2007 Holden Commodore VE Ute Spied – Again
July 10, 2007 by Paul Maric
Literally days after our exclusive spy pictures of Holden’s new Commodore Ute, more photos have appeared of the exact same vehicle pictured in our initial post. In fact, not only is it the same vehicle, it’s parked in the exact same location – if not the exact same parking space.
It would be rude of us to suggest that Holden is deliberately leaving these vehicles hanging around in highly populated shopping centres to take the limelight away from Ford’s new Orion Utility – which has been posing for a select few of our spy photographers.
Photos courtesy of ‘gameover’ from LS1 forums.
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they will bring the utes and the wagons out in 2008 do you know why there doing that. ill tell you why because the 2008 ford orion is coming out then and holden know thats bad news so they are bringing them out then so holdens can sell them at the same time.
Ha ha ha!!! Holden have become the most pittful excuse of a car brand on the planet. They’re beginning to make Proton look extreme.
What are they trying to pull with bringing out that ridiculous piece of crap and calling it the HSV GTS-R?
Ooooo!!! Careful Ford fans this could be end of Ford’s V8s!
NOT LIKELY!
Does GM not realise that there is a car called the Shelby Mustang GT500? Even if that doesn’t quite work all that well, there is the GT500KR, and if that doesn’t work then there is always the GT500 Super Snake… Hmmm, not looking too good for GM… Oh yeah, did I not mention the the Falcon Cobra?
And this ute that “Holden” has produced, is just pungent! Did someone at Holden let the work experience kid design it?
lol
Hey
I am Holden Supporter(Who also holds the up most respect for the competition)
This is our first post i just read the whole thread and found it is the biggest crock of shiat. Who gives a flying F%$k who made ABS a standard first. That was what 10 years ago now. The fact is that at the moment the VE is the better car. When the orion comes out it MAY be second best and i can accept that and chances are i would still buy the holden over the ford and if i looked over the fords specs i sure i could niggle at every little thing but i am sure a ford supporter would do the exact same to the holden so give it up you are not going to convince your average holden supporter that ford is the better car or vice versa.
Holden make Great cars
Ford make Great Cars
For the record new VE HSV Kick arse
Read August 07 MOTOR Mag Good Comparison on Dyno
Enjoy Life Lads and remember rome wasnt built in a day
it takes time to perfect things
Rory
I have heard that the media release for the VE ute is August 22. Qld dealers get to see it in the flesh on August 28 and they expect to see the first of the product in dealerships early September but don’t expect to see decent quantities available under mid October to mid November.
http://www.evolutionendshere.com.au
if that countdown is right, somethings going to happen on 23rd August?
Azza, get ya car specs right before you start an arguement, if im correct, all of those Mustang variants you mention are equipped with a bronze age LIVE REAR AXLE!! Big Grunt from a V8 will always rule the roost, but no good if ya get get the power to the black stuff!!!
A normal Mustang has enough power down and axle tramp problems enough as it is, so watch out FORD, GM has Independant Suspension!!!! Other Bronze age Live Axle/ leaf sprung Ford Products to mention, Facon Wagon, Falcon Ute. And how long has Ford Aust. been using the exterior cabin design (front rear doors, and in wagon form, um the whole vehicle from the firewall back…)
Yeah sure, the leaf sprung/live axle falcon ute has a better payload then the coil/semi IRS VZ Commodore of current(though again power down and handling suffers a lot), but how many Tradies do you see drive Falcon and Commodore Utes compared to eg, Toyota Hi-Lux, Holden Rodeo ect.
I am A Holden Man yeah, but remember, a ute is designed for the tradies!!! They look good in (of course)HSV and (I s’pose)FPV form, yes, but the specs on both of those brands utes makes them pointless in respects to their original use, which is load luggin, beer haulin (and a bit of sideways action at a work site!!!)Yee Ha!!
And Azza, we’re in Australia, and not officially on the market here in this country, who gives a shit about a Mustang. All of your Arguements are biased Ford crap, we get ya point.
And finally, recent spy photos of the 2008 Falcon saw many prestige Europeans cars, BMW, Audi, but guess what else was there??? Yep a VE Commodore, When VE was being developed, I didn’t see a Falcon in sight.
Right… Mitch what I am getting at here, is if Holden/HSV get to use a Chevrolette High Performance 7.0L V8 (IMPORTED) then why can’t Ford over here in Aust. use a High Performance V8 from SVT (imported)? Exactly, which rumour has it, is what Ford/FPV have considered using in the upcoming FPV Cobra LE Model. That is a rumour so do not hold me to that.
Get my car specs right? Maybe you should take a leaf out of your own book…
And about the whole thing about no photos of the new Falcon in the background when the VE was being developed… well maybe, just maybe, the “new” Falcon wasn’t there, because it hadn’t been developed yet… You pittiful fool. And before you begin to mention “well the BF MKII could have been there but it isn’t in the VE’s league…”
No the BF MKII wasn’t there because it is a 5 year old model with some updates! And it cracks me up because for some strange reason, that 5 year old model is still better in 90% of areas than the VE Commodore which cost Australian Tax payers $1 billion! You think i’m being bias but i’m not, i’m telling the truth as it is.
Ford is literally years ahead of Holden in Technology of all sorts. You said it yourself at the beginning of your little hissy fit.
Gee Mitch, you love to .itch! Azza your comment is great!!!
Mitch… really who gives a flying truck whether a Ford Falcon had a VE hovering in the background. Do you look at footage or something trying to work out if authentic or added into picture or shadows face wrong way or any other conspiracy theory! Mitch I have stood in crowds where John Howard was… so just calm yourself down as I was interested in listening and was not there as a security threat or demonstrator or any other silly wild ASSUMPTIONS on your behalf. If you think car companies do not get other cars that have certain qualities to compare them to in real situations, then you are loosing. Mate your beep booping and scatting and your loosing it!
Dont talk on behalf of tradies mate… glad that Ford make LPG only motors and produce them in the Ford factory with Ford thinking. The OPEL / KOMBIDORE do not make one and only have the brains to ship it out off factory floor to a contractor elsewhere for fitment and even then dual fuel with worse economy… not good for tradies mate so you want to throw that comment down the toilet and flush it very quickly and often. If you never had Opel and Vauxhall you would have a whole crap line up out of Australia where the Epica, Lexcen, Cruise, Adventra, Avalanche, CV6, CV8, Viva, Captiva, Barina came from. The poor excuse of detail on VXR (is it a HSV or OPEL as this car has an alter ego to confuse buyers when compared to past HSV’s) involves a lot of basic skill with PROFESSIONALLY fitted stickers fitted on cars here as about as complex and involved as it gets here! WOW maybe put a commercial up stating “The technology is cutting edge and state of the art of the VRX, it cost in excess of 1 billion dollars to come up with model variant away from Opel and even then we missed things and deliberately forget fancy HSV things, but hey who cares as they will buy them”
Actually now that I think about it, that is probably where the VE belongs! In the background! And it is where it should stay, so that it can no longer harm anyone’s eyes with it’s terrible looks!
1 billion $$$ of Australia’s taxpayers money??? what a crock of shit. It’s called profit (holden does have some….???)
And wasn’t it the current Aust(Liberal’s) gov. that gave ford aust. over 100 million??? For Apparant development of hybrid technology??? It maybe true, but who’s pocket’s did that come from??? yep mine, yours ect…
And roberto??? wot comment.. hey I agree Ford has the tradesman market edge, but everyone is commenting about the way the VE ute looks. I shouldnt matter, i wasn’t designed as a looker, its a worker.
And I am quite aware of the rebadging of many holden GM vehicles, I own an Astra (sri Turbo), and im aware that it is, well mine anyway, is made in belguim. But dont blabber on about GM doing it, every car maker has been doing it!!!!
And my remark about the VE in the backround of a Falcon development mule??? Holden (and holden by themselves, not Opel ect) must have produced a a brilliant vehicle for other Car companies, like ford, to have their car being compared to it.
My advice, go and drive a VE commodore. I have, and i own one!!! I have driven a Falcon, just to see where their at, and at this current chassis cant match the VE.
Though, transmission and 6 cylinder refinement is better in the Falcon, I admit it. But the heavy BOSS V8 in Ford and FPV form cant keep up with standard GEN 4 V8 or even XR6 Turbo.
But I dont think you (Azza, roberto) have driven one, so if you havent DONT comment on the VE!!!
AZZA… Mitch is right mate, it is not taxpayers money where research and design went into the OPEL / VE KOMBIDORE! It comes direct from the company bottom line.
MITCH… well umm fact is most car makers (especially bigger ones) got serious funds for new technology (eg: hybrid, electric, etc). Holden got more so do not even go there!
And nobody is blabbering, you must feel pissed that an iconic brand like Holden with another OPEL car (hmmm where would Holden be without OPEL AND VAUXHALL) the Astra HSV put there expertise by sticking stickers on it at best. That says “YEAH WHY BOTHER, STUFF THE GUAGES AS MAJOR COST, LETS JUST DO THE STICKERS AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT HSV LOGO… LIKE WHO CARES 177kW FROM FRONT WHEELER WITH NO 4WD MEANS MASSIVE TORQUE STEER ISSUES. LEAVE IT STANDARD AND WE WILL BUMP THE COST UP CLOSE OR ABOVE SIMILAR OPPOSITION. WE KNOW IT IS A BACKWARD STEP, BUT FORD DID IT FIRST WITH THE FOCUS XR5 SO WE MUST FOLLOW SUIT. EXCEPT WE WILL PUT THE HSV LOGO ON STICKERS AND PEOPLE ARE STUPID AS THEY CANNOT TELL IT IS AN OPEL…”
HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO AUSTRALIA IS A LOAD OF CRAP!
All car makers have test mule cars from balance of cars they compete against to cross check performance and handling in certain areas. FACT!
Concerning the VE, mate you are putting the apple before the cart… I have driven one. It is nice but not the quantum leap above an older Falcon. Its motor is coarse, steering vague, rougher motor, bad fuel economy. Mate and it is nice looking from side on looking towards front with the short overhang and how the front wheelarch flare cuts in to the front is hot. But then I lokk at the back and see opposite, what the hell is the bizarre Mr Bean rear tailight thing – mate it looks fugly (that is f…en ugly). Then you look at the rear wheelarch and it does not gel with the front one as the front one is sort of hidden with the front bumper and the back flare is just Dukes of Hazzard wierd crap! Mate it looks like Kevin Rudd drove it back from the strip club he cannot remember about… heh heh heh! Lucky OPEL had something for the simply ones Downunder to tweak and work on, it would of been hard without OPEL and Vauxhall. HOLDEN MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO AUSTRALIA (i.e. they only make the OPEL Kombidore that had its genes from Europe).
I would like Mitch to tell us about Holden. Why is it they only make the OPEL KOMBIDORE… Is there a car with 100% content from downunder???
Where do you get OPEL KOMBIDORE from??? Hey i know all Commodores (until the VE) has been a based on European variants, but like you say, who cares.So mid 2005 dude.
The Falcon was the benchmark (in australian built saloons, and remember i am a Holden fan, so im not being biased), until the VE Commodore came. The current Falcon has an excellent 6 cylinder, more grunt and loads more torque in standard non turbo form, compared to even the 195kw Alloytec. And the ZF 6 speed auto transmission is definatly the best in the biz.
Unfortunatly for Ford, the V8 is a dud. Short rev window comparared to the Gen IV, no low rpm torque, and not much top end power, and when the big cams of the 5.4 do kick in about 3500 rpm, it’s all over ant 5900.
Ford did take a slight step back with the rack in the BA. Whilst it was a lot better than the ‘nothing much happening here’ VT-VZ Commodore, it wasn’t as crisp, accurate and lost a bit of feel and communication compared to the AU. And in V8 form, with the big V8 high in the engine bay, didn’t help much either.
When the VE arrived, it absolutley smashed the Falcon for on road dynamics. A shed load of feel and communication, great balance, and overall chassis poise and grip (not reliant on the front outside tyre like VT-VZ) I don’t however know where you got ‘vague’ from if you commenting on the VE, unless it was the previous series. If thats that case, I agree.
And the looks of the VE? Well first thing for everyone out there (im not quoting on yourself Rob, you havent said anything of the like) that the VE looks anything like a Falcon they have got it all wrong. The basic shape and minor exterior proportions of the VE where signed of in 2002, whilst the overall bumper trims ect where a done deal in 2003-2004. Looking at the thing, I dont know where people see anything like that. So thats crap.
Though my point of view towards the design of the Falcon is:
*Whilst it was a clean looking car in 2002, Ford have not change anything since(apart from minor front grille and bumper), and it is overall looking quite dated. And as I mentioned in my previous ‘rant’ the exterior shell (door, roofline) is from an AU, so dated in that detial indeed.
*Unlike the Commodore variants, current and previous, Ford has been quite lazy in model differentation. Bumber and XR/FPV front headlight alone, all of the tailights and headlights are the same, including the Fairlane! No bezel, chrome or blackout details on any tailights, and no projector lens ect for the front headlights. Every (modern, say VY series, when BA came out)Commodore has had detailed model differences between model’s, including the Statesman/Caprice.
But on your comments on quote ‘Holden means a great deal to Australia’ and ‘Is their a car with 100% Aussie Content’, well first, no, their is not a car in with 100% Aussie blood.
Holden sourced thier transmission’s and the Alloytec V6 (though Holden did have a major designed input toward it), but the chassis is a clean sheet Aussie design!!! (so stop with OPEL KOMBIDORE CRAP)!!! And Ford gets the ZF 6 speed Auto from, well, ZF in Europe, The V8 is sourced from the US, similar to the V8 in Mustang, Ford GT ect. The Mitsubishi 380 and Toyota Aurion is based of thr US version of the Galant and Avalon respectivley. So thats that.
But, if you ask me, Holden does mean a lot to Australia. And so does Ford. Both of these manufactures build world class and Aussie tough vehicles, for a truley brilliant price, compared to the Euro’s. Agreed, both have faced some cost cutting experience’s of recent, but Aussie’s build and designed both of these cars!! We will love either one or the other, but as long as we buy Australian, and not foriegn (and im most cases) crap, we can still argue which one we pefer for a long time coming.
Mitch I agree Ford has been quite lazy in model differentation and slow keeping pace with Holden (particularly the VE). When the Falcon comes out it might be ahead of the Commodore, then when next generation Commodore comes out it will be ahead of the Falcon. What gets me about Falcon is people are saying the next Orion Falcon looks great… I say Ford has been quite lazy in model differentation and correct me if wrong but not one picture of a exposed Orion yet without car bras to hide the look yet – if the computer rendering is anything to go by heaven forbid! Holden does outsource some great stuff from Opel, etc with there European background there. Me honestly thinks Ford better have more serious model differentiation at all levels of the Falcon! And as you know Iam a Ford Supporter just ahead of Holden as Holden have no LPG only motors!
glad to hear roberto & mitch finaly found even ground i have read all the blogs on this page & thought well ford has bought out ugly cars & so has holden the latest one being a prime example the best commodore they have bought out i think in looks & power has been the vl i’m a ford lover but can’t get past that model especialy the calais & i think the same way about the ba bf falcon. what really has changed about this new commodore ute ? looks the same from the side. go to the front & it’s got the same ugly front & oversized flares as the sedan. the back well not changed except the taillights are shorter & maybe intrude into the side panels further. that’s what were all here to discuss aren’t we. it may sell well but it doesn’t give me a woody
Well now that everyone has seen the real deal, it’s time for those who actually like the new Ute enough to want to order one, am able to give you all an option to secure one of the following Utes, that i have coming to me, in the first batch that are not sold……..Omega V6 Auto in White, SV6 Auto “Cloth” in Nickel, SS Manual “Leather” in K-Pow(electric blue), another SS Auto in K-Pow, and one SSV Manual “Onyx Leather” in Nickel…….The new Ute does look bigger in real life, but as Andrew was hinting, the measurements are a actually less than previous models(Length & width).Am putting on a Demo Manual Ute as well for those who want a test drive, please let me know and am happy to help. brads@baycityholden.com.au Light Commercial Manager.
Hey guys, if u wanna c wat the new VE Ute will actually look, go onto http://www.holden.com.au ok
its really kool!
How can any Holden Fan Like this? The ute looks like sh*t!!!!
Why the hell did they need to show it of for with no fake panels?
I’m a Ford bloke. Mitch I agree with nearly everything in your last post. A new exterior for Falcon is long overdue. The BF concentrated on better driveline, etc, (brilliant move getting the ZF) but the average person wouldn’t spot the difference between it and the BA.
Ford’s inline 6 outclasses Holden’s Alloytec V6. Yes Holden’s pushrod V8 definitely have it over Fords high-tech quad cam 4v/cylinder 5.4 (Funny how the older type is better in both cases???)
I think Ford Oz and FPV have done all they can with what they had (only way forward is super-charge it or import a new one), whereas Holden just imports a great engine from GM/Chev. Well the Oz car market is small compared to the rest of the world (ie. smaller R&D budgets), so if importing engines works better, so be it. Must be why Ford are planning to get the 5 liter (N/A and Super-Charged) from Jaguars XKF. Can only be a good thing to me.
Ford Oz have done a stellar job with the 6 (in one form or another for 30 years). The F6 Typhoon is something special, as are the SS and HSV V8’s. I can see good and bad in both cars.
The VE is a quantum leap over VT,VX,VY,VZ but it has only just leapfrogged AU,BA,BF in dynamics. All reviews I’ve read gave VE the tick but showed surprise in how close the BFII was to it.
Orion may be a major leap, maybe not, but I’m looking forward to seeing how they shape up to each other. We win from the competition, our great cars keep getting better. I’m liking how the Orion is coming along so far and will likely end up with a Typhoon next year.
I like the look of the VE ute except for the taillights and flares. I think the flares looked too big on the whole range except HSVs that really filled them with big rims.
If I was in the market for a ute, it’d be a mid range model Ford (perhaps RTV), and I’m not saying that because of the badge, but for the leaf springs. There’s no way I’d buy an FPV or HSV ute. Ute’s are supposed to be a work hack, so a flash one seems utterly pointless to me. A performance or sporty car should be a sedan IMO.
Its a good design but,ill wait for the new ford before i compare the two,go the boss for reliability and better auto.
K-Dog, Aussie, ETC. I don’t need your rubbish!! May I have the facts please?
Why do you need facts for!
Nahh, i Didn’t need to write that!!!