Holden LPG Commodore range unveiled

By Alborz Fallah
February 21st, 2012

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Update: Holden LPG Commodore Review.

Holden has unveiled a range of dedicated factory-fit LPG Commodores that it believes is an Australian solution to Australian conditions.

In a first for the old General, Holden’s dedicated LPG Commodore option will add $2500 to the price and can be fitted to sedan, Sportwagon, ute or long wheelbase variants. Of the $2500 additional cost, private buyers can take advantage of the federal government’s $2000 rebate, leaving a mere $500 extra on the standard petrol model’s purchase price.

Competing head to head with the Ford Falcon EcoLPi, the Holden LPG Commodore attracts the same price premium but offers better fuel economy than its direct rival (11.8L/100km vs 12.3L/100km). Powered by a 3.6-litre, double overhead cam V6 with 180kW of power and 320Nm of torque, the Commodore falls short of the Falcon EcoLPi’s 198kW and 409Nm but does exceed ‘Beyond Euro 6′ exhaust emissions requirements.

Holden has introduced an updated six-speed automatic transmission for the LPG range, which the company says is lighter, smarter and more refined. Holden engineers have programmed the unit to optimise shift patterns for the LPG engine for optimum efficiency and driveability.

Based on the average 20,000 km/year driving cycle, Holden says the LPG Commodore will cost $1300 per year in fuel to run, roughly $800 a year cheaper than your everyday Toyota Corolla.

One of the biggest advantages of the new Holden Commodore LPG range is the placement of the LPG tank. No longer kept in the boot (compared to dual fuel Commodore), Holden engineers have relocated the tank behind the rear axle, freeing up valuable boot space.

In a bid to outline the Commodore’s relevance to everyday motorists, Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux said: “The LPG Commodore range is a no-compromise prospect. With outstanding fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, cheaper fuel running costs than many small petrol cars and excellent driving characteristics, our customers will be able to enjoy the practicality and comfort of a large car without the large car fuel bills. We are committed to taking a leadership position with alternative fuels to make sure Commodore remains the smart vehicle choice for Australian motorists.”

With over 3000 LPG equipped fuel stations nationwide, the prospect of paying less to fuel a Commodore than a Toyota Corolla may indeed appease more private buyers, but if the Falcon EcoLPi sales are anything to go by, it may be a difficult process.

LPG, which is about 30 percent cheaper than petrol, has long been viewed as the fuel of choice for taxi and fleet vehicles, with the rate of uptake for private buyers still far below that of petrol or diesel.

Read our Holden Commodore LPG Review.

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Airslave

Why no V8 option
- http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
  
  Very small market for v8s, according to Holden.
Poison Eagle

Umm pretty sure Fords isn’t in the boot. Fix your article.
- Andrew Whitby
  
  It is, in the spare wheel well !
  - Symo
    
    Which is exactly where the Holden have it since the petrol fuel tank is in front of the rear axle, this one is pictured behind right where the spare wheel is.
    - Mad Max
      
      Where does the spare fit in the wagon then? They don’t have the space to mount the wheel vertically like you used to in the old Falcon wagons. If you have to carry an inflation kit then I’d have thought that was a large compromise.
- mosmanite
  
  I am confused by this as well. All the images show the tanks positioned in the same position as in the Falcon. It looks like the journalist should have done a little more research or explained the difference better (if there is one).
- http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
  
  Thanks for pointing it out. You’re right i meant to compare it to the dual fuel commodore not the falcon. Fixed
Chris Buckley

“The LPG Commodore range is a no-compromise prospect”….but it loses power so it is a compromise? Nice try M.D… Nice to see them finally jumping on the band wagon but I’d say Ford are still leading the way when it comes to developing LPG based technology.
- Xavier, Style Messiah
  
  Given the better packaging and availability of a wagon I see Holden doing very well with this. Even though the LPi system is more efficient the packaging of the tank and no wagon is a deal killer for me.
  - BIGJV
    
    The LPG commodore will demolish the falcon in terms of sales, regardless if it is any better or worse as holden have a much better marketing team.
    
    Ford couldnt sell a banana to a monkey, they need a good overhaul
    - Xavier, Style Messiah
      
      I could not agree more. Since Holden will offer LPG across the Commodore range this will have broad appeal. A sedan only offering from Ford with a compromised boot can’t possibly do good volume. Family car buyers who don’t want diesel and it’s associated ownership risks (DPF) will welcome a Sportswagon over a Diesel Territory.
- Phil
  
  I’d say the loss of the spare wheel is a bigger compromise.
nugsdad

So take it this is not dual fuel – so you have to know where the LPG bowser is.
- jekyl & hyde
  
  got a smartphone,download the fuelfinder app…
- Des
  
  Yes you do need to know where the LPG pump is located – right next to the petrol and diesal pumps at every damned service station I know.
  Properly integrated fuel guages and trip computers negated the issue of running out of gas years ago.
  
  Only an idiot runs out of fuel in any modern injected car.
Robj

Is it the new tech LPi? They need petrol over $2 a litre then it will take off…
- Des
  
  NO this is the old gasseous injection, hence the lower power figure. This system also rapidly increases fuel consumption, compared with liquid injection, when placed under any real load (like everyday dirving perhaps?).
Leighh

Bad timing anyway lpg just went up from 53 to 76 cents in a month !! Government just gotta stuff everything up !!
- Des
  
  Look I know the current government are exceptionally incompetant, any shoot loads of the things that are currently going wrong are their fault, but just how is the current gas price anything to do with the government?
  It’s called worldwide price and demand.
  - Shak
    
    Actually it has very little to do with that. Mots of the gas thats used in this country is locally sourced so isnt affected by international prices as much as our imported petrol/diesel is. The main reason why costs jumped that much is because of the increase in the excise on LPG which is around the corner.
    - Des
      
      The increase in excise is small compared to the recent price hikes, and has NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. The current price increase IS due to commodity prices, that is what our industry can sell the gas for in overseas markets. There has been a big increase in demand and therefore price of Australian gas on overseas markets, that we see the flow-on effects of.
      - Shak
        
        Sorry, you are right in this respect, international price fluctuations for our LPG has had an effect.
Leighh

Oh my god It’s still the ancient vapor delivery system !! No way is this better in any way than an LPI system old technology is GMs favorite
- Robj
  
  So didn’t they always have this old LPG option? When is the new liquid injection coming??
  - Des
    
    All they have done is finally work out how to run an engine on LPG only, without having to use petrol to start it, so that they can remove the fuel tank and hide the LPG cylinders onder the floor like Ford have been doing since the AU in 2000.
    - Karl
      
      No actually, for some reason this article doesn’t go into any detail.
      This is from Holden’s media release;
      
      “At the very beginning of the LPG project, Holden engineers evaluated liquid and vapour-injection LPG systems. After preliminary research and building a proof of concept liquid injection prototype vehicle, it quickly became apparent that vapour injection was the only solution to achieving the program’s goals.“Vapour injection provides lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions compared to liquid, while vapour also uses fuel more efficiently with fewer pumping and parasitic losses,” said Mr McMurray.“Vapour systems are less mechanically demanding and therefore better suited to the varying grades of LPG fuel found across Australia.“Vapour is also best suited to the Australian climate, with more consistent start-up in hot climatic conditions.”Also the compression ratio is now 12.2:1
      - Chris Buckley
        
        I think the translations goes something like this: Our V6′s aren’t able to run LPI hense we stuck with what we’ve been doing through aftermarket but now in the Holden Factory…ok..some tounge in cheek but seriously, I honestly don’t understand how an even bigger loss in power, causing the engine to consume more energy to move the same mass equates to better economy. From my point of view, this seems like a cop out from Holden.
      - Karl
        
        Did you read what I posted?
        They set up test rigs and went with the vapour set-up because it’s more reliable and fuel efficient.
        
        It doesn’t use more “energy” to move the same mass, lpg has a lower energy density (about 30%) than petrol, which is measured in joules.
        It’ll consume a larger VOLUME of fuel to cover the same distance, but not energy.
        This is different to efficiency which is expressed as a % in engineering terms.
        The petrol and lpg engines have about the same efficiency, but the lpg is a much cleaner burning fuel (not to mention cheaper to run).
      - Chris Buckley
        
        Thanks for clarifying on that.
        I did see what they were quoted on saying, I’m just taking the piss out of Holden Marketing
      - Chris Buckley
        
        Thanks for clarifying on that.
        I did see what they were quoted on saying, I’m just taking the piss out of Holden Marketing
      - Des
        
        Either way it’s still just GM propaganda bulldust.
        
        The industry as a whole says Liquid is better than vapour, GM can’t make it work for the money they have to spend, so they chuck out the spin and idiots believe it.
      - Des
        
        Either way it’s still just GM propaganda bulldust.
        
        The industry as a whole says Liquid is better than vapour, GM can’t make it work for the money they have to spend, so they chuck out the spin and idiots believe it.
- http://www.caradvice.com.au/ Alborz Fallah
  
  Holden says they were targeting best co2 and fuel economy and vapor was better for this than liquid
  - Mark
    
    but is the better economy and co2 due to the use of vapor or due to the lower power output?
    - Karl
      
      Well it has 5kw more power and uses 1.6L/100ks less fuel than the previous setup, so it’s definitely more efficient.
      - Mark
        
        I was referring to Holdens new vapour system stats to Fords new liquid systems stats. Sure Holdens system uses less fuel and produces less co2 than Fords, but it also produces 80nm less and 20kw less
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
        
        Yep the power is a bit disappointing, but I guess they were chasing economy not power?
        I’m also curious at what revs the power and torque are made, I didn’t see it published anywhere.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
        
        Yep the power is a bit disappointing, but I guess they were chasing economy not power?
        I’m also curious at what revs the power and torque are made, I didn’t see it published anywhere.
      - Des
        
        Karl, most of those gains are from transmission improvements, not from any changes to the gas system (of which there are very few).
        
        Obviously Karl is the GM PR dept employee assigned to monitor the comments on this ‘news’ article.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Karl-Sass/100000921334936 Karl Sass
        
        The transmission would account for some of the improvement but only a small percentage.
        I wish I worked for Holden, not in PR though.
        It doesn’t matter how far you put your head in the sand, Holden’s lpg setup is the most efficient.
        The only difference between me and you is that I understand how the system works, you do not.
        Oh, and I’m linking this to my fb page so that you can see who I am (not a Holden employee, just a uni student).
        How about you do the same?
      - Mark
        
        You can claim that the holden has greater fuel efficacy than the falcon but because of power differences you can’t say that Holdens lpg setup is not more efficient.
        
        The Commodore uses 5% less fuel but produces 9% less kw and 32% less torque. If this extra power makes any difference in the real world… i await a head to head shoot out (i’m looking at you Alborz!)
      - Des
        
        Pretty big for you to claim that “I understand how the system works, you do not” – but then I should have expected that from a uni student. (BTW you’re wrong).
        
        I’ll say it again: MOST OF THE EFFICIENCY GAINS COME FROM TRANSMISSION IMPROVEMENTS!
        
        With 30 years of engineering experience, I’ll back my knowledgable claims against a brochure reading uni student any day.
        
        FB? Gimme a break! Vanity sucks.
      - scatman
        
        Karl you look like the Amazing Mumford
      - Des
        
        Karl, most of those gains are from transmission improvements, not from any changes to the gas system (of which there are very few).
        
        Obviously Karl is the GM PR dept employee assigned to monitor the comments on this ‘news’ article.
Guest

“With over 3000 LPG equipped fuel stations nationwide, the prospect of
paying less to fuel a Commodore than a Toyota Corolla may indeed appease
more private buyers”

Wonder why they don’t also make reference to the Cruze.
Guest

“With over 3000 LPG equipped fuel stations nationwide, the prospect of
paying less to fuel a Commodore than a Toyota Corolla may indeed appease
more private buyers”

Wonder why they don’t also make reference to the Cruze.
Cliffo

no point LPG is too expensive now
- SP20
  
  Still cheaper that petrol. By half.
Cliffo

no point LPG is too expensive now
Acfsambo

Official fuel economy and real world economy are 2 different things, such as when the comparison between the 3.0 V6 and the 4.0 l6 was done, the 4.0 had marginally better fuel economy in a ‘real world’ situation.

Will be interesting to see what the real world figures are like.
Goodfa

They say no compromise.

I think 180kw 320nm is a compromise compared to 210kw 350nm from the petrol version.
- Chris Buckley
  
  It’s a white elephant in the room compromise IMO and a massive step back in performance (for a car that could do with all the power and torque it can get, given it’s weight)
- http://profiles.google.com/peterconnell612 peter connell
  
  Yet the lpi blows off the petrol falcon by a bit
  
  Certainly
  
  when they switched from vapor to LPI
  
  They aced the competition & the prev model
  
  sad about models
  
  a dual cab would be awesome as would a wagon lpi
  
  But lpi is so good
  
  I bought a sedan anyway
Gary_vicki

why has HSV gone with lpi—-because it is a far better option and buy the way check out Orbital autogass systems they have about 50 custom made kits for aftermarket systems
Repodave

i think the v8 will come with the vf commodore and liquid injection system. also hoping that there is room for a spare wheel in the wagon/sedan that does not take up space or that will be a bit of a cop out. tomorrows reveiw should be interesting
Matthew Werner

Once again I don’t believe Holden’s fuel consumption claims and await a head-to-head with the gas Falcon
Sydlocal

Mike Devereux says “The LPG Commodore range is a no-compromise prospect.” Whilst it is not mentioned, from all of the pictures and descriptions the tank is in the postion where the spare tyre is normally fitted. If that is the case, where is the spare tyre? I would say in a big, open country like Australia, NOT having a spare tyre is what I would call a very big compromise. If it does have a spare tyre and it is mounted on the boot floor like the LPi Falcon (don’t know where else they could mount one), again I would call that a big compromise. You only have to look how much space it eats up in the boot of the Falcon which can only get worse considering Commodore has a smaller boot, in fact the Commodore boot is smaller than many of the medium and even some small sedans (ie Barina sedan) out there. Yep, looks like a no compromise prospect to me…. TIC

Having said that, if those compromises don’t effect your operations (ie don’t need a big boot, or even a medium/small boot, for interstate trips if you wish to carry a spare tyre when travelling through the “GAFA”) it looks like a good, cheap to run option.
- Sydlocal
  
  I found out today it doesn’t have a spare tyre and the boot of the sedan is 10L smaller, however not as drastic a reduction in boot size compared to the LPi Falcon. Looks like another compromise again (read boot capacity).
GTRXUI

Very impressive set up by Holden with there new LPG system.Now LPG buyers have the choise of a more fuel efficient Holden system.Over the more powerfull LPI Falcon system,interesting choise.
- Bogan-villia
  
  Nah, give me more PHOWA! I’ll stick a home made spoila on it, put some offensive stickers on it ‘an call it XSV… Xavier Special Vehicle.
Frenchie

Ford LPi system is better? If so why does Commodore out sell Falcon 3:1?

CA when you do a comparision between the two vehicles can you do it on a hot day and a cooler day. I like to see the difference regarding Holdens claims that hot weather has an effect on the two different systems.
- Matthew Werner
  
  The best [insert product] doesn’t always sell the most… just look at Apple – plenty of better / cheaper-for-the-same-spec products from competitors but Apple has the mind share. Same with Holden. Mazda has gotten there too with the 3… if you looked at Australian sales you would think the company is killing it, but overall they are in trouble
F1MotoGP

What is happened with LPG prices. Today 8 Mar 2012 in VIC 3136 LPG price is $0.879!!!!
GJC

The loss of a spare tyre (for an inflator device) is no big deal with this lpg model. I think I had one flat tyre in past 7 years with my current car (done 150k’s), and similar rate with previous cars.

From personal experince of looking now at a new car, we tend to fall for marketing trends (like wanting faux 4wd’s in the burbs). This seems like a sound option all round. Diesel will follow petrol pricing, especially from Asian demand (and its highly polluting). And petrol will continue to rise (and rise).
Feizex

check the table – there are only two models that get 11.8L/100km. All the others get 12.3 or 12.4. That strips the economy advantage vs ford claim. Ford’s is 12.5.
http://profiles.google.com/peterconnell612 peter connell

it seems

clearly lpi is a better system – falconS prev dedicated vapor model much the same car & lpi is way better than it.

allow me to pose a simple question re the boot & spare?

if u throw a spare in the boot for country trips

given the vast backseat as well?

how do you fare vs a mazda 3 eg for luggage ?

favorably methinks

yet u get better economy & a saloon ride & a v low TCO if u keep it for a while

Early depreciation is not an issue if u keep it a decade

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