OVERSTEER ROAD TEST: Holden Colorado 7
Okay, so the Colorado ute missed the target somewhat, but how about the seven-seat SUV version? It’s got a more sophisticated rear suspensions set up for a start, so it shouldn’t be as crap, right? Turns out that actually IS right! We take the Holden Colorado 7 for a thrash and end up quite liking it.
It’s probably no big secret that we here at OVERSTEER are not big fans of the Holden Colorado ute. It is a sub-par effort from a company that should know far better than to aim for the Toyota Hilux when the goalposts had been so comprehensively moved by two (or three, depending on how you count them) competitors during its development.
The Amarok, Ranger and BT-50 are such superior efforts that the fact hat Holden asks similar money for he Colorado is almost a joke. Except it isn’t funny…
So hopes weren’t exactly soaring high for the seven-seater SUV Holden spun off the ute, rather unoriginally named the Colorado 7.
Outside
Things start off well enough on the outside, with the Colorado 7 being a big, brash, handsome SUV, boasting lots of chrome and tough, macho looks. But then, so does the ute…
The SUV comes off as being slightly better proportioned than the ute and there is a vast abundance of chrome spread liberally around the exterior. The huge chrome grille is the dominant feature and, while the styling does seem to drop in interest levels the further back you get, the overall effort is a successful one.
Inside
Things falter here when you notice the slightly nasty fake leather on the seats and the abundance of hard plastics in the interior.
This is, of course, no real surprise, as the ute was cursed in a similar fashion. But taking a closer look it soon becomes apparent that the SUV has far superior build quality to the ute, with even the hard plastics feeling less flimsy and fragile.
In fact, the whole interior feels far superior to the ute, making it – rather surprisingly – into a fairly pleasant place. No, the leather isn’t nice and the dash plastics are hard, but the is a feeling of robustness that is desperately lacking in the Colorado uses we have driven.
Under the bonnet
Rather unexpectedly, the Colorado 7 shares the ute’s 2.8-litre 132kW/470Nm four-cylinder turbo Diesel engine. While it is still a rather agricultural, noisy unit, the soundproofing in the 7 again seems superior to the ute.
Wile gruff and most definitely a diesel, the engine is a strong, torquey performer that pulls well on the open road and has exceptionally good low down grunt off the road.
The 2.8 is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission that is capable and well matched to the engine, although it can be a bit slow and rough at times as well.
Dropping things into low ratio to head off road is effortless, with a dial next to the transmission lever with settings for 2WD high, 4WD high and 4WD low. A simple flick of the dial while in neutral is all that is needed to engage 4WD low, while high and 2WD can be switched between on the go.
On the road
Here is where the SUV is a truly vast improvement on the ute. The better soundproofing makes it far more pleasant to be in, but the real hero of the piece is the SUV’s coil-sprung rear end.
Such is the improvement over the ute’s leaf sprung rear axle that you not only feel confident in the 7’s ability to go around a corner, but you can actually begin to enjoy the experience, especially on gravel…
The 7 turns in well for a large SUV and while the steering lacks much in the way of feel, it is not badly weighted. Although there is an odd, very minor vibration use off centre at low speeds.
The rear tracks around corners far better than the ute equivalent, especially in the wet where the ute could be somewhat worrying.
As you will see in the accompanying photos, during our time with the Colorado 7 we took it to he beach. Here it was massive fun, with beautiful, long utterly controllable drifts being the order of the day. If you like that sort of thing, that is…
The ride is also impressive, trading the ute’s jiggly, unsettled rear for a far more compliant, less frantic ride.
Verdict
So it is pretty obvious that the Colorado 7 is a massive improvement over the ute version, but there is one more hurdle it actually struggles to get over; its price.
While the Colorado 7 is a good vehicle indeed, especially if you are serious about going off road, the $66,900 ask for the high-spec (relatively speaking…) LT-Z is a bit hard to swallow, especially as the “luxurious” elements of the up-spec model are the least convincing.
The opposition in the segment (Mitsubishi Challenger and Nissan Pathfinder) are very long in the tooth and both are due for replacement, so for now, the Colorado 7 is the pick. PArticularly if you are willing to get into a bit of hard bargaining with your local Holden dealer. But how long that will last is anyone’s guess…
Holden Colorado 7 Specifications
Price: $66,900
Body type: 5-door SUV
Drive: Four-wheel drive
Engine Type: Inline four-cylinder diesel turbo
Engine Capacity: 2776cc
Max power: 132kW @ 3800rpm
Max torque: 470Nm @ 2000rpm
Fuel Consumption: 9.4L/100km
C02 emission: n/a
0 to 100kph: n/a
Front suspension: Double wishbone
Rear suspension: Five-link
ABS Brakes: Yes
Air Bags: 4
ESP: Yes
Air Conditioning: Manual
Lap/diagonal belts: 7
Satellite Navigation: No
Electric seats: No
Burglar Alarm: Yes
Panic Button: No
Wheel type: 18-inch alloy
