Holden Sportwagon Concept (2007): first official pictures

Sportwagon? Another marketing gimmick?

Somewhat. The final string in Holden’s VE Commodore bow, the long-wheelbase VE estate – wearing the Sportwagon moniker for the first time – aims to change perceptions of the traditional family wagon. So it's out with gaudy cargo carriers and instead, the VE Sportwagon shows off a swooping Chrysler 300C-esque roofline for a sporty look. Holden's boss Chris Gubbey reckoned that ‘practic-al has become practic-cool’. Oh dear.
It does look good though…

It looks very smart, and with a V6-engined Commodore available for less than the equivalent of £18,000 Down Under, and knowing how big the VXR8 is, the Sportwagon will be very good value. Not that the concept was some poverty-spec model. Under the bonnet is a 6.0-litre Corvette engine, although it’s been sent on a 21st century crash diet. Released at a time when Australia’s large-car segment is declining, it’s tuned to run E85 bioethanol and boasts Active Fuel Management. Like Chrysler’s 300C, it shuts down cylinders under light loads to improve fuel economy.