Holden Crewman Cross 6 2005 Review

While both the One Tonner Cross 6 and the Crewman Cross 6 get the smaller 175kW V6 engine (as opposed to the 190kW engine in the AWD Adventra), the lighter One Tonner doesn't suffer.

Mated to the four-speed auto, it's a little doughy on the open roads but low-speed torque and pull are under your feet when you need them.

The Crewman suffers from the extra 300 kilos and getting up to speed on a highway meant flat-to-the-boards acceleration.

At Darlington Park circuit in Queensland, both utilities were used as demonstration models for towing and departure and ramp-angle tests.

The One Tonner handled the track well. Only slight scrapes were heard over a 45-degree triangular pitched incline and up the mountainous track, which also had a wash-out area at the top.

It felt comfortable and in control, even in the rutted areas, where the AWD could be heard working hard after the previous bunch of drivers had made the going slippery.

The Crewman Cross 6, however, struggled. On the incline test it scrubbed and scraped under its extra weight and laboured noticeably up the mountainous track.

This exercise also showed up a design fault in the Crewman – it's larger air intake had taken in a fair bit of mud, causing the engine to start to overheat during the runs.

Holden put it down to the excess mud and the "load" it was taking up the hill but none of the four One Tonners showed signs of stress.

The back seat in the Crewman has only gone back slightly, so putting in your mates is still not a kind option. However, a more flexible leather insert does make it a bit easier on the back.

The Crewman towed the caravan quite well up a gravel road but when on a rutted section, where low speed was required, the foot was once again flat to the boards.

Both were comfortable on the drive section.

The One Tonner was a little bouncy on the highway (with an empty tray) but as soon as it hit the dirt it wasn't as noticeable.

The Crewman was comfortable both on and off the black stuff, its extra weight helping it to ride and sit better on the open road than the One Tonner.

Once again, it only struggled when attempting a low-speed water crossing or needing to slow to manage a deep rut.

The One Tonner test car was equipped with both a driver and passenger airbag.

The passenger airbag is only an option because, and this is concerning, Holden has found most motorists would prefer to spend the $475 – the price of the second airbag – on a six-stack CD system instead of on protecting their passenger. Go figure.

The question was asked why the One Tonner wasn't offered in a V8. The answer was that Holden didn't feel there'd be sufficient demand. While it would be a nice option, it's not a necessity, as the V6 handles itself nicely and has good manners off the beaten track. The AWD system gives both the One Tonners a lot more versatility without too much extra strain on the hip pocket.

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