Holden Commodore used to be a clone to Opel Omega. Although the 1997 VT Commodore was said to be engineered in-house, its styling was undeniably a copy of Omega and its technical specifications was heavily influenced by the German car. However, since then the fortune has been shifting to the Australian side. As European car buyers shifted towards premium brands like BMW and Audi, Opel Omega could not escape from the axe in 2003. In contrast, big saloons remain strong in the Australia market. In 2004, Holden sold nearly 80,000 Commodores, enough to justify the development of its own platform. Therefore GM invested US$920 million into the VE Commodore program and assigned Holden the responsibility to develop the rear-drive Zeta platform for the whole group. Apart from Commodore, Zeta will be used in the next Chevrolet Camaro and probably more GM cars for North America. The new Commodore is designed by Mike Simcoe, the same designer as Monaro coupe. Although no longer related to Opel, it has strong visual resemblance to the current Opel Vectra. It uses short overhangs and aggressive wheelarches to deliver a compact and sporty appearance the old car so lacked. In fact, the VE Commodore is larger than VT in every dimensions - now its wheelbase measures a monstrous 2915mm, its length and width are stretched to 4.9 meters and 1.9 meters respectively. By European standard it will be slotted between a BMW 5-Series and 7-Series, yet in Australia it is just seen as a bread-and-butter family car. This is one of the interesting features of Australian car market. Australian cars tend to be jumbo size due to their wide roads, vast parking spaces, low taxation and cheap fuel prices. Nevertheless, last year the surging oil price has already taken a negative effect on their sales, which saw Commodore dropped from 79,170 units to 66,794 units and Ford Falcon even worse, from 85,500 to 53,080 units. The new Commodore is more than 100 kg heavier than the last one, and its fuel consumption increases a little bit. It seems to be a wrong decision to grow larger. Anyway, excluding fuel consumption, every aspect of the new Commodore has been improved. Its chassis is 50 percent more rigid. Its crash worthiness is substantially upgraded, as are NVH suppression and build quality. Its suspensions are now mounted on subframes through rubber bushings. It finally gave up the semi-trailing arm rear suspensions and adopted a modern multi-link setup to improve ride and control. Its fuel tank has been moved from the tail to ahead of rear axle in order to improve weight distribution. All these changes are set to enhance handling and driving fun. And the result? Simply outstanding. The new suspension gives you an impression of firm but controlled ride. On the one hand it soaks up the worst bumps in Australia's country roads (not many European and Japanese cars can do that), on the other hand it delivers excellent body control, grip and predictability. The multi-link suspension has sorted out the oversteer problem of the old car, giving the driver confidence to push the car into corners and enjoy the ability of the rear-drive chassis. Therefore the big Commodore feels much smaller than it is. The no-nonsense hydraulic assisted, variable-ratio rack and pinion steering also adds to the driving fun. It is light at the straight ahead and weighs up nicely into corners. The turn-in is linear and the steering is feelsome, a thing lost in almost all modern European and Japanese saloons. As before, Holden offers it the homegrown 3.5-liter Alloytec DOHC V6 in two states of tune – a 241hp version gets continuous VVT at intake valves only and a single exhaust, while the upper-class engine employs dual CVVT and twin-exhaust to enable 261hp. Unfortunately, with 1.7 ton of kerb weight to haul, no matter which V6 is installed the Commodore is still a little slow by class standard. Transmission can be either a 6-speed manual (for sporty model SV6), 4-speed automatic (for the most popular base model Omega and mid-model Berlina), or 5-speed automatic (for luxury model Calais). For the top Commodores (model SS, SS-V or optional on Berlina), power again comes from America - GM's Gen IV small-block V8. The 6.0-liter all-alloy push-rod unit produces 362 horsepower and a monstrous 391 lbft of torque. Mated with a new 6-speed automatic it enables Commodore SS to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds ! but its fuel consumption is equally appalling at 19.7 mpg. On Australian roads at least, the new Commodore has no enemies to worry about – Ford Falcon included, let alone those Japanese front-drivers. Even a BMW 5-Series fails to ride and steer as well on their rough roads. The outstanding driver appeal is perhaps the greatest achievement of the VE program. Comfort and refinement are also vastly improved, just in a lesser degree. You may say its interior design and materials are still not up to the level of European offerings or Toyota Camry, but the honest Australian probably don't care about that. They ask for a lot of space and practicality at a bargain price, and they get them in the big Commodore. Yes, it would have been better if the Commodore has stronger and quieter V6 engines, lower fuel consumption and a smoother 4-speed automatic, but even in current form it is good enough to be the best big car available in the Australian market. My only concern is, tailored made to the needs and taste of Australian, Commodore has little prospect for export.

The above report was last updated on 11 Sep 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Commodore SS-V Although HSV (Holden Special Vehicle) version is in the pipeline, the production Commodore SS-V still worth our attention, hence a separate article. In Australia it is priced at an equivalent to US$40,000, the same as what Chrysler charges 300SRT-8 in the USA. However, its direct rivals are Ford Falcon XR8 and XR6 Turbo. As mentioned, the SS-V is powered by GM's Gen IV small-block ohv V8. It displaces a full 6 liters and produces a respectable 362 horsepower at 5700 rpm, if not as impressive as Chevrolet Corvette's 400 horses. However, there are 391 pound-foot of torque available at 4400 rpm, and the majority of them arrive just above idle, so the driver can rely on its torque to do the job rather than shifting the gearbox. There are two choices for gearbox – GM's new 6L80 6-speed automatic and the familiar Tremec T56 6-speed manual. The latter should have been a driver's choice, but in fact there is little merit to choose it instead of the automatic. Although its shift action and clutch operation have been improved, it is still far from being a world-class transmission. Holden claims the 6-speed automatic can do 0-62 mph in 5.4 seconds (equivalent to 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds), which is impressive considering the car seats 5 big guys and weighs 1800kg. However, Chrysler 300SRT-8 is even more impressive – its 6.1-liter HEMI produces 60 more horsepower than the Holden and does 0-60 in 4.9 seconds. I also expect the Chrysler will beat the Holden more convincingly at higher speed. On the other hand, BMW 335i sedan will offer the same kind of performance at the same price (we are talking of in a third-party country if it were exported) but trade space for premium quality. This mean, while Commodore SS-V is cheap and fast, it is not the last word for affordable performance sedans. Like SV6 and SS, the SS-V gets stiffer sports suspension setup. In addition to that is an aggressive aerodynamic / styling kit and 19-inch alloy wheels. On Australian roads its ride feels firm but damp well, so it is entirely livable as an everyday car. Body control and handling are excellent, although keen drivers will definitely want its steering to be weightier at the straight ahead position. They will also be delighted if the exhaust note sound angrier. That said, Commodore SS-V is faster, handles and rides better than its Ford rivals. That is probably the only thing Australian muscle car fans concern.

The above report was last updated on 11 Sep 2006. All Rights Reserved.

HSV GTS HSV, or Holden Special Vehicles, was a joint venture between Holden and TWR (Tom Walkinshaw Racing), but since TWR bankrupted in 2002 it became wholly owned by Holden. Throughout the years HSV's main business was to modify Commodore into performance cars. This goes like BMW's M-division and Mercedes' AMG but HSV is far smaller and less well funded. Therefore it always employs on-the-shelf components from the industry, such as Detroit's V8 engines. The latest E-series GTS is no exception. Based on the VE generation Commodore, it employs a version of Chevrolet Corvette's LS2 6.0-liter V8, specially tuned to deliver 411 horsepower at 6000 rpm (versus Corvette's 400hp) and 406 lbft of torque at 4400 rpm. Compare with the standard Commodore SS, this V8 has the same capacity but it spins noticeably freer at the top end and therefore produces 50 more horsepower. Given so much capacity, it also produces abundance of low to mid-range torque to enable strong in-gear acceleration. 0-60 mph can be done in 4.8 seconds, accompany with 155 mph top speed. All sounds good for a performance sedan costing just under £40,000. Nevertheless, 6 years ago its predecessor GTS 300 (whose name implies 300kW output, or 400 horsepower) already boosted more or less the same acceleration performance, plus an unlimited top speed believed to be around 170 mph. At that time, European's top performance sedan BMW M5 had no more horsepower than the GTS 300. Today, M5 and Mercedes E63 produce in excess of 500 horsepower. This is progress. In contrast, HSV is still standing at the 400 mark. It can no longer claim itself a giant killer. We can't help feeling disappointed. Anyway, if you compare the new GTS to its predecessor, you will find plenty of improvement in handling and ride quality. Undoubtedly, the VE Commdore's stiff chassis, long wheelbase and wide tracks, modern multi-link rear suspensions and better NVH engineering play an important role. It corners with virtually no body roll. Its massive tires generate massive grip. Its big disc brakes (365mm front and 350mm rear, with 4-pot AP calipers) provide stronger stopping power than M5. It tames its power much better than any previous HSVs, showing little sign of uncontrollable wheelspin and oversteer if you push too hard in bends. The ESC (Electronic Stability Control) also helps. Equally important is that HSV GTS has opted for Delphi's Magnetic Ride Control (MRC), which uses electromagnetic medium to vary damping stiffness continuously and provides the driver a selection between Performance and Track mode. This technology has so far appeared only in Chevrolet Corvette, Cadillac XLR, Ferrari 599GTB and Audi TT. Its development costs a fortune to the low-volume HSV but the reward is equally great – the GTS damps beautifully over different surfaces. It smoothens the potholes that used to upset any previous HSV cars. Compare to the non-MRC entry-level R8 Clubsport, the GTS rides more composed on the backroads yet more comfortable on the highway. The E-series GTS is no longer a clumsy drive like its predecessor. Although there is little improvement in performance, it is still a much better car overall. Of course, you can still pick a lot of flaws from it, say, the American V8 is not as smooth as European engines; the shift quality of Tremec T56 is still far from satisfying; the cabin and overall build quality remains Aussie level… but for this price you can probably ask no more.

The above report was last updated on 28 Sep 2006. All Rights Reserved.

Holden Caprice / Statesman The twins Caprice and Statesman are long-wheelbase luxury versions of Commodore. Some 94mm of extra space is inserted between the axles to create a super-roomy interior, while the overall length is extended by 266mm to enable a graceful tail and 535 liters of luggage space. In other words, the twins are as large as a long-wheelbase Mercedes S-class ! The extra length also improves their appearance – side profile becomes sleeker and almost as handsome as Audi A8. What a pity the fascia remains outdated. How to distinguish Caprice and Statesman ? it's hard to tell from the look if you do not pay attention to the detailed differences in their grilles. However, the Statesman is designed to please old people and bosses who like to be driven, so its suspension setting biases strongly towards comfort. The Caprice is on the contrary, using firm suspensions and low profile tires to please its drivers. Nevertheless, both cars can be chosen with the same 261hp 3.6-liter V6 and 362hp 6.0-liter V8 engine, just like Commodore, thus there is no discernible differences in straight line performance. If you choose the big V8, you will find the 1.8-1.9 ton limousines have a surprising turn of speed, capable of doing 0-60 in 6.3 seconds. Unfortunately, they drink gasoline equally fast... Compare with European premium sedans like BMW 5-Series, the Australian homegrown limousines are cheaper yet vastly more spacious. However, in terms of materials, build quality or interior design, they are far from world class. Caprice and Statesman were derived from the workman Commodore at a budget of only US$150 million (on the top of the US$750 million budget for Commodore), so how can they compete directly with European premium executive cars ? Take the push-rod V8 for example. Powerful? certainly. Refined? No way. The same goes for GM's 6-speed automatic transmission, which is no way as smooth as ZF's or Mercedes' units. When you drive the Caprice quickly, you will appreciate its body control, grip and steering, but its suspensions are too hard for a luxurious car. In Statesman, the situation is on the contrary, where body control and driving pleasure are sacrificed for a pillowy ride. Many limousines are equipped with adaptive damping or air suspensions to solve this problem, but sadly the Holden duo did not do that as they were afraid to push the price too high. So why does Buick Lucerne dare to employ Magnetic Ride Control? Perhaps Holden should think again. Admittedly, price is a very sensitive issue for Caprice and Statesman, as they are mainly sold as company cars in Australia. The fleet market shrank seriously in recent years to the extent that Ford is evacuating from it. The Holden duo can still survive because they are also exported to overseas market, under the name Chevrolet Caprice in the Middle East, Buick Park Avenue in China and Daewoo Statesman in Korea. Still, Holden does not expect to sell much more than 20,000 cars worldwide this year.

The above report was last updated on 25 Apr 2007. All Rights Reserved.

Pontiac G8 Having failed the experiment of selling Holden Monaro in America as Pontiac GTO, GM tries again with the new generation Holden Commodore. This time it gets a new name, G8, so no more criticism could be aroused if it does not fit into the character of existing Pontiac nameplates. Being a large four-door sedan with strong sporting flavours, it could be an answer to Infiniti G35, Chrysler 300C and even BMW 335i. Officially, it is a new line in the Pontiac family tree. However, it is effectively a replacement to the aging Grand Prix. Having North America market in signt right from development, Holden Commodore does not need much modifications before going broad. The biggest change is the look, which features Pontiac's signature front grille, twin-bumper intakes and a pair of fake cooling intakes on the bonnet. It therefore seems to be sportier than the Australian car. In fact, under the sheet metal is basically the same thing. The same powertrains - 3.6-liter DOHC V6 with 5-speed automatic transmission and 6-liter push-rod V8 with 6-speed auto or manual - serve the G8. The tuning is the same too, so the slight difference in power rating is due to new SAE standard. The V8 GT equipped with automatic tranny can do 0-60 in 5.3 seconds and 0-100 mph in around 13 seconds, faster than the aforementioned rivals bar BMW. If you don't ask for class-leading refinement, it could be a tempting choice. In the chassis department, thanks to the excellent Commodore base, Pontiac finally has a car to rival the imports for handling and ride. But then again, isn't itself an import too ?

The above report was last updated on 23 Feb 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Specifications