First Drive: 2011 Holden VE Series II SS V8 Ute Menghadirkan
First Drive: 2011 Holden VE Series II SS V8 Ute
2011 is a very special year for two icons of Australian automobile. On the one hand, it is the 50th anniversary of the first purpose-built permanent raceway Queensland: Lakeside Park. It also marks the 60th anniversary of FX Holden Utility, a vehicle widely considered by fans to be the ancestor of the Aussie home grown "ute". In recognition of these historic occasions, we took a Holden VE Ute SS Series II for a test drive and headed north to attend the first of the three events of the 50th anniversary of Lakeside. The first part of this feature will cover my impressions of the Ute, while the second part will take in the event itself. So let's get cracking.
Overview
The Ute VE is already an attractive vehicle and SS canopy this is complete with 18-inch alloys, front fog lights and a lowered sport suspension. With its 6.0 L V8 SS is certainly powerful, but it is also safe with a 5 star ANCAP maximum thanks to its six airbags and electronic stability control.
Our particular car also came with Active Fuel Management Holden (AFM) system - essentially cylinder deactivation -. And an automatic transmission 6spd
The VE Ute is based on the same floorplan as the sedan Commodore and, as such, is quite a long vehicle. It is not noticeable on the road, but from the outside or the parking, it is becoming increasingly obvious, especially if you are used to drive subcompacts. On the positive side, there is a lot of storage space in the plateau region and the front legs is more than enough.
Inside Scoop
front seats forward, the SS Ute is sedan. The benches are favorable, without being restrictive and even a big guy like me had no trouble getting in and out. The steering wheel is large and fleshy, and covered SS, leather-wrapped to boot. The center console is logically laid out with multifunction touch screen Holden iQ system up and air conditioning controls thoroughly. The SS comes with dual zone climate control and everything about the system is intuitive and easy to use.
The driver's seat is electrically adjustable portion (up and down and tilt), but you still requires manually slide forward and settle the matter . It is normal, although personally I would have preferred an approach all or nothing. The interior is made of high quality materials and is very well established and there is the usual package-board computer, cruise control and steering wheel controls - quite standard in this day and age. I do not have too much to say about the iQ system except that it forces you to break through the screen prompts rather than the type, which can be frustrating sometimes. It can also be a bit annoying on the move, but you can set it to lock some functions. Overall, I am quite impressed with the simple and intuitive way, it can be.
One thing I found disappointing was the sound system, which is very thin and not at all fitting with the character of the SS. In a car that can cost over $ 45,000 AU, I expected a little more in this department.
The rear tray area is quite large compared to Australian standards and there is enough space for fishing rods, surfboards, camping gear or that you'll put it in there. It also has a nice sturdy surface non-stick like a Teflon frying pan that I thought was very good.
On The Road
The trip to Lakeside Park Raceway covered driving through the suburbs, downtown and rural roads, and a trip up the highway. In fact, it is surprisingly refined and relaxed performance even more intense driving conditions. The ride was as good, if a bit bouncy on bad surface roads. This is however far from being unique to the SS, and said all provided a good mix of both sportiness and comfort.
I find the AFM cylinder deactivation system to be totally non-invasive and strangely imperceptible. The SS is happy humming at 2500 rpm, even at 100 km / h on the highway. Validate is very good and management has a heavy fine - even deliberately - sensation. On winding roads back around Pine Rivers Shire SS was a real pleasure to drive.
The transmission 6sp moves smoothly and correctly (ie when I, driving a manual would have changed) and there is even the possibility of manual shift from top to bottom.
All round vision is very good, except in two places: behind (where the view is obstructed by the long rear deck) and on the driver's side. Thank you to the pillars thick B, I found it very difficult to conduct an audit of the shoulder, making the merger a little scary in the circulation. You must rely on the side mirrors, which are on the small size.
In total, the SS Ute was not the boorish, beastly leviathan that I thought it would be. Acceleration is smooth and even, the journey is (mostly) smooth and the V8 is - dare I say - refined. I went with a lot of misconceptions about this car, but it came with a new appreciation for this sexagenarian found automobile.
Concluding Remarks
The Holden VE Ute SS Series II is a very capable, comfortable cruiser. Although lacking in some areas - the sound system and security checks, for example - it is well equipped and comfortable on the road. And AU $ 52,161 in covered 6sp automatic SS, its good value to boot. Except XR8 Ford Falcon - we're still testing -. SS Ute has no other real competitors in the Australian market and these highly sought remains among both craftsmen and amateurs
By Tristan Hankins
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