Holden Caprice (WM)

Holden Caprice (WM)
Overview
Manufacturer	Holden (General Motors)
Also called	Bitter Vero Buick Park Avenue Chevrolet Caprice Daewoo Veritas Holden Statesman (WM) Holden Caprice (WN) HSV Grange
Production	2006–2013 (WM) 2013–present (WN)
Assembly	Australia: Elizabeth, South Australia
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size car
Body style	4-door sedan
Layout	Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Platform	GM Zeta platform
Related	Chevrolet Camaro Chevrolet SS Holden VE Commodore Holden VF Commodore Pontiac G8
Powertrain
Engine	3.6 L High Output Alloytec V6 6.0 L Generation 4 Alloy V8
Transmission	5-speed GM 5L40E automatic 6-speed GM 6L80E automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	3,009 mm (118.5 in)
Length	5,160 mm (203 in)
Width	1,899 mm (74.8 in)
Height	1,480 mm (58 in)
Curb weight	1,891 kg (4,169 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Holden Caprice (WL)

The Holden Statesman (WM) and Holden Caprice (WM and WN) are a line of full size luxury cars produced by the General Motors Australian subsidiary, Holden since September 2006. The range debuted alongside the VE Commodore on 16 July 2006 at the Melbourne Convention Centre. With the Statesman's export plans, it was felt that its launch should be simultaneous with that of the Commodore, rather than months later, as had been the choice. The WM has two main rivals, the Ford Fairlane and the Chrysler 300.^[1] Holden has exported this series to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Caprice since 2007 starting in 2014 with 2 trims discontinued. Sales of the WM Statesman in South Korea as the Daewoo Veritas commenced at the end of 2008 & was discontinued in 2010 after GM phased out the Daewoo brand. In 2011, GM introduced a captive import version in the U.S. market built exclusively for law enforcement agencies as the Chevrolet Caprice PPV.

In August 2010, with the release of the WM Series II range, Holden announced the Statesman model had been discontinued, with the Caprice being split into two models and reduced in price. This was due to the small sales of the Statesman.^[2] In 2013, Holden updated the WM II to become the WN Caprice. This involved the fitment of the VF Commodore Calais V interior and alloy wheels. This update also includes the Caprice PPV which gets the interior from the VF Commodore Evoke which also includes a column gear change.

Development and design

The WM Statesman was an A$190 million investment, in combination with the $1.03 billion VE Commodore programme.^[3] The WM will continue to supply cars to senior Federal and State politicians, government officials, businesspeople and private buyers in Australia and overseas.^[4]

Exterior design

Rear view of the WM Caprice

The WM Statesman features the same bodyshell as the WM Caprice, but the Caprice possesses a sportier character than the more conservative Statesman. Less chrome is incorporated outside compared to the Statesman. Visually the boot may look smaller from the outside but it is considerably larger inside compared to the VE. The front windscreen and the front doors are the only parts of the Caprice that are visually the same as the VE. Unlike previous models, the rear doors were not taken from the Commodore wagon. Instead the rear doors from the sedan were used so it would be easier to get in and out of the car.

Points of differentiation to the Statesman for the Caprice include sports suspension, larger 18 inch alloy wheels, although 20 inch wheels come as an option, and dual rear seat LCD screens (with DVD player), Bi-Xenon headlamps also come as standard as well as rear LED brake lights. Unlike the Commodore, the Caprice receives a full size spare alloy wheel as standard.

Interior design

Interior of the WM Caprice

Compared to the previous generation, more sporting trim highlights are used in the cabin and the centre dash incorporates real aluminium. The already considerable rear leg-room has been increased over previous models. Tri-zone climate control systems feature for the first time that can regulate the car's temperature at three separate places inside the cabin. Themes for the specialist interior design team were comfort, sophistication, harmony, luxury and attention to detail. The extroverted instrument pad features a wide binnacle, unique chrome-ringed instrument cluster and integrated centre stack with a high resolution colour screen, zoned audio and climate controls and satin chrome detailing.^[5]

Series II

Series II Caprice and Caprice V model now come standard with Holden's new Holden IQ system being able to now connect USB devices, enhanced bluetooth connectivity, Satellite navigation with traffic alerts and a reversing camera, standard on both models. Bose audio is also standard on the Caprice and Caprice V.^[6]

Engine and mechanics

The Caprice comes standard with a 6.0 litre L98 V8 engine producing 270 kilowatts (362 hp) coupled to the GM 6L80E six-speed automatic transmission as featured on sports Commodore variants. A cheaper 195 kilowatt (261 hp) 3.6 litre Alloytec V6 is available as an option for the Caprice, but is standard on the Statesman.^[3] The semi-sports suspension is stiffened compared to the Statesman, Holden refer to the more sporting suspension as "FE1.5", sitting halfway between their standard suspension tune and the "FE2" suspension tune of their sports models. The V8 is said to reach 100 km/h from 0 in a little over 6 seconds.

The Series II Caprice come standard with a Holden's 210 kW 3.6 litre SIDI Direct Injection V6, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with Active Select. While the new Caprice V-Series is powered by a 260 kW 6.0 litre Gen IV V8, with Active Fuel Management (AFM) technology and matched with a six-speed automatic transmission with Active Select. The Caprice V-Series also offers the ability to run on bio-ethanol or E85.^[6]

Safety

In the safety aspect the Statesman comes with Bosch Electronic Stability Control, traction control, ABS brakes, EBD, BAS and a tyre pressure monitoring system as standard Front, side and curtain airbags come as standard which is another incentive to improve the Caprice's safety equipment, this also contributed to the fact the that the Caprice’s safety rating surpass that off its main rival, the LTD.^[1] Development commenced with the largest virtual crash modelling program Holden has ever undertaken. Emphasis was placed on considering the range of impact scenarios that occur in real world accident situations and differing occupant criteria. Safety technologies were benchmarked alongside with the world’s leading luxury brands and major engineering programs delivered a stiffer body structure and vastly increased usage of advanced strength steels. Multiple load corridor strategies for frontal, side and rear impacts improve passenger compartment integrity. They are complemented by an improved multipoint airbag sensing system and an adaptive restraint system which includes dual stage front airbags, thorax side impact airbags, curtain airbags and front seat active head restraints as standard equipment. Structurally optimised crush zones absorb crash energy and other occupant protection features include a steering column ride-down mechanism and breakaway brake pedal.^[5]

Exports

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Holden Caprice (WM).

Like the previous model, the WM is exported to the Middle East as the Chevrolet Caprice since 2007. Since 2007, complete knock down kits have been exported and assembled by Shanghai GM for the Chinese market.^[10] Sold as the Buick Park Avenue, the car replaces the Buick Royaum; a rebadged version of the WL Statesman and utilises Australian-built versions of the GM High Feature engine.^[11]

Holden recommenced Caprice exports to South Korea in 2008 as the Daewoo Veritas after showcasing a pre-production Daewoo L4X in 2007.^[12] Compared to the Australian-specification model, the Veritas is V6-powered only and has a modified rear floor to accommodate the electrically adjustable rear seats incorporating a massage function. The headrests are also electrically adjustable, with the Caprice's dual headrest-mounted LCD screens orphaned in favour of a single, ceiling-mounted unit.^[13] The Veritas was discontinued after GM phased the Daewoo brand out in favor of Chevrolet.

On 5 October 2009, General Motors announced the new Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) will only be sold to law enforcement agencies in the United States market from 2011. It is not sold to the public as a new, untitled vehicle although some of the detective spec models were sold by a dealer to civilians in June 2011, and fleet demonstrator or factory used vehicles (not placed in police service) are now routinely sold by dealers nationwide as used vehicles.^[14][15] Imported from Australia, the Chevrolet is a captive import of the Holden Caprice, as opposed to the Pontiac G8 which was based on the short-wheelbase Holden Commodore version.^[16] Holden outfited the Caprice with the 6.0 litre L76 AFM V8, a 3.6 litre LLT SIDI V6 engine became available nine months later.^[17] Both engines are E85 ethanol-capable.^[16]

Previously, the future of Holden's North American export programme had been the subject of contradictory announcements as General Motors emerged from bankruptcy. On 11 July 2009, Bob Lutz declared the Commodore-based Pontiac G8 "too good to waste" and indicated it would return as a Chevrolet Caprice.^[18][19] However, it was undisclosed as to whether the revived Caprice was to be based on the short-wheelbase Holden Commodore (like the Pontiac G8) or the extended length Holden Statesman/Caprice, like the Middle Eastern Chevrolet Caprice.^[20] Several days later, Lutz retracted his comment, citing market conditions,^[21] while GM CEO Frederick Henderson confirmed that police applications were being studied.^[22]

The Caprice police car has had a positive reception, with near perfect scores in an assessment by The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and with the only criticism being directed at over-cautious electronic stability control.What also makes the Caprice PPV different from its Australian & Middle Eastern counterparts the lower end of the front bumper is based on the Commodore Omega Series II's front end & the interior is also from the Commodore Omega which is the common trim of VE Commodore to be used by law enforcement in Australia & New Zealand. The detective version uses the same interior that the Middle Eastern spec Caprice LS.

Updates to the Caprice PPV for 2014 include the interior from the Commodore Evoke with a column shifter to make room for equipment replacing the floor shifter that was in the 2011-2013 models, & the 9C3 Unmarked/Detective version being discontinued.

References

See also

• HSV Grange