Road test: Holden Crewman Cross8

By Feann Torr & Peter Maniatis

Holden are truly masters at deriving new models from the same old blueprint, and the new Crewman Cross8 is perhaps the best example of this diversification thus far.

Firstly there was the Commodore sedan and wagon, then the ute hit the scene and after this were the long wheel based versions in the form of the Statesman.

Next up the 2-door Monaro coupe injected some energy to Holden's line-up, followed by the One Tonne ute and then the long-awaited AWD transmission, which made its debut in the go-anywhere Adventra.

Following this, the Australian car maker created the first passenger car-based four-door ute in the form of the Crewman. This lengthy load lugger made use of the One Tonner's leaf-sprung rear end for heavier loads, and was aimed at those who had historically purchased Japanese king and crew cab utes, like the Mitsubishi Triton or the Nissan Navara.

The one thing that Holden's crew cab ute had over its Japanese rivals was a big and boofy V8 engine - but to put the icing on the cake, the automaker has now added its AWD CrossTrac system to the Big Bertha ute, officially called the Crewman Cross8.

Make: Holden
Model: Crewman Cross8
Price: $51,990
Transmission: 4 speed auto
Engine: 5.7-litre, 16-valve, Vee-eight cylinder
Fuel Consumption: City cycle - N/A, Highway cycle - N/A
Seats: 5
Safety: Front driver and passenger SRS and thorax airbags, ABS, EBD, ABD

Drive

Holden Crewman Cross8

The first thing we noticed when sidling up to the Crewman Cross8 was its size. It's long - so very, very long. 5323mm in fact, which makes its the longest locally-built Holden.

This can pose a few problems in regards to reverse parking and even fitting the massive ute in the garage, but at the same token actually driving the thing was largely problem free.

Cranking up the big 351 cubic inch V8, one wonders where Holden would be without the de-tuned truck engine.

It starts every time with a slight wobble as it squirms in its engine mounts, and though the exhaust note has been severely muted, you can still feel the rise and fall of the 8 pistons as you flex your right foot.

Before we did any performance testing, such as measuring the grip levels from the 17-inch wheels round tight corners, we wanted to see how the long and lardy Cross8 held up off the beaten track.

Having already sampled Holden's new CrossTrac AWD system on the Adventra - and being quite impressed by its functionality - we found a nice and bumpy dirt access track and gave the Cross8 a good prod.

The Cross8 reacted well to the loose surface - though not quite to the Adventra's standard. It's longer wheelbase doesn't do it any favours on unsealed, gravelly roads, but it still manages good levels of traction, and on drenched bitumen it grips the road superbly.

The Cross8 tips the scales at 1947kg, which while heavy, isn't too bad for a five-seater utility that can tow a house. The ute will carry some 738 kilograms of cargo before the suspension implodes, and its towing capacity is rated to 2500kg.

The Cross8 tackled light duty offroading with aplomb, but heading into boggy, muddy areas was something we couldn't do. While the big 4x4 crew cab ute doesn't mind getting a little muddy, it's no Toyota Landcruiser.

The Cross8 is easy to drive, despite its huge 5.3 metre length

Like the Adventra, we were more than impressed with Holden's AWD setup on the Cross8. The 38:62 front-rear torque bias maintains a rear wheel driving feel with the stickiness and control that AWD affords on bitumen. Of course, the downside to this setup is that burnouts and giant-sized doughnuts are out of the question.

Borrowing another Adventra feature, the Cross8 rides higher than its trio of RWD Crewman siblings in standard, S and SS guises.

This gives it a bit more flexibility in climbing hills and venturing off road - and isn't that what these new fangled crossover vehicles are all about?

The brakes felt pretty solid underfoot, and are comprised of 302mm vented discs fore, and 286mm solid discs aft. ABS, ABD (Automatic brake differential) and EBD (Electronic brake force distribution ) also make the cut.

On the blacktop the Cross8 didn't feel as rapid as other V8-powered Holden products, and body roll round corners won't do it any favours with the Gran Turismo brigade. The leaf-sprung rear suspension gave the rear end a less grounded feel round sweeping corners, but Holden's assertion that this thing drives like a sedan is pretty close to the mark. Had they said sports sedan...

Engine

Between those wheels sits a big 5.7-litre V8

By now most of our regular readers will have perused quite a few 'Engine' sections regarding the The Canadian-built Generation III Chevrolet small-block.

Sure, it's not a particularly advanced donk by today's standard - 2-valves per cylinder? - but when you're displacing almost 6.0-litres it matters little.

But therein lies the one problem - it's a thirsty V8. Fuel economy is pretty rough in the Cross8, as the AWD Cross Trac system saps slightly more fuel than the RWD models. We averaged around 15 litres of fuel for every 100km travelled when trying to be frugal, and hit as much as 22 litres/100km when loaded up and flooring throttle.

The engine cranks out impressive levels of torque, even in this lower 225 kilowatt level of tune, and the whole 2.0 tonne beast motivates remarkably well.

Thanks to the AWD transmission, the usually weak bottom end of the 5.7-litre V8 was equalised, and standing starts were pretty rapid for a car of this size.

We even gave a couple of young whipper snappers in their ludicrously modded turbo Nissan Silvia/200SX a run for their money.

Vital statistics are as follows: The all-alloy 5667cc V8 has gear driven overhead valves (or pushrods), two valves per cylinder, a 10.1:1 compression ratio and a 68.5-litre fuel tank. Power generated is 225kW @ 5200rpm, and 460Nm of torque hits @ 4000rpm.

Exterior

Holden has done a ripper job with the styling

In our opinion, the design team at Holden are doing some mighty fine work lately, and we can't wait to see what the VZ brings, followed by the VE Commodore and its offshoots in 2006.

The higher stance, flared wheel arches, 17-inch alloys and aggressive body work are subtle and tasteful enough to drive the ute out on the town for a romantic dinner.

At the same time, these features provide a purposeful appearance, letting others know it is just as at home bouncing around a worksite lugging a gang of workmates and their kit.

Alloy accents on the side skirts and bash plates are largely superficial, but lend the ute an outdoorsy demeanour nonetheless and while not exactly cutting edge, the overall shape of the Cross8 is still quite pleasing to the eye.

A definite head turner on the street, the Cross8 commands a second look from anyone excited about local product, and the xenon globe-equipped headlights and jewelled brake lights add a touch of sophistication to proceedings.

Interior

Inside the Cross8 looks much like any other large Holden vehicle and the standard VY series II internal fit-out makes this rugged 4x4 feel like an old friend with a spiffy new haircut.

The sports-inspired interior is far from dull

The hugging front sports seats are ergonomic and treat backs and bums well on long journeys and the supportive pews matched well with the purposeful nature of the Cross8.

Rearward vision wasn't brilliant, but anyone whose driven utes before will have no problems.

The roll and pitch meters provided some initial interest and were quite entertaining as they bobbed around - after a while, though, you find yourself trying to calibrate them more than rely on them for your angle when descending steep grassy embankments.

A matching sports steering wheel with chunky bits to hold on to provides for better than average feedback from the road below you, and the idea of conquering far flung lands in this thing would be quite comfy for the front occupants.

The rear seats being one of the key selling features of the Cross8 certainly provide function. Taxiing the kids on the weekend doesn't require a second car, and that cost saving alone may justify a Cross8 for families who need a workhorse too.

Although short on leg room and comfort, the rear seats certainly proved a winner with our test drive family - the trip to the local 'tip' kept all and sundry entertained for a Sunday afternoon, and the child restraint anchorage points compliment.

And the stereo was more than up to the job of cranking out the latest Wiggles tunes, being a 6-disc in-dash CD changer and 80 watt, 6-speaker Blaupunkt stereo.

There is enough room for a trio of young children, or perhaps two teenagers, but don't expect Wazza and his buddies to want to come with you on a long road trip up the Hume. Shoulder room for three is okay, but leg room is in short supply.

Safety hasn't been skimped on, as there are four airbags to reduce the impact of an accident. Both the driver and front passenger get SRS airbags, while front side (thorax) airbags are also fitted. The lack of curtain airbags for rear occupants is a bummer, but then few V8-powered vehicles under $52,000 have them anyway.

Overall: 3.5/5

Holden's Crewman Cross8 is a great idea, and does everything it claims to do - though interior room for the rear passengers is far from ample.

The Cross8 is but the first outing for such an idea, and over time it will tweaked and improved - but even as it stands the vehicle is hard to write off. It can haul heavy loads, transport up to five passengers, has AWD and is backed up with a truck-like small-block V8, yet rides and handles like your everyday sedan, rather than a heavy-duty ute.

But is it worth more than 50-large, and would we recommend it over other crew cab utes, of which Holden sells another model, the Rodeo? The Cross8's ride and handling are streets ahead of the largely utilitarian crew cabs on offer, and though we agree that this new design has so many benefits, some buyers may be dictated by cost and opt for a Japanese built crew cab instead.

In general, Holden have excelled themselves once again in innovative design and function. They have taken the original Australian concept of a ute to a new level. Mum, and now the kids can all go to church on Sunday morning and then off to the tip in the afternoon.