HSV E Series Range Review

Every time HSV brings out a new model the power goes up, but what's up with the latest E Series? Power has increased by only 10kW. There's a big story behind that, and it largely rests around the rest of the car, which is an impressive improvement over the already impressive VE Commodore.

Power is all very well and good, but HSV has used the arrival of the E Series to introduce a world class suspension system. It's called Magnetic Ride Control and it premiered on the Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac XLR. It's also in the new Audi TT and the Ferrari 599 GTB, putting the E Series in some illustrious company.

Essentially, MRC uses shock absorbers filled with a fluid within which tiny metal particles are suspended. When exposed to a magnetic field the metal particles align and the fluid becomes viscous. The greater the magnetic field the greater the effect, allowing an almost infinite adjustment of damping force.

And it works, with the hero model GTS having the ability to switch from excellent ride quality and good handling to pin sharp handling and an extremely sporty feel. The other model in the range to get MRC, the Senator Signature, switches between a comforting ride to a sporty feel similar to the GTS on its softer MRC suspension setting.

The entry level car, the Clubsport R8, gets standard mechanical shock absorbers but don't go thinking that this is a cut price performance car because the suspension tune is very impressive indeed, and at NZ$77,990 for the six speed T65 M10 manual or NZ$78,990 with the six speed 6L80 E auto it's the best bang for your bucks deal in the HSV range.

The GTS comes in at $91,990 for the manual and NZ$92,990 for the six speed auto which makes the auto the most expensive model in the new range. The more modestly styled Senator Signature is available in six speed auto form only, at NZ$91,990.

The 6.0 litre LS2 V8 engine develops 307kW (411 horsepower) but more importantly 550Nm (405 lb ft) of torque, which is enough, Holden claims, for a 0-100km/h time of 4.96 seconds for the manual and 5.04 for the auto. Braking is equally impressive, with the car coming to a halt from 100km/h in just 36 metres, better than the Lamborghini Gallardo tested by car magazine Auto Motor Und Sport, which stopped in 36.7 metres.

A sign that HSV is growing in stature within the GM world is that the rear end differs from that of the VE Commodore by having new, completely different LED taillights, which obviously required a lot of money for retooling.

The idea was to completely differentiate the HSV models from the hotter Commodore models and it works very well, along with the new front grille openings that mark the HSVs out instantly from the Commodore from which they are derived.

The range opens with the Clubsport R8, which has 19 inch alloy wheels, electronic stability control that includes ABS, dual zone climate control, and rear park assist. The Senator adds luxury seats, MRC tuned to a softer ride, rain sensing windscreen wipers and a rear seat overhead DVD player. The GTS adds to the Clubsport spec 20 inch wheels, MRC tuned for sporty handling, and an optional Red Hot leather interior.

Holden New Zealand wouldn't be drawn on aspirations for the new model, except to say that it will hold its own and that the vehicle is intended to attract the sort of people buying European used imports and high priced high performance Japanese used imports.

Given that this new HSV model range mirrors the scale of improvement of the VE Commodore over the VZ that's not an unreasonable conclusion.