Holden Commodore US return: Chevrolet SS announcement imminent

By Jez Spinks | May 10th, 2012

FIND DEALS

The return of the Holden Commodore to North American showrooms – as a Chevrolet SS model – is expected to be confirmed later this month.

The revival of the Commodore export program to the US, beyond the limited number of police car versions of the Holden Caprice already on sale there, has been anticipated since Chevrolet announced it would use a brand new nameplate for its 2013 NASCAR challenger.

General Motors has since patented the Chevrolet SS (SuperSport) name, while a US blogger last month accidentally discovered a 2014 model called the Chevrolet SS Performance while exploring his Pontiac G6’s onboard telematics system.

CarAdvice understands, however, that US rumours of the Commodore sedan being joined by its Sportwagon and Ute variants in North America are wide of the mark.

Respected US magazine Car and Driver has reported that the wagon and ute are being considered by GM.

Holden’s parent company previously planned to import the Holden Commodore Ute to the US as the Pontiac G8 ST sport truck, but the plan was scuttled in early 2009 by the global financial crisis.

The Pontiac G8 sedan – a rebadged and re-nosed Commodore – soon followed when GM axed the Pontiac brand as part of its drastic recovery measures after entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy and being rescued by the US government.

Only the Holden Commodore sedan will cross the Pacific in 2013, however. Export numbers aren’t expected to be in the tens of thousands but are expected to be a respectable volume to bolster Holden’s current overseas deliveries to the likes of South Africa and the Middle East.

The Australian dollar has slipped to virtual parity with the US ‘greenback’, though it’s still sufficiently high to put constraints – by affecting profitability – on more significant export numbers.

The Chevrolet SS launch in 2013 – rendered in an artist’s impression above and main picture – will coincide with a new version of the Holden Commodore, dubbed VF.

The Holden VF Commodore will have some revised body panels – including some constructed from aluminium for reduced weight – and a new-look interior.

The Zeta platform underneath is undergoing a fair amount of development, though is not considered a major architectural change.

Some members of the US media are speculating the Commodore-based Chevrolet SS and Chevrolet Caprice will switch to a so-called Zeta II platform in 2015, though CarAdvice sources suggest this is also not the reality.

The Commodore’s broader return to the US market will be welcome news for Holden, which is believed to have lost nearly $1 billion as a result of the Pontiac G8 program being axed.

The initial plan had been to sell 30,000 Pontiac G8s in the US annually.

The long-term future of the Holden Commodore remains unclear, however.

In March Holden announced a $275 million co-investment package with federal and state government, in a deal that will see General Motors’ Australian operation build two all-new models in the second half of the decade based on global platforms.

Holden is not expected to confirm details of the two vehicles for some time. One is almost certain to be a next-generation of the Cruze small car currently being built in Adelaide alongside the Commodore large car.

Holden boss Mike Devereux, however, was reluctant to answer when CarAdvice asked whether the company was committed to building a large car beyond 2018.

Large car sales continue to decline worryingly in Australia, as well as other markets such as the US.

The large-car segment has dropped by 23 per cent so far in 2012, with sales of the Commodore falling by the same margin. The Ford Falcon continues to plummet, with a 25 per cent drop, while the Toyota Aurion – which was only released in new-generation form recently – has slipped 21 per cent.

Holden this week announced a post-tax profit of $89.7 million. The figure was down on the company’s 2010 profit of $112m but contrasted with more bad news for fellow local car maker Ford Australia, which yesterday posted a record $290 million loss.

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Sydlocal

Good news. I hope it is in sustainable numbers.
- Roadtard
  
  Not a bad car, Commodore. Mid-front engine mounting for superior balance, proper RWD, multi-link IRS, 6-speed auto or manual, direct injection on V6′s plus all that fancy VVT stuff… And that was several years ago when many imports had only torsion beam suspension, port fuel injection and a 5-speed slushbox! The haters can get stuffed!
  - Mapleleaf
    
    you are correct. Commodores can easily pile up kays over endless highway driving without a sweat. Its proper family size too.
  - Sydlocal
    
    Roadtard, I agree with a lot of what you are getting at, however the only mainstream imports at that time with torsion beam rear suspension were most of the “city” cars and some small cars, like Holden’s own Cruze/Astra! Most of the city cars and Cruze still do, however it does have packaging advantages for cars of that size. All of the medium/large cars and many small cars around the time when Holden first used the SIDI engine (Camry/Aurion/Liberty/Accord Euro/Mazda6/380/Falcon/Mondeo/Focus/323/Mazda3/Lancer etc etc)) had multi-link rear suspension. If anything, the Commodore was the one dragging the chain pre VE as up until then it only had “old school” semi-trailing arm that many imported cars had in the 80s and had already moved away from. However the VE changed all of that, especially with the SIDI update. There is nothing “dinosaur” about the V6 VE (except for engine refinement at higher rpm) and is a credit to our local engineers, it just needs a good “freshen up”.
    - Roadtard
      
      Sydlocal, we can’t begin comparing apples with apples now. For too long the haters have measured Falcodores against much more expensive imports, including many smaller offerings that should handle better and should be more fuel efficient by virtue of their size and weight if nothing else. Damn I hope we get a new Torana!
      - Sumpguard
        
        I’d say it is “very likely”. Watch this space!
  - Mental Telepathy
    
    Hate to say it buddy but Australian cars a years behind the rest of the world!! My Japanese 250GT skyline has direct injection, dual airbags, ABS, traction control, factory HiDs, climate control as standard on the base model….. So that comment is rather void.
    Don’t think Holden had any of that on the base model crappadore in 2002??
    - Roadtard
      
      Mental Case, Australian cars have held their own for at least the last half decade. References to the distant past are null and void.
    - mick
      
      dont think i’ve seen a skyline clock a million kays yet. seen a few falcons do that now and an dirty old HQ with a weezy old 202 that got driven around australia a few times. just because a car doesnt have all the techonolgy doesnt mean its gunna be a bad car! the most basic car can get many miles if looked after properly. just look at the old late 80′s early 90′s camry. nothing flash about them and yet you do see some still putting around with 400,000kms on the clock and still going
    - Hamad
      
      who cares, you can keep your 2002 Skyline.
Robin_Graves

If the peanuts at ford had half a brain they would do this with the Falcon. At the same time bring out a proper stylside ute option with IRS and an IRS equipped wagon.
- Matt
  
  Do you really think Ford US would allow the Falcon to go up against the mondeo/Taurus. I doubt it. The yanks are fairly patriotic
  - Robin_Graves
    
    You are right but there is still plenty of buyers who go for Toyota, Nissan, Honda and Hyundai – although generally they are budget buyers who want a cheap reliable FWD. I still think there would be plenty of people who would like an XR6T or Coyote.
  - F1MotoGP
    
    I do not think they are patriotic. Top 10 cars April 60% Japanese.
    
    1
    Ford F-Series
    47,453
    
    2
    Toyota Camry
    36,820
    
    3
    Honda Accord
    35,385
    
    4
    Chevrolet Silverado
    30,749
    
    5
    Toyota Prius
    25,168
    
    6
    Toyota Corolla
    24,804
    
    7
    Honda Civic
    24,423
    
    8
    Honda CR-V
    23,627
    
    9
    Chevrolet Malibu
    21,906
    
    10
    Ford Fusion
    21,610
    - Alex
      
      Not to mention the new Fusion is a rebadged Mondeo…
    - Shak
      
      Guess what, a lot of those cars are built in the US though, so they’d still rather buy from a foreign Automaker who was supporting US jobs.
      - Zahmad
        
        People tend to forget the fact that most of those cars ARE actually built in the US
      - fangit
        
        Yes, In the NASCAR competition, out of the ford, dodge, chev & toyota, only the jap toyota is made in the usa. I think the other 3 are made in mexico, canada & brazil.
    - John6676
      
      Yes but Matt you will find that most if not all of those “jap” car companies have manufacturing plants within the USA and by doing so they support alot of americans with jobs.
  - JooberFPVGT
    
    Its not the partiotism in general but the belief that ford = usa and that buying a ford is buying american, put an aussie mainstream large car in the mix and the brand loses quite a but of the usa credibility
  - Gibz
    
    ford US wants the falcon to go away and die. it wont last here, let alone appear in the US.
- Paul
  
  Dearborn has been killing the Falcon for years. It has been a deliberate ploy to undermine the product to get volumes to drop which will then justify the US head office to stop local production.
  - mick
    
    fords been wanting too kill the falcon since the days of the XD
440 R/T Charger

Viva Holden! Long life the great Lion!
- kazuo
  
  u mean holden viva? just joking, its a great car tho
Shinjuku Power

Anything that helps keep affordable drivers cars like the Commodore alive for potentially a little longer, is great news. Because the day the Commodore goes front-wheel drive, I’m looking elsewhere for my next performance sedan.
- Phil
  
  Yea, a real drivers car, where everyone buys the automatic – even when it was a 3 speed auto, %99 of crummer buyers went straight for the auto.
  
  Then there’s the powerful 190KW 3.0 6 that dawdles to 100kmh in 8.9 secs - or about the same as a little 77TSI VW Polo.
  
  How about the brakes? 298mm discs on a 190KW/1670kg car? The 90KW/1300kg Ford Focus has bigger brakes – 300mm.
  
  If all your requirements for a performance car are RWD, maybe you should just get a electric scooter…..they’re also RWD.
  - Andrew M
    
    you can talk brake disc size till you are blue in the face but it doesnt seem to relate to stopping times.
    The size and number of pistons etc the calipers have is a bigger factor
    - Phil
      
      Since when did I say anything about stopping times?
      
      The puny disc size means the brakes will overheat quickly. The Crummer’s brakes might work quite well…..in a singular application.
      Try doing it over and over like you would in a true “drives car” and you’ll find Crummers brakes overheat.
      
      Otherwise, why not have small discs in all real sports cars?
      
      Besides, the brake pistons/calipers are also small on crummer.
    - Ramjet
      
      Larger disc = shorter stopping distance and better heat dissipation. Engineering fact.
      - Des
        
        ….. IF all other variables are the same. Which clearly they are NOT.
        Engineering fact.
  - Drac
    
    Why are you bringing up the fleet special when the topic was about drivers cars? If someone was interested in a drivers car they would be looking at the SS which blasts your little polo and focus in just about every measure.
    - Phil
      
      Drac, the SS commodore has the same brakes as the fleet special. That in actual fact makes the brakes even more inadequate as the SS is heavier and more powerful and more likely to be driven by faster drivers.
      - Drac
        
        No it doesn’t, they are bigger discs over the SV6 (not sure if the SV6 is bigger again over the omega)
Peanut

Ford wonder why Falcon sales keep dropping.
Make an announcement about the future of the Car already.
It will either be axed or share a platform with the Mustang.
The nameplate is dropping in recognition every day with a noose hanging over its head until this is clarified.
No one wants to be associated with a dead man so to speak.
Musclesp23

why would Ford sell the Falcon in US when they barely sell 1000 plus units here makes no sense. taurus sells 5 times more. we still use the inline 6. dinosaur technology.
- Andrew M
  
  maybe dinosaur technology in terms of it being an Iron block, thats about it.
  
  But that said, it still out performs the high tech V6 motors it competes against
- Troll No. 76
  
  Please explain how the I6 is “dinosaur technology”.
  - Greenfinger
    
    It means that the car will last and not fall to pieces if it is driven on the poor quality roads in rural Australia.
- Gibz
  
  dinosaur tech that OUTPERFORMS every non dinosaur engine under $150k
  
  ever wonder why most tow cars are falcons? why most caravans on the road are being towed by falcons??
  
  that six bud, its a stunner, and anyone who thinks otherwise knows nothing about cars.
  - Kiwi 1
    
    Well said Gibz! People who bag the current model falcon have probably never driven, or travelled, in one. They will be Toyota [or similar.] drivers.
    The inline six may be ‘based’ on an old engine but has had every part redesigned and modified to get to where it is today, much like the very highly rated BMW inline sixes that are recognised as an outstanding engine.
    The FG Falcon has power, incredible torque [ especially the turbo versions!!] from a modern designed engine, a best in class auto gearbox, clever front suspension, multi-point rear suspension two generations ahead of the opposition, a range of brake package options, good looks, boot space, amazing economy for a full sized family car, a good range of engine and fuel options to suit most needs, and an interior that makes Commodores look dated. Also very good tow ratings when you need it.
    And all this at a price that any ‘competitve’ european would cost $100K more.
    I will stick with my G6E Turbo and enjoy my driving, instead of being just another ‘bored’ road user driving the motoring equivalent of ‘whiteware’.
    - Falcoone
      
      Too bad they’re both slow, heavy and ugly..
      
      Testing from CanberraTimeshas shown that the Ecoboost Falcon;
      
      “Fuel use for our day of mainly country driving hovered around 9.5 litres per 100km”
      
      9.5L/100Km is pethetic for country driving!!
      
      It’s weaker, slower, heavier and probably even less fuel efficient then rivals…
      - Des
        
        “Fuel use for our day of mainly country driving hovered around 9.5 litres per 100km’……… but also included plenty of performance testing!
  - Phil
    
    Hardly anyone tows, have a look around at the cars on the road – how many are even fitted with tow bars?
    
    Plus even if it were true and lots of people towed – well they’re obviously not doing it with Falcoones anymore or Falcoone sales would be booming.
    
    There are plenty of engines it doesn’t “OUTPERFORM”. The V6 Passat for instance has a extra 25KW whilst using less fuel – and thats in the same price range as Falcoone.
    Moving up to the 100K area – how about the Audi A6 3.0TSI? A extra 45KW and more torque than Falcoone with %20 lower fuel economy?
    Then there’s BMWs engines….
- Dave S
  
  Who says they need to sell the 6? If they Sold the turbo 4 and the Miami V8 power versions, then they have economy covered and power covered in a RWD platform.
  
  The US would love to see the mustang motor in a 4 door RWD model.
- TheMenz
  
  Musclesp23 (firstly if your idea of muscle is an SP23 then there is problem right there)
  
  You argue the I6 is dinosaur technology and your right its origins and core design were introduced 40 years ago, but it, unlike almost any other engine one earth has remained in production and been made complaint despite cast iron block with all current emissions targets. Around the city it is capable of 9.8l/100 (I do it regularly and I am not that soft on the go pedal)and my fathers 4cyl A4 can’t get that.
  
  I am so sick of people bashing these cars. Sure their sales are falling that’s because every tom, dick and harry want a bloody SUV these days. Have a look at the sales of Territory.
  
  The Falcon (& commodore) are fantastic Aussie products. Sure they break, but My fiance has had more trouble with her VW Golf then I have with a G6. All cars break.
  
  Sure during the 80′s their quality was questionable. But that was then. These are world class car built on a shoe string budget with little or no export. Meanwhile the yanks turn out rubbish like Crown Vic for 30 years and Taurus and yet it will be Falcon that dies.
  
  It is a joke, and more over it is a joke that Aussie seem hell bent on sending them to the grave. Having worked with car designers here in Australia (a previous life) I can assure you these guys would love to be developing all sorts of cars here, but the US masters control what does and does not get made here and Falcon and Commodore were it…. Until some guys at Ford saw the market changing and lobbied hard to build Territory.
  
  We are lucky given the size of our market to have any car industry at all.
  
  I wish journalists would do something, anything to build enthusiasm or momentum around these products rather then simply talk of their impending death.
  
  Car Advice….Take a G6 Turbo and GT over to California and let some locals take them for a spin. I reckon you would be surprised what some of them have to say.
  
  We are going to lose the cars because they aren’t cool here anymore and people think they look better in a Golf or X3. But for those that love driving, your choice of large rear wheel drive sporting sedan will cost $100K and wear a German badge.
  - Legnab
    
    You solved the mystery in your last sentence , we love driving but no one wants a large sedan anymore , useless , uneconomical , waste of resources when yo see one person commuting in a large car .
    - ..
      
      people like you have absolutely no idea, i can tell your an idiot just by your opinion of how Holden are wasting Australian resources by manufacturing large sized cars.. you say large cars are “useless, uneconomical , waste of resources” bla bla bla when in fact an lpg fueled commodore or falcon cost less in terms of fuel expenditure over a year then a small petrol fueled car such as a corolla or Mazda 3. i would rather travel in a large car that is cheap to run and more safe then be crammed in a small car which is probably made in another country. AUSTRALIAN’S NEED TO START SUPPORTING OUR OWN AUTO INDUSTRY’S and stop turning there nose at fantastic products. Australia has become the spoilt brat of the family, nothing is ever good enough and all you hear is whinging. grow up.
      - Legnab
        
        Get over it their dead meat , better mothball your VE last of the breed , no one wants them , too expensive to run and they depreciate like a dead dog , try trading it on a decent car bah , stick it on carsales , no interest .
        
        Now the fleet business is being lost , no hope .
      - mick
        
        dont be jealous because you cant afford one!
      - Legnab
        
        Mick i could afford two but i will pass , i value my status in society as person with intelligence .
      - scatman
        
        Yeah you probably carnt afford a fare for thr o barn bus you Adelaide bogan.
        
        You have a chipped 2003 VW, your obviously poor
- mick
  
  dinosaur technology that would litterally rip your sp23 apart mate.
Mr Plow

It’s great that Americans still have the intelligence to import a car that’s big, ugly, heavy and lousy on fuel. What else can Australia sell them?
- Legnab
  
  ROFL dead right mr plow, how dumb are they , obviously still have a large bogan population , one day they will no longer have cheap fuel , goodnight fat cars .
  - HHS
    
    Yeah that’s why they purchase Hybrid as you see above in the stats..
  - Gibz
    
    the new ecoboost falcon on a steady highway run at 100 can sit on 5.8L per 100 kays according to som lads that tested one, on fordforums. fat cars HAVE a huge future, shame ford refuses to tell people how great their product is.
    
    im not a holden man, i think 90% of holden owners are tossers.
    
    but you cant bag their marketing ( the products are ok too )
    - Phil
      
      “according to som lads that tested on, on fordforums”…………..
      
      yea, “som lads”……is that where you get all your technical information?
    - Legnab
      
      How many loosers are going to post this rubbish about a ecoboost flacoon getting 5.8l at 100kmh absolute rubbish , check the testers no where near that figure .
      
      More like down hill at 65kmh , the beat up is pathetic , fat heavy sedans have no future here or in good old USA .
  - Gtrxu1
    
    You assume that petrol will power cars forever.A company in Queensland has the technology to produce jetfuel,biodiesel and E85 fuel from rubbish waste.Holden Volt will be a game changer in Electric+Hybrid powerd vechles.
    Economics 101 what powers economic growth, a stable economic envirement and cheap energy.If the Australian Government had the courage,we could run all our cars on LPG very cheaply.
    - Legnab
      
      Volt is a joke , GM sold less than 2000 last month , its a dead duck .
  - mick
    
    man the mazda 3 is such a good car yet i cant tow 2 tonne with it. you ever think legnab that people who need too tow have no choice but too buy a bigger car that is able to tow more then 2000kgs?? or do you think the mazda 3s gunna have a 1 tonne payload in the boot?? not everyone who has a large car is a bogan. the same could be said about small car owners being noobs given the amount of idiots you see nowdays hooning around in hot hatches.
- Johnson
  
  Ugly? Since when have enormous nostrils been considered ugly?
Horsie

This is great news for Holden and Australia, the idea of having a aussie designed car as the basis for a NASCAR is unbelievalbe !!
- Rocket
  
  You nailed it. It is unbelievable. NASCAR are not based on production cars. I am yet to see a V8 RWD Camry.
  - Horsie
    
    yea mate. i understand that . howerver as we all know the cars are made to resemble the road going version of the car. Being a very patriotic american sport. I simply mean that to base the NASCAR (look and brand) on a car that is not built in America is unusual .
Force-15

Although this is good news for Holden Australia, I can’t help but think that if the Commodore does do well in the USA General Motors will just pack up the Australian equipment and move it to an American factory. That’s provided that the Australian dollar stays as high as it does for a while.
As for the Holden VF Commodore, I’d like to see it succeed (it’s one of the few affordable RWD options available in Australia) but in reality it will be at least two years too late. Even when the VE was released back in 2006 people were then questioning whether or not large cars had a future in Australia.
JooberFPVGT

Large cars will always have it place but large engines is the one may be in doubt, over more efficient 4cyl turbos. Especially fuel prices keep going up.
- Delongh
  
  It depends.. The Japanese make excellent engines and V6′s they’re extremely powerful, efficient & smooth..
  
  Holden’s 3.6 SIDI is a rough motor compared to the spookingly silky smoothness of the 3.5L V6 found in the Toyota Aurion
  
  Toyota also has a version of the 3.5L V6 in the Lexus IS350 which generates 233Kw and can push the car from 0-100 in 5 sec and in some cases less like 4.8sec
  
  V6′s will stay but only the Japanese seem to have decent V6′s but they’re not really big, just 3.5L
  - JooberFPVGT
    
    True that theres always a time and place for large engines but I believe the greater market is moving to the frugality of 4cyl ,but still demand a car big enough.
    
    Theres just to much public stigma on v6+ being too fuel consuming and not a smart choice.
    
    your claim of 4.8 for an IS350 is probably the car going down a slope of some sort.
    That sort of time is more akin to the ISF
    - Delongh
      
      Turbo 4-bangers will consume as much fuel in the real world anyway.. Not to mention the problems associated with forced induction.. And as time goes by the turbos will need to be replaced due to all the wear etc.. And the extra maintainence.. And they still dont really have the perfpenance and characteristics of V6′s etc
      
      But the IS350 is as fast as IS-F to 100Km/h.. Thanks mainly to the gearing.. But from 100Km/h the V8 IS-F will tear apart the IS350
      
      If you’ve ever driven is350 you’d know that thing has some serious get up & go
- Dave S
  
  I hope there will always be a time when the rumble of a V8 will shake the bonnet of a Commodore. I dont care if it runs on: Petrol, LPG or some kind of Ethanol.
  - JooberFPVGT
    
    Yeah hope so, but looks confined more and more to enthusiasts with a bit more disposable income, than what it used to be.
    
    Hopefully someday a true petrol substitute will be made at a fraction of the cost!
- mick
  
  i think the new ecoboost is a good step for ford. by the sounds of it the 2L turbo four pot is just as quick as a BA XT 6 cylinder. that was a car that was not slow
Shak

CA Why is the rendering of a Caprice with bowties on? From all reports in the US, the export SS Sedan will most likely be a VF Commodore with slightly re designed front and rear bumpers. Not a Caprice.
- Andrew M
  
  How do you know the VF doesnt get Caprice style headlights?
  - Shak
    
    Even if it does, the rendering is just an existing Caprice with bowties.
BK

Put a Holden badge on it and people in USA wont know what it is. Put a Chev badge on it and the yanks will know what is it. In australia put a Chev badge on it and we wont know what it is. Put a Holden badge on it and we will know its a holden. lol pmsl
Westie

Well Bowties to fit VEs are already available off eBay, as every good bogan knows!!!
- Sumpguard
  
  Damn why didn’t you say earlier. My mate couldn’t find one for his car so he glued a real bow tie on it instead.
http://twitter.com/GeeHalen Gabor Vajda

Who would have thought that one day the US has to turn to Australia for a flagship gas-guzzler sedan?

I don’t get the name much. “SS” is too widely used at Chevrolet to mark high-performance versions of any of their models. A stand-alone model with this name would suggest that it is a top-of-the range model or so.
Ima_Hogg

Can’t see the Yanks liking our cars but why not have a go.
- Sumpguard
  
  Then you haven’t seen the article regarding the one Caprice sold through a dealer loophole. Plenty of people have asked the owner where to get one!!
  - Ima_Hogg
    
    Completely forgot about that article. Yeah well they must have some interest in a commodore.
Andre

Pretty cool move I reckon.
The US car makers tried to flog Australia heaps of crap in the 60s and 70s and now the tables are turned, we are exporting garbage to them —–
Gtrxu1

Not a lot of good news coming out of the local industry latley.The Americans are going to like the G8 ST SPORTSTRUCK UTE.
- John6676
  
  There not getting the ute though (at this stage) IF and when the dunnydore goes back on sale in the US of A it will be the sedan version only…. and you can just about bet that if it takes off and sells well that the US auto unions will step in and either limit the import amount OR make GM build the car in the USA.
  
  Maybe by then they will export them back here to australia….
  - Gtrxu1
    
    6676 they wont sell in large enough numbers to bother the US Auto unions.Anyway they have free trade agreements like we have.Anyone can seel a car over there at any price.
    You have never asked an American what they think of our utes,they really like them.
Gtrxu1

Not a lot of good news coming out of the local industry latley.The Americans are going to like the G8 ST SPORTSTRUCK UTE.
Daniel D

I have two Japanese cars and have never owned a Holden Commodore, so I am hardly the poster child for GMH, but that said some of the comments on here are unbelievable. The Commodore in its performance models is extremely competent and you need to spend some very serious coin to get something to better it. That simple summary is mentioned again and again in overseas reviews of various export Commodores, where free of being led like sheep on the “its a bogan car” mindset, they review the car for what it is and not what people like to think it is.

To call the Commodore a dinosaur or bogan mobile etc, is to simple admit you have a cultural cringe and a lack of automotive knowledge.
- mick
  
  its only called that because of the tools that give it bad reputation when they drive. as i said before. the same could be said nowdays about people in small hatchbacks. given the amount of tools you see hooning around in them.
Don Quay

Gee, Chevrolet badges on a Commodore. Have I seen that before? I think I might have, you know.
Actually, I was stopped at the lights the other day behind an Omega with the 3.0L V6 and it had the bow tie badge on it and all I could think was “why?”
- Des
  
  Propbably because the 3.0L V6 was designed in the US. We only build them here, in Melbourne, unfortunately no design work for us there.
  - horsie
    
    so what if its designed in the US. chev badges on any holden are pathetic!
    - Don Quay
      
      My point exactly Horsie!
  - ..
    
    both 3.6 and 3.0 v6 engines are designed by Holden..
    - Uss
      
      No they’re not, their based on the GM High feature V6 at least the 3.6 is..
      - ..
        
        the 3.6 and HF 3.6 are both Holden’s work.
      - Don Quay
        
        Sorry .., you’re wrong. Go and tour the factory at Fishermans Bend like I have many times and speak to the engineers and production managers. The castings for the block and heads come from Mexico. They are machined and assembled in Melbourne and dressed with the accessories. Some of the components are sourced locally and they were going to do the casting here, but Ion Industries went broke in about 2004 and they had to revert to imports. The design is pure USA. There is even less done to the V8, they put the manifolds and accessories on it and through it into the cars.
        Holden haven’t made a six of their own design since the old red or blue inline one and a gearbox for about as long either.
      - mick
        
        your close but the last one was the 202 black motor in the VK. holden couldnt afford too upgrade the 6 at the time too met new emission laws and it was very much in the red at the time. hence came the RB30 in the VL
      - Don Quay
        
        Mick, I knew it was the VK, but I thought they were blue as well. Anyway, I’ll take your word for it. I had a VL work car with the Nissan 3.0L engine and it was so much better than the old donk. For its time it was an excellent engine.
JDMyo!

Off topic to the chevy topic but relating to the VF…. Holden really need to put bigger wing mirrors on the VF or make blind spot assist standard across the range. The tiny mirrors and hige blind spot make the VE a joke to reverse park/change lanes….. It’s past a joke —-> stupidity.

Also the kerb weight of even on the base omega is past rediculous. Such a hefty car
- Shak
  
  Completely agree on your first point, the wing mirrors need to go. And while im at it, why dont they try and print the aerial onto the rear window, but i digress.
  On the second point, the Omega is actually quite competitive on the weight front. Compare it to the XT from Ford, which is actually heavier. And while im at it, why not compare it to the 5er, which is only 65kg lighter, and has been developed with arguably more funds and exotic materials. Same with the E-Class, the base petrol is only 40kg lighter which again has been developed to sell in much larger numbers, with a much larger development cost.
  The Commodore, range does well for itself considering it was developed on such a tiny budget, for such a tiny market.
- Don Quay
  
  Yes, can’t argue with that. I have given up getting Commodores as hire cars. No matter how you adjust the seat or wheel it is still difficult to see out of it. The front pillars are really awkward to see around and in the SV6 the rear wing blocks out the bottom half of the rear view. Funny thing is the Commodore has a much better driving position, but the Falcon with its too high seat and too low wheel is much easier to see around the A pillars and the XR6 boot wing is barely visible in the mirror.
  - mick
    
    yea on the falcons i cant see the boot in the rear view mirror unless it has a spoiler. i just use the side ones too get an idea when reversing. i’ve noticed alot of modern sedans like this thou. think manufacturers would do something about it besides those annoying reverse sensors and camreas
- Dave S
  
  Firstly in terms of rear visibility, you need both mirrors. I sometime wonder about some of the new Kia’s. It’s seems the new Kia, has a thing against rear windows. The thing I notice about the new Kia SUV and Rio models: is how tiny the rear window is. Through in some tall rear hear rests and they could see very little.
  
  I am still unsure what makes the VE such a heavy car, in the opinion of some. The Base VE is around 100kg heavier than the new 3 series wagon and the M5 everyone has been talking about sits around 1860+kgs. The Toyota Kluger, is around 2000kg
  - Sumpguard
    
    I own one of those KIA suvs and have yet to find issue with rear vision . It is more than adequate out on the road and a simply case of taking the time to make sure you are clear which many drivers with excellent rear vision still don’t bother to do! The side mirrors on most new cars are much better at showing blindspots on these newer cars anyway as they have a slightly convex lens.
    
          As for reversing the model I have has the camera so it is better visability than every car on the road that doesn’t have one. They should be compulsary on ALL cars!!!
    
         The single biggest issue for me was the thick A pillars but I am used to those now too. It’s a small price to pay for the additional strength if ever needed. However in the case of the commodore I suspect they will give in to those that can’t take the extra time to make sure they are clear and downsize with the new model.
    
        There are tens of thousands of trucks, caranvan towers and loaded minivans with absolutely no use for the rear window and they all manage fine.
Kieran

The Americans loved the Pontiac G8 because we do better suspension and build quality. The only thing holding the back Commodore and Caprice PPV exports to the USA has been the high Aussie dollar.

Now that our dollar is heading back down to more realistic levels, a VF export program to the USA makes a lot more sense financially.
Raymondj1

The styling seems a bit dated even though there has been tweaks from the Pontiac G8′s appearance, no doubt the performance will be able to size up with the competition.