8 February 2011
There is no denying the Ute's an iconic piece of Australian motoring heritage and Holden's take on the concept has been serving blue-collar blokes for near on 60 years.
But for many they represent more than just practical transport, anyone whose attended a B&S ball for instance, will attest they're an integral link in the social integration chain for young people in rural Australia.
That work hard, play hard ethos is now engrained in Holden's Ute range more than ever.
High performance models such as the SS or HSV variants now proliferate the range, and Holden push their Ute as the ultimate combination of workhorse practicality and sports car performance.
The newly unveiled VE Ute - shown for the first time in Melbourne last week - is no different, the metamorphosis from sedan to utility has been a far more individual one than with previous Utes.
It's lost none of the VE sedan's aggressive stance, in fact the testosterone fuelled styling is arguably even more muscular than it's four-door namesake.
Macho? It's up there with Alf Stewart.
The Ute's fledgling designer, Warrick Leach, is a country boy at heart and a previous Holden Ute owner, so who better tackle the design of a new model?
Leach, in our opinion has done an excellent job of incorporating signature VE sedan features into the styling, while still giving the Ute a persona all it's own.
From the B pillar forward it is no different than the VE sedan, which has obvious benefits to production, but subtleties such as the hockey stick rear quarter glass, bulged wheel arches, raising beltline and strong body crease all tie in the family resemblance.
But don't think it's merely a slap-dash tweaking of a station wagon's design like previous Ute variants. For a start, the VE station wagon doesn't officially exist, (though the darting eyes and generic "erm, what wagon" response of Holden designer's when questioned told a different story) so there was no wagon starting point for the design. There are actually over 60 body panels unique to the Ute.
Th wrap around taillights are horizontally focused, rather than vertical lamps raided from a station wagon's part's bin, this is a unique concept in Aussie Ute design. The rear number plate position has been recessed into the tailgate; this tidies up the off-centre plate position of the outgoing VU model, as well as stops the tailgate from contacting with tow balls. Three new colours have been added to the VE palate with the Ute's introduction and the agricultural tailgate hinges of old are now finally hidden from view.
The Ute is constructed atop the same modular 'Zeta' platform as the WM Caprice/Statesman long-wheelbase variants, but with additional length added to the rear chassis rails to extend the tray, maximising practicality and maintaining the vehicle's proportions.
The Ute's one-piece body side is among the largest in the world. 100mm longer than the WM models, it is the largest stamped panel in Holden's history.
The tray offers 43 litres of additional space over the VU, which is great for B&S revellers and tradies alike. Well sort of, Holden admit their research shows fewer people are carrying loads in their Ute, perhaps the durable tray liner now standard on all models may go some way in changing that? It does at least mean the reduced maximum payload - attributed to an increase in Kerb mass and rim size across the range - is less of a penalty than first thought.
Thanks to the long wheelbase, interior space is generous. There's enough legroom for plus six-footers to genuinely stretch their legs while 245 litres of useable stowage is available, a 170% increase over the cramped predecessor.
Four models of Ute will be available, the base model Omega, the higher performing SV6, the V8 SS and the range topping SSV.
All models offer Electronic Stability Program (ESP) and tray liner as standard. All but the entry-level Omega receive a Limited Slip Differential (LSD), soft tonneau cover (with dedicated storage), sports suspension and alloy wheels.
Passive safety includes dual front airbags only, no side or curtain airbags are available. Curtain airbags provide a packaging problem when it comes to a utility vehicle in that there is less room to mount the necessary hardware. Whereas the lack of side airbags would seem to be a software calibration issue. The Ute body has specific strengthening components, 77% of which comprise of advanced strength steels to retain body rigidity and comply with Holden's crash performance targets.
A shame time couldn't be spent recalibrating the VE sedan's SRS system so side bags could also be included, though Holden have reinforced the ute's flanks to minimise cabin deformation, should a side impact occur.
At the top end of the range the SSV version demonstrates how far the ute has progressed from it's farm hand beginnings, offering goodies like 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, sport profile steering wheel, projector headlamps and a 6.5" LCD multi-info screen.
Drivetrains are carried over from the VE sedan range, but with less manual gearbox options.
Holden New Zealand suggest only 3 percent of Ute sales in this country are manuals, hence their decision to focus on self-shifters. It would seem - unlike sedan buyers - manual Ute buyers exist at the higher end of the market. Only the top spec SSV offers the manual six-speed as standard. Keep an eye out for our drive impression after the press get thier first taste behind the wheel in September.
Here in New Zealand, the Commodore ute does enjoy a cult status. With improved practicality, aggressive looks and assured driving dynamics, Holden's latest is sure to build on the impressive 63% dominance it enjoys in the car-based ute market.
And we don't even have B&S balls.