KEY POINTS:
Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) is best known for making large, loud performance sedans. But it hasn't always been the case that bigger meant better.
While the company's Commodore sedan-based products have always been warmly received, long-wheelbase vehicles such as the Statesman/Caprice-based Grange has been a bit iffy in the past. That's because the base stock was a bit iffy to start with - previous long-wheelbase Holdens have been a bit cut-and-shut and not terribly appealing.
The new long-wheelbase WM should be a different story.
For a start, it looks cool, whereas the previous WL-series looked like a Commodore with an extra bit welded into the chassis. And it's good to drive, which means HSV has had some good base stock to work with.
Here's the result - the WM Grange, a $97,900 monster that serves as the sedan flagship of the HSV line-up. While about $100k is a lot of money for a hot Holden, local boss Peter Keley reckons it offers good value compared with some of the competition: "The Grange is everything the New Zealand buying public expect from a car wearing the HSV badge, at a price that will make European competitors blush."
HSV's latest mission is to make its cars more clearly distinguishable from the equivalent Holden product. While the Grange is a good deal more subtle than the likes of the smaller GTS, there's still a good deal that's different from the regular Caprice.
The front fascia and rear bib are unique to the HSV car, there's much more chrome work around the glass areas, and a diffuser is fitted at the back with a discreet spoiler and four exhaust pipes. Nineteen-inch wheels come as standard.
Under the bonnet, the 6.0-litre 307kW/550Nm V8 engine has been carried over from other HSV models, albeit with revised management programmes. The brake system features hardware built by British specialist AP Racing and a tuned-for-HSV anti-lock and stability control system.
The Grange also picks up the Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) damping system from the smaller GTS sedan, with "luxury" or "performance" settings.
The interior features unique Grange leather seats, a special instrument cluster and all the tricks from the Caprice base car, including rear headrest-mounted DVD screens.
What'll it do? Take up a lot of road if you get out shape, since the WM is still a massive car. But you're unlikely to get into trouble in the Grange because it's also an accomplished machine. Performance is massive, but the even with the stiffer HSV suspension set-up, the extremely rigid WM platform ensures that the car's chassis remains well-controlled even through bumpy corners.
The HSV-specific stability control is a nice piece of work as well, allowing you to explore the car's dynamics safely without stepping in to stop play until quite late in the piece.
Unless you're the chief executive officer of an Australian-owned corporation who wants to drive a top-of-the-line sedan but stay True Blue, the Grange is still likely to be of marginal interest in New Zealand.
The Commodore-based HSVs are still plenty big enough for the family, faster and better handling.
But the fact the new Grange is so accomplished shows just what strong base stock that VE/WM platform provides.
