tactile, precise steering. At shopping centre speeds, though, the steering is very heavy.
I tested the WK straight after an S350 Benz, a more disciplined, responsive handler. But at speed on a NSW country road there is not much in it. The Caprice is now an enjoyable, as opposed to a merely competent, drive.
Some suspension thump and bump is evident at the front, which you can also feel at the wheel; the ride remains comfortable and compliant, though the trade-off for firmer springs is a greater awareness of the road surface.
The brakes display strong resistance to fade, and are also very good in power and pedal feel. At night, new projector beam headlights throw a deep, wide, brilliant light.
New front seats (power adjustable, except for manual lumbar, with three memory positions for the driver) have firmer padding, greater adjustment and a stronger frame for the backrest.
The driver's seat is superb on a long journey; plenty of height and reach adjustment for the wheel also makes it easy to tailor precisely the driving position.
On the test car, however, interior fit and finish looked was fine until closer scrutiny revealed the typical Commodore gaps and rough edges.
Some wind noise was apparent around the driver's door window, indicative of less than perfectly fitted seals.
The Caprice has inherited from GM sibling Saab a pair of tricky cup-holders in the dash. Its recessed instruments, though legible and logical, are pure retro, with fine, condensed fonts just like your uncle's HR Premier from the 1960s.
A large systems display screen atop the central air vents is supplemented by another under the instruments. Add the optional VDO Dayton sat nav screen and you're flat out keeping your eyes on the road. This is not helped by far too many audio buttons.
Radio reception, particularly the AM band, is hopeless, a problem which has arisen since VY Commodore, when Holden switched suppliers from Eurovox to Blaupunkt.
The trip computer resets everything at once, which makes little sense, and the cruise control requires you to take your right hand off the wheel to adjust.
Shaped for two and as comfortable as they come, the rear seat has unlimited room. The DVD player works. The kids sat in the back and watched Mission Impossible on a long highway run. (I listened to it; Tom Cruise got paid a lot for saying very little in that flick.) Each rear seat has a drop-down illuminated mirror in the roof, where a separate audio function/volume console is also fitted.
There are acres of floor space in the shallow boot and a large porthole in the back seat extends capacity. A mat, gloves and cloth are provided to keep you clean when fitting the full-sized spare.
The WK Caprice, now with a serious rival in Ford's new BA-based LTD, excels where the long-wheelbase Holdens always have on the open road. If you spend a lot of time there, especially with passengers, you'll do it in almost decadent comfort, with effortless cruising ability and more involving, rewarding dynamics. As the kilometres add up, so the price makes sense.
Vital signs
Holden Caprice
Engine: 5.7-litre eight-valve fuel-injected V8.
Power: 245kW at 5600rpm (above average).
Performance: 0-100kmh in 6.9 seconds (quick).
Brakes: Discs with ABS (good).
Economy: 10 litres/100km highway (good); 16-20 city (thirsty)
Prices: Recommended retail -- $72,990; 3.8 V6 $68,250. Street price -- Fairly tight supply at present, but there will be room for negotiation as the competition Ford's new LTD rolls into showrooms.
Main options: Satellite navigation $3800; sunroof $2050; 18-inch alloy wheels $2150.
Warranty: Three years/100,000km (average).
Residual value: 53 percent after three years (below average).
Safety rating: Not tested, but VY Commodore scores four stars out of five in ANCAP tests.
Alternatives:
Ford LTD 5.4 -- $72,070
Prices and details correct at publication date.