Holden Commodore MY10 – First Steer
September 8, 2009 by David Twomey
If Holden’s ‘billion dollar baby’, the VE Commodore, had engines like these back in 2005 then it truly would have been worthy of the rave reviews it received at the time.
While I would concede that the looks, which personally don’t overly appeal to me, have stood the test of time, the mechanical package was behind the game from day one.
The 3.6-litre Alloytec V6 port-injected engine first introduced in 2004 always seemed to us to be an unhappy unit, mechanically harsh and mostly sounding a little strangled in its performance.
Now all that has changed with the introduction of direct injection, plus a myriad of other changes, to the MY10 Commodore, plus the long-wheelbase Statesman and Caprice, engines.
The big feature for most prospective Holden large sedan, wagon and utility buyers will be the downsizing of the base engine to 3.0-litres and the inevitable question; “how does it go, mate?”
Well we can tell you right off that it goes pretty darn well, in fact we’d go so far as to say you wouldn’t think it was from the same engine family as the old 3.6-litre.
It revs, it has plenty of power and it has more than enough torque, especially now that it is coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission that is never wanting for the right ration for the job.
And if you think that’s a glowing report the new 3.6-litre direct injection engine fitted to the up-spec models, such as the Calais and he SV6, is an even bigger gem, in fact there’s just one word to describe it “gun”.
At least one senior Holden executive, no we won’t be naming him, told CarAdvice that “this was the VE we should have had back in 2005.”
In GM Holden nomenclature these new engines are Spark Ignition Direct Injection (SIDI) and they now offer the same technology as engines previously used in the likes of the Cadillac CTS that almost made it to our shores earlier this year.
There are SIDI badges on all models to proclaim the new engines and we’ve got to say it’s a badge that Holden can wear with some pride.
The two new engines draw upon the best practices and creative expertise of GM’s technical centres in Germany, North America and Australia.
The Alloytec V6 SIDI engines, both 3.0-litre and 3.6-litre offer advanced direct combustion chamber fuel injection, are made in Melbourne at the company’s Fishermans Bend engine plant, although many of the components, including the blocks, come from GM facilities in other parts of the world.
The engines deliver a balance of improved operating refinement with first-rate noise and vibration control, good specific output, high torque over a broad rpm band, fuel economy and low emissions, exclusive durability-enhancing features and very low maintenance.
In addition to aluminium engine block and cylinder heads the 3.0-litre SIDI engine utilises an exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head.
Local development work on the two engines started in 2007, with engine, calibration and vehicle durability testing taking place over a 30-month period.
More than 1.1 million test kilometres and almost 11,000 engine dynamometer hours were clocked up in the process.
Fuel efficiency has become the latest game between local car manufacturers and Holden has certainly upped the ante with its new engines.
Commodore Omega achieves just 9.3 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres in the official ADR81/02 test – up to 13 per cent better than current models – making it more efficient than some major four-cylinder competitors.
The 3.6-litre SIDI engine improves fuel efficiency in the premium models from seven to 13 per cent, which means that in a Calais fuel use drops from 11.2 to 9.9L/100km on the ADR81/02 test cycle.
Carbon dioxide emissions from both engines have also been reduced with the 3.0-litre dropping as low as 221 grams of CO2 per kilometres and the 3.6-litre going as low as 236g/km.
Director of Marketing, Phillip Brook, pointed out that head-to-head with the base model Ford Falcon XT automatic the Omega is 1.2L/100km more fuel efficient and emits 30 grams a kilometre less CO2.
All V6 SIDI models have received a power upgrade, with the 3.0-litre increasing output to 190kW from the 175kW of the previous engine, while the 3.6-litre is up from 195kW to 210kW.
At the same time torque has increased to 350Nm for the 3.6-litre while the 3.0-litre produces 290Nm, and both engines are still tuned to run on 91RON petrol, the minimum fuel rating available in Australia.
On the road both engines deliver performance that is more than up to the job of moving a large sedan, although we didn’t get to drive a Statesman with the 3.6-litre engine.
However, the comments of those who did indicate it is more than adequate for moving such a large car.
An interesting aspect of the new engines is deceleration fuel cut, which seamlessly cuts the fuel feed when decelerating or coasting.
The feature has been in use on VE from its inception but now Holden has refined the operating range of this feature to maximise fuel efficiency.
Low rolling resistance tyres – the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) has even be recalibrated to allow for them, changes to a host of technical aspects of the cars and the addition of the 6L50 six-speed transmission all make driving the MY10 Commodore range a much more pleasant experience than it was in the past.
Going downhill it will automatically shift down a gear and use the engine to help hold vehicle speed, reducing brake wear.
Going uphill the transmission detects when the car would normally be prone to shifting rapidly between gears or “hunting”, and intervenes by holding the right gear for the job.
A Holden executive told CarAdvice that recently departed chairman Mark Reuss had been insistent on the adoption of the six-speed transmission. He reportedly rejected a five-speed option saying that Holden had to do more than be “just adequate, it had to move ahead of the game.”
Overtaking performance in the 3.0-litre V6 is certainly adequate and in the 3.6-litre it is exceptional.
The changes to the MY10 Commodore are al about fuel efficiency and improving the driveability of the car, and besides a couple of new ‘hero’ colours nothing else has really changed.
Holden sees it as evolution rather than revolution and we would have to agree, the same body shape continues – love it or not – and the interior doesn’t get any upgrades or changes, so buyers should continue to expect unrelieved expanses of black plastic and dark upholstery.
CarAdvice will be putting a range of MY10 Commodores through its testing regime in the near future and we’ll also be looking at how the new powertrains stack up against some of the competitors.
Print it: 
Sounds good for holden.
Sounds like they finally might have a driveline to match fords 6cyl/autotran. Better fuel economy too. Add to that the better road holding/balance of the VE over the falcon and the only thing it is really lacking is an outdated looking interior compared to the falcon.
Still…have to wait for a proper comparison to see how good it really is.
That SV6 ute looks hot in that new orange colour.
It looks very similar to the VX colour that they had, not sure if I like it though.
Yeah – “Poxy Bronze” it’s called (hate it with a passion) or “Tiger” if you wan’t to be picky.
This isn’t tiger mica at all…
This is more VZ HSV Gold than anything
Tiger is a significantly different colour.
Yeah i think that it is tiger. Holden had it on the VZ monaro and they stopped for a while.
I thought it was called “Pumpkin” lol
sounds like a positive for holden…. :)
as for the gold colour…. i thought it was once called baby poo brown.
It sounds very impressive. Congratulations to Holden. this could be a real winner! :)
Its even more amazing to hear a Holden manager recognise that they should get ahead of the pack with the 6 speeder rather than save a few bucks and go with a 5 speeder.
Perception is everything, VW, BMW and japanese are seen as innovators
Considering holdens history of holding on to ancient designs just to save money I find it astonishing to realise that Holden might want to be seen as – dare I say it – a “Leader” rather than a belated follower
Cases in point:
- Holden considered a low-cost carby powered 3800 for the VN Executive before sanity and environmental regs prevailed.
- Holden preventing brocky from putting IRS on the VL director
- Holden not putting IRS on the VN commodore even though it bolted straight on
- Holden not adding the extra IRS link under VT/VX commodores.
- 1960’s Red/blue/black 6cyl engine was still powering VK commodores in the mid 1980’s
- Holden v8 1968 – 1999 (I still love it though)
- Awful Commodore 4 speed auto 1988 – 2009
I agree, finally playing catch up with the Europeans, Hmmm who knows, in a couple of years I might actually be impressed enough to buy a Commodore again.
They are light years away from a decent Euro, they are fleet cars and that is about it. They aren`t ground breaking and are way over priced for something with very little technology and poor quality, basically they are a budget car.
And a decent Euro is?
wow,
Nothing like a bunch of sweeping generalisations and complete ignorance of reality eh?
jon, how bout you go back to driving your Lada… talk about over priced?? tell me what a BMW with the equivalant features to a Caprice would cost in Australia?? I know what is overpriced
A BMW 320i has more features than a Caprice bud.
In the early seventies, a Holden boss proudly exclaimed, “We build down to the Australian market”. So the story goes.
The new engines are impressive but 290nm torque is bugger all from the 3.0, i suspect the real world fuel consumption will be higher than 9.3l/100km. Will be interesting to see if the SIDI American 3.6 can out preform the aussie I6.
290nm is bugger all from a 3.0 engine? It’s the same torque per displacement figure as the Falcon I6, but WELL up on hp per litre.
Doesn’t alter the fact it can only produce 290nm compared to 390+ in the falcon. the torque displacement figure only complements the falcon. It shows the falcon with its old tech still can produce the same torque output as the new high tech direct injection v6s from Holden on a comparable scale. If ford direct injected there engine and upgraded it, the figure would increase in favor of the falcon further shadowing Holden’s engines (which hopefully they do by mid next year). What can i say the 4L I6 is Australian and its brilliant (unlike Holden’s American 6s).
You people spew out Holden hate like crazy. This engine is built in AUSTRALIA. the parts come from around the world,just like many other car manufacturers. Even Ford have to source parts from overseas as we dont have all the facilities downunder to produce them here. Next youll be saying that because the timing belt on a BMW is from sweden that the Engine is built in Sweden
Holden’s engine is straight out of a caddy and is detuned for the commodore. The parts come from America(i think they are form Mexico, not sure i heard it somewhere) and we assemble them here. Fords I6 is however Australian design and a vast majority of its parts come from Australia, therefor it is Australian.
No, its because the l6 uses a long stroke design and has a larger capacity.
It’s still a very good motor though, no doubt.
On the contrary, Dave. I’ve trawled through WHEELS’ back pages, and did an A to Z search for a 3 litre engine with a superior combination of power, torque and economy. There’s none. Have a look and come back to me.
Let’s see, Holden 3.0
190 KW
290 NM
9.3L/100 KM
BMW 5 series 3.0 engine
200KW
315NM
9.3L/100KM’s
Now I know this car is more expensive, but I believe the BMW has a Superior combination of Power, Torque and Economy. Not alot, but still superior. Shall I find another?
@Carfanatic: Yes please find us another! I only knew of 1 3.0 6cyl petrol engine that can produce this power while only sipping 9.3/100km and its the engine you mentioned.
Being 2nd to a BMW engine is not really anything to be ashamed of since they make some of the best engines in the world.
The BMW produces those figures on 98RON fuel, so its not really comparable to the Holden motor which produces those figures on the lower octane 91 RON fuel.
Price is also a big factor, Commodore is $36,000, 530i is $117,000.
Point taken, Carfanatic. But the same size engine in the 1 Series puts out 160kw, 270Nm and 8.7, which still means the Holden motor is up there. Beyond that, the outputs and economy compare more than favourably with any normally aspirated petrol motor of about the same size from Alfa, Audi, Hyundai, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes Benz, Mitsubishi…okay, I’m half way through and I’m stopping now, because I’ve done it before and, hehe, let’s face it, you had to search very, very hard to find that one Beemer motor.
I couldn’t leave it alone. Here’s a final example: Porsche Boxster with a 2.9 litre flat six, 188kw, 290Nm and 9.4l/100km.
The BMWs figures are on 98RON fuel, on 91RON fuel it would actually be LESS than the Holden, as you take about 7% off the BMWs figures when running on 91RON fuel.
He never said anything about price nor fuel type, he said find a 3.0 engine with better figures, here are two more.
BMW 335i with 3.0, 225 KW and 400Nm, returns 8.8L/100KM
Jaguar XF 3.0 202KW 600NM returns 6.8L/100
Now back to the Holden engine, those figures are impressive yes, very impressive, infact I would use that engine in a project I have in mind, but I’d love to see a bit more Torque out of it.
Put a turbo on it, mate, just like the additional two engines you’ve quoted. The Beemer has two turbos and the Jag’s a diesel. Like I said earlier, this 3 litre is one off being as good as it gets in terms of natural aspiration and petrol power.
Once you factor 91RON unleaded and the price point, as others have done, it’s probably the best in the country, although the Boxster would sound better.
Depends on the type of exhaust system you use, wonder how this engine would go with a Turbo/supercharger combiniation in a project car weighing 1100kg?
Ok when I say petrol I mean 91 or 98RON unleaded.
Don’t forget, the 5 is a lighter and slightly smaller car.
So within 5% of BMW.. not that bad then
Its Superior power yes but not torque. Holden’s new engines produce the same torque as ford (amount of torque/liter), tho fords I6 uses older tech and its not direct injected. That’s why it produces less power than the 3.6. I was just complementing the fords I6 as it matches Holden’s high tech direct injected engines torque output(torque/liter)even tho it lacks direct injection.
True dave and the I6 is a great engine. But an inline 6 with iron block also weighs more than an all alloy V6.
Lets wait for a road test to see real world figures.
And it needs to be a road test from a reputable car review site / magazine, not Wheels.
Wheels is the most highly regarded Automotive publication in australia. I dont just say this but the panel from World Car of the Year also only select Australian judges from Wheels. If you dont like them, dont force your beliefs on everyone else.
Kudos to Holden for finally building a car that someone without Holden blood running through their veins would actually buy. For a car company that in the past few years has shown itself to be lazy and cynical (”hey, let’s just put a Holden badge on a turd because we know bogans will buy it by the dozen anyway”) this is hopefully a turn-around.
Clearly the development budget didn’t quite stretch to designing an engine cover that doesn’t look like the lid of a Tupperware container. I was totally ready to sign up for an MY10 VE, but the uninspiring engine cover design is a deal killer.
How many times do you open the bonnet?
With this engine cover, I’d be afraid of accidentally opening the bonnet each time I wanted a crispy lettuce or last night’s leftovers.
at least the left overs would be hot!
Next you’ll be telling us you won’t buy my products because our lids look like engine covers?
No, Kia interiors.
Be thankful I’m South Korean and not North, I’d nuke you for that comment!
@Tupperware Lid Afficionado
lol. Are you still living in 1980s?
Kia is huge developing its design.
Interior of the Year Winners” award from WardsAuto in 2009.
http://www.aol.com.au/men/stor.....index.html
Kia is already jump in Honda/Toyota level.
But, Holden still remain as underdog. its sad…
Kia for great progress make advance Korean industry with economy!
Get back to work, we have car manufacturers to topple on our rise to number one.
How can anyone hate on this?
Exceptional. I love how the VE looks too, so Holden doesn’t need to do any work in that regards.
Unfortunately getting the message across that this is an update without a series 2 badge is going to be hard. Why isn’t this worthy of being a series 2?
Series 2 badges are a naff Australian peculiarity, borne by little more than a need to give blind and illiterate used car dealers something to differentiate their stock by.
I am really pleased to see this come to market. It shows Reuss’s influence on the car. I hope Batey keeps the same attitude of “out-engineering” the opposition.
Finally a 6 speed auto as standard and a decent engine. Yes, they should have both been on the VE 4 yours ago, but at least they are here now!
There’s still work to do though. The VF facelift needs to inject some life into the base model interiors – there’s the Cruze hatchback, and how much longer before Barina and Epica are replaced?
Agree Gift-Ed. Commodore and Cruze can certainly hold their own in the market but Barina and Epica, are they serious. I am in the market for a Mid sized sedan but there is no way I am going to buy an Epica with 10 year old underpinnings. With the economy the new Commodore is getting it will have to be an SV6 for me.
I dont see the commodore doing 9.3l/100kms. That is complete BS. I dont know where they pull the figures from, atleast 10% to 15% understated in real world conditions. The commodore also looks old now. If you want premium aussie motoring then go for the G6E. Holden continues to play catch up.
mate hardly any cars acheive their claims and most people no that by now. the commodore will probably acheive close to 9.8 or 10 litres. And for all you idiots out there complaining about the torque, read the article its says it was more than adequate due to the six speeder. and if you say the site is Holden biased then your all hypocrites because you seem to wholeheartedly agree when they review europeans and give them rave reviews. get over the Holden hate, they have moved on in the world.
So Holden want to charge an extra $700 for a car with a smaller motor with less torque that ‘might’ save you about $300/20000km. Sounds Awesome!
Nearly all cars increase marginally at every upgrade. As if you couldn’t haggle off the $700 anyway, when your paying 40k for a car I don’t think your going to be too concerned about $700 anyway.
Also read the article, the new engine gearbox combo is much better then the old unit, if you still want to old thrashy motor and un co-oprative gearbox just because its a “bigger motor” then by all means… you’d be the only one!
And you couldnt have haggled that $700 off the original VE? On the contrary, surely anyone would be concerned about $700 off the price, be it $15000, $40000 or $60000.
I wouldnt want any of the rattletecs thanks. You can keep them to yourself.
They also added airbags and they have to recoup the cost of all the SIDI R&D coss somehow.
The SIDI 3.6 is still less compared to the falcons I6, the 4L I6 will still outperform the 3.6 but still returns the same fuel consumption. The I6 inst direct injected nor has the falcon got all the fuel saving tricks the new commodore has. Hopefully it will be direct injected in order to help it meet Euro 4 standards and it should get a nice power/torque boost (at least 230kw/430nm). Also the new 4cyl in the falcon will produce at least 170-200kw and 325nm mated with the new powershift dry dual clutch transmission (ie will kick the shit out the 3.0 in performance) with an average of 7.5L – 8L/100km. So both ford engines will be far superior is fuel consumption and performance. In conclusion the new Holden engines tho an improvement to there current line-up are still no match for the Australian 4L I6 and the upcoming 2.0 ecoboost. Just for the record i love fords but i also wanna see Holden do well. We should all buy the falcon/commodore, they are both great cars and they are Australian! If you do, you support Australian car makers and provide more jobs for your fellow Australian. (sorry if this creates Ford vs Holden spam)
Yeah mate thats all well and said but Holden have released this here and now, and Ford is talking about 2011 for the Falcon. We all now how trustworthy Fords long term plans are( focus production anyone). And this is all just a small update. by 2011 Holden will have brought out the (completely) new VF commodore which is said to bring with it diesel and dedicated LPG.
Yeah true but its only like 6 months away
For the I6 that is but i thought the ecoboost was coming out late next yr. They are also getting the new LPG system liquid injection… or something. they say it will have very similar power/torque output as the petrol version
Holden is on the record aying there will be no more new commodores as such.
And fair enough the ecoboost isnt here right now and nor is the updated I6, but you surely cant be suggesting that the I6 is behind the 8 ball simply because holden now have a drivetrain that appears to be acceptable at best???
You’re right Andrew – As a result of GMs Financial Problems Holden will have to make do with improving or enhancing the Zeta Platform on which the VE is Built for at least the next 4-8 years.
Mind you that’s not so bad when you consider how much Holden improved the handling and performance characteristics of the Opel Rekord Platform that was used in the VB-VL Commodores.. and from now on they are working with a platform that is probably one of if not the best RWD platform in the GM line up a platform which they designed – so things can only get better
BTW I don’t mind the look of the Poison Ivy green or the Bronze Colour
@ John
Where on earth do you get your fuel comsumption figures for the 4 banger falcon?. The best small cars with 1.8/2.0l petrol motors are lucky to get 7.5/8.0L/100km. How do you think a lardy Falcon that weighs 300kgs+ more than a small car is going to acheive such figures?.
Its fords official estimated fuel consumption…
Hey John, you forgot the Toyota Camry/Aurion as well. They are just as Australian as the Commodore/Falcon.
The Falcon and Commodore are engineered and designed here, The Camry/Aurion is not.
There is unique local content in the Camry and Aurion. Not to mention the local input/engineering WRT suspension tune and other components on them. I am also sure there would be a few thousand Australians who are employed at the Altona factory and other local parts suppliers who would say otherwise. Not to mention I remember when the VE was first released there was a news article that mentioned that the VE had the LEAST percentage of Australian made content out of all the cars built in Australia at that time, localy built Mitusbishis and Toyotas included.
Finally, how is what Toyota is doing to the Camry/Aurion any different to Holden who with EVERY SINGLE Commodore model prior to the VE, modified a version of an already established overseas model to suit the local market/conditions? Going by your logic, Holden have never had an Australian Car for the last few decades until the arrival of the VE. I am sure there would be many people who would disagree with that, myself included! If you want to get technical, I can go one further than your statement and say that none of them are truly an Australian car. After all, they all have some engineering/development/component input from overseas sources, just like the Toyota twins… :-)
John you hit the nail on the head. This country is Holden and Ford and that is what we should be buying. Can you imagine if this country ends up being Toyota Hyundai Kia etc. Then what will you all winge about
Yeah exactly i know i favor ford but i still like the commodore. I still want to see both falcon/commodore do well and we need to buy these cars in order for them to survive. People have to much emphasis on fuel consumption, wow u use 2L/100km more over a small car who cares!!!! with a falcon/commodore your way more comfortable, have tones of room, 6 cyl power and a safer car (would u rather be hit by a truck in a falcon/commodore or a VW golf lol)
Somehow I think if you got hit by a truck John, in the vast majority of circumstances (read anything above 60-70km/h) it would make no difference if you were in a Falcon/Commodore or a VW Golf as per your example. Either way you would still be dead! ;-)
Not everyone needs a big car. If you are single, a couple (pre children or retired) or need a second car to drive around the city etc, a small car can be much better/more suitable. Not to mention with only a couple of people, the ‘tones of room’ in the back is wasted. Many of the current crop of small cars can also comfortably fit 4 6 foot adults due to the more upright design etc. I can honestly say our Mazda 6 has more front seat footroom than the Falcon I drive at work due to the Falcon’s intrusive transmission tunnel that forces you to skew your legs to the outside. Not to mention the boot in our 6 is bigger than a Commodore. Even the old TS Astra sedan we used to own had a bigger boot than the then current VZ Commodore! Our 6 is one of the most comfortable cars I have driven on an intestate trip, more comfortable than many recent Falcons I have driven long distances due to the same reason mentioned above.
The difference in fuel consumption with REAL WORLD (not ADR) city driving would be WAY more than just 2L/100km (just ask my brother in law how much more his Commodore costs to run fuel wise compared to their old Barina in predominantly Melbourne city driving. The Commodore burns around DOUBLE the amount of fuel of the Barina doing the same city commute). Not to mention the amount of physical space they take up, or how much fun they can be to try and park in many shopping centre car park spaces etc that just seem to keep getting smaller! This would be even worse if everyone buys a Falcon or Commodore like you mentioned! Could you imagine how hard it would be for the now average fat Aussie to try and open the door and get out in a shopping centre carpark with the lack of space you have to the white line either side of a car as big as a VE Commodore. Especially when there is another VE parked next to it!! ;-)
I do agree however if you have a big family and do a lot of long distance country driving, the Falcon/Commodore etc are a great choice (especially if you are towing a trailer etc) as the highway fuel economy (due to the engine being just above idle at 100km/h) is exceptional for such a big car and rivals many medium and even small cars. They are some of the best cars around for travelling long distances on the open road. I would also like to say that it would be one heck of a boring country if every single car on the road was a Falcon or Commodore. I can hear the whip used to round up us sheep cracking now!!! TVFPIC.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want Ford/Holden to go under as the Falcon/Commodore represent some of the best value for money in the motoring industry. However they are not a car for all situations. Just because someone doesn’t buy a Falcon/Commodore, it doesn’t mean they don’t care about our local car industry. Different people need different cars for difference purposes. That is what makes us humans! :-)
Yes i agree with many of your points and i don’t know what its like to constantly drive a big 6 in the city (i live on the gold coast and its built on a 8 lane highway). OK i rephrase the crash, which car would u prefer to be in, a falcon or a golf in a head on collision with one another.
This makes a lot more power than the 3.0L VL Commodore TURBO. But not sure how reliable is the direct injection engine as the injector nozzle is right inside the combustion chamber with high temp, contaminants and high pressure.
Direct injection is not new technology, it’s well proven and 100% reliable.
The only downside is that recirculated blowby gases build up as carbon around the inlet valves over time, which doesn’t happen in manifold injection engines.
From another inline 6 fan, well done Holden on the drivetrain updates. I also welcome the choice of 2 petrol engines, just like in the old days of 161/186 or 173/202. Any news on dedicated LPG?
It will be very, very interesting to see how they go as an interstate comparison vs the Falcon 4.0 and 4.0LPG. I’d rely on this site for less bias than others, so how about that test, Caradvice?
Hey Jack, don’t forget the 149/179.
Yes, you are quite right. I never had any personal experience with the 149/179, but read that the 179 X2 had a distinctive note.
Then there was the X2 in 179 and 186, and the 186S, and the 161S/173S and 2250 ‘138′ in the LC/LJ… and the immortal XU1 motors…
It all looks good on paper, as usual, but I suspect these cars will be the same old rubbish GM have been peddling here since the late 1940’s. Yep, had a Holden once – never again! Interesting how the nameless GM executive said that these are the engines they should have had back in 2005. Holden seems perpetually to be dismissing the “bad old days” and be turning the corner on quality, up-to-date technology and reliability. Wonder what they’ll say about this model four years from now. It’s a great pity GM survived the GFC. Then again, there’s always hope.
Put Ford badges on them and see how many Ford owners we can fool!
Not quite sure what you are implying there, but if you are going to be silly about it, please leave brockys name at peace whilst doing it
Mate whoever you are dont bring the late great brock into all this. if he could see what Holden had done up till now hed be proud.
Another shock jock, maybe you are related to K.Sandilands. Get a severe grip (as opposed to something else) of reality and leave the legend Peter Brock out of it!
Is the SV6 SIDI as quick as the Aurion?
Yes maximark, the SV6 SIDI will allow the Commodore to achieve 0-100 cardigans in under 7 seconds.
Thanks ABD,that’s good news. The game has changed for the Aurion then,lol. I’m not really fond of the Omega sedan tail light, it just looks blank, although the sportwagon look much better.
Yes our engines will be Superior, but first we must pay the Proton engineers that will be Building them for us.
The Aurion is a nice car but I wouldn’t call it particularly quick, I had a Cupra R ( chipped in the UK with 183kw that would put all those sixes to shame and it was only a 1.8
Are you really comparing a modified turbo hot hatch to a v6 family sedan? Really?
doubt it very much the 3.6 will close the gap on falcon/aurion but its prob still slower, we will find out soon enough.
Well I am the Brutal communist dictator Kim Il-sung of Pyongyang, North Korea and I will nuke you Kia CEO.
Now they just need to get the interiors up to scratch.
The interiors have dated badly!
Back off Kim Sung Bung Lung, our South Korean Cousins have protection
The report’s shockingly written, David. Were you in a hurry?
The Cruze also claimed class-leading economy but it turns out it’s the worst as per Wheels. The figures need to show on the road first, but then again, it’s good riddance to the unworthy engines and 4-speed autos.
I’m more interested in hearing how the DI3.6 goes… It should really move the SV6 into the enthusiast market, thats a decent lump of power. Also, it is detuned, because this engine in Camaro specification is making 225kw
Oh, Holden. There are so many things wrong with this I dont know where to start.
*The 3lrt isn’t LPG compatiable(in factory spec you get the 3.6)
*A small, high revving motor wont last 350,000, which many commodores end up doing
*You’ve taken a torqueless motor and replaced it with a motor with even less
torque.
*The towing capacity drops to 1600kgs
*Maximum power at how many revs!?
(I should point out I am a Holden fan and I drive a commodore)
The D.I. and 6 speeder though….
Where is the diesel?!?!
If Holden made a diesel it
(a) Development cost be expensive.
(b) Not enough buyers (in Australia/New Zealand).
(c) Diesel in the near future will be more expensive than petrol due to world demand
(d) There will be tougher emmissions on such fuel (nanoparticles)
But diesel tech doesn’t rest, either, Frenchie. Look at VW’s new Bluemotion cars. As for cost? Buy for today. I did and never regretted it, even when diesel was topping $1.80 per litre, pre GFC.
Put it this way, when Diesel was 1.80 and Unleaded 1.55, I was still getting better value from a tank of fuel than an equivalent petrol engine. Infact I worked out the break even point was 2.04 per litre for Diesel if unleaded remained at 1.55.
Good God, we agree!
Even better these days where E10 unleaded and diesel take turns at being the cheapest fuel at the bowser, depending on the day of the week (well they do at the BP near to me anyway).
Yeah buts thats not factoring in the extra initial purchase costs and other associated expenses.
It also doesnt factor the extra health costs to the community
Come on Golfie, fire up, I know you will have a piece of me too for that comment
Karl, Honda and a few other manufacturers seem to be able to make small, high revving motors that can easily last 350,000km and more. Not to mention that even though torque has reduced from the current ‘vibrotech’, now the transmission has 6 gears there should be a better torque spread than the old 4 speed clunker. Don’t forget a transmission is a “torque multiplyer”, so with clever gear ratios the difference could be negligable in normal everyday driving. I know Holden’s biggest customer, the fleets, would be rubbing their hands in anticipation!
They look nice but the interior has aged very badly, it will shoot them in the foot.
they say 9.3 per 100 kmh but it’ll probably do 12. isn’t that what happened with the cruze? they said 7. something but it did like 9. something
Lets clarify something. Holden dont make up these results, they are tested by the federal government in the ADR 81 compliance tests. If this were true then Merc and BMW would have been producing cars that do 3 liters/100km purely for marketing.
So even if everyone was lying, Holden’s competitors would still come up with better fuel economy figures. Hilarious.
Lets remember too that the Barina’s real-world figures are over 10 litres/100km.
Is it me or does the current SV6 Sedan look better than the SS ?
Every time i see a SV6 i think it looks unreal
The current SV6 looks almost identical to the SS. The SS has different badges and four exhaust tips and that’s about it.
You are right Dave. A V6 SS that is as powerful and has a better fuel economy that a VT SS LS1.
I jumped out of a $25,000 CDX Cruze into a $50,000 SS and from the interior I felt I was going back 15 years.Holden should learn from this,the Cruze is selling like hot cakes with an underpowered engine ,ok styling but fantastic interiors.
AS you spend most of your time in the car, a Great interior helps sell the vehicle, How does it drive though Goodfa?
Considering the price point very well.Could do with a 2litre engine though.
Holden are thinking about a 2.2l turbo, but way after they start production in Australia (2011-2012).
I just think the option of a beige interior on the Omega, Berlina and Calais would do a lot to improve the ambience of the interior. I just cant get over how dark the Commodore interior is, it is so depressing and makes it feels downmarket.
Goodness me, when will people just be happy that competition gives us a win…better cars. So well done Holden, Ford, etc.
I recently bought a large car ($40k-$50k) for the first time, and have to say I really had fun driving both the Holden and Ford before I decided…and yes it was a close decision in the end.
My humble opinion is that the best thing to do is to test drive the options, then make a decision based on how ‘you’ feel…at the end of the day it’s you who has to live with it.
nearly everybody that has an opinion of the new 3.0 ltr motor has to step back a second and ask “am i buying one”?.that answer is no.the 3.0 ltr is a direct result of holden giving the gov’t/state fleet “what they want”.under 10ltrs per 100kms,220 odd co2’s,with space,boot and safety…
Direct Injection Technology has been there for a while, I think the first Gasoline Direct Injection engine was in 1925. Since 1996 most of the car maker had GDI engines in most European & Japanese market models.
Death throws of an orphan.
The funny thing is holden has never had the mechanical package (in V6 form) too compete in the large car sector against aurion and falcon yet it has outsold both of them combined pretty much from day one. How? What chance does aurion and falcon have now if they could not beat the old ashmatic V6 hooked up too a 30 year old 4 speed auto from the states!
The funny thing is Holden has been giving huge discounts in the order of $10k or more to out sell competitors. Holden cannot sustain with the level of discounts & it is indicated with the annual losses. I feel sorry for the suckers who pay full price for commordores, in just a year the valuse will go down by about 50%. The Aurion will loose about 20% of the valuse in the first year.
I’m well placed to answer this one, HSV will lose about 30% in the first year, an Aurion traditionally drops 35-37%, but talking dollar figures you do lose more on the HSV because of the huge price difference, but you can hardly compare HSV to Aurion.
Um carfanatic, where did you get HSV from? Depreciation of a HSV is different to Holden hence the comparison you used adds nothing to the thread. Not to mention that technically HSV and Holden are different brands, they just have a special relationship. I thought being a ‘car fanatic’ would mean that you would have already known that. Try again! :-)
Have look at Redbook the comprehensive car value guide a 2007 VE Commodore omega with a brand new price of $34k & now as low as $13k. Comparatively a brand new Aurion atx would have been $34k & now about $22k.
KENNY,
i don’t know where you get your figures from,but there not real world,maybe from toyota’s p.r. dept perhaps,and by the way,what fool you really know who has paid full price for any commodore recently???
Yeah 20% is a long way from 35 to 37%, then again 50% is a long way from 30%
Have a look at Redbook to get good idea of the depreciation of the commodore.
Kenny, the Redbook is extremely conservative. Its not just commodores, have a play around with and and put some different cars in. Redbook is just an estimation.
I dont think its as cut and dry as you make it out to be mate.
it really depends on the condition of the car.
but i do admit, the commodre does have a tougher time of it convincing dealers that its worth its price.
I think also that commodores have a reputation of being a “thrash it” car. ppl know that ppl who drive commodores usually throw the car around a fair bit on the roads. Thus its more likely to decrease in value.
I think its an image issue on the part of buyers and dealers/purchasers rather than the fact that “commodores just loose their value quicker”-which simply is untrue.
cheers
The same reason that they could sell rebadged Daewoos – Holden’s marketing department does a very good job of polishing turds.
ford’s marketing department could learn a lot from holden
What is the top speed on these engines? Has it increased? Don’t tell me they are speed limited?
What if they are speed limited? This isn’t Germany!
the utes cut out at 210.the sedans 250.not that you would get that brave…
I would be extremely surprised if the Omega 3.0 could reach 250km/h.
It’s not going to take Ford long to update the I6 engine to match the power levels of the 3.6ltr V6 by Holden… Good on Holden it is a good step for them, but Ford’s I6 engine can have so much more done to it just to give it more power let alone increase it’s economy… Already Ford are talking about releasing a 2.0ltr 4cyl Turbo with 205kw and far better economy then the 3.0ltr V6 by Holden.
Sorry Holden, you tend to get ahead for a couple of months and then Ford dwarf you… it has almost always worked that way, and I can’t see it changing any time soon.
“it has almost always worked that way”
Wow, you must have a really short memory.
Great new engines. At last six-speed auto transmissions. I think Holden should hav sort of “4-speed auto” farewell party. It’s being around for so long now. Good to see Holden did some minor changes with the car itself. SIDI Badges, 2 new colours, improvement of NVH & refinement in Omega & Berlina models, 5-start safety, low resistance tyres, auto-up power windows & Omega lighting changed from green to blue.
I think Commodore has aged well for what it is, though the interior does badly need an upgrade. I still can’t resist looking at Sportwagon. Sexiest wagon ever built. How Ford Mondeo can compete with Sportwagon. IDK. It’s a complete joke when u think about it. Once we get the Facelift inside & out, i think Holden will bo on to a winner. Go HOLDEN!
Well done Holden. Playing catch-up here after reading from the start.
Great V6’s on offer, wish a fourth option was available, the VX1 was the only model (2000) that for $1000, you got an M90 S/Charger (the exhaust was worth $1000) and although the kws was about 150 to 172 the difference in touque was massive on the full range. Wish I could get that on a WM10!
The new 6 speed auto across the range is another great move, however not sure how they now work without the sports mode button, as the WM08 in sports mode would move from 6th to 3rd down hill the longer and harder you applied the assisted brakes.
Now you need to move the shifter to the manual (left) and it still auto shifts?
As for the crap about a Caprice and BMW 320 have you really spent a few days in both cars. As an Aussie middle aged, wanting good value for money and bloody good quality, room and power the WM10 would only be replaced by something priced above 200K. Most Caprices are either sold O/S or to Coy’s and fleet.
Looking fwd to seeing the HSV’s on the road Especially in black.
Wheels have just done a comparison of the Falcon XT (4.0L 5 SPD AUTO), Holden Calais (3.6L 6 SPD Auto) and Base model Omega (3.0L 6 SPD Auto). Over mostly country driving and long straights, the fuel consumption results were as follows (respectively) 10.5L/100, 10L/100 AND 9.9L/100. Now given that the Falcon was not using the 6 Spd ZF transmission, which would have brought fuel consumption down to approx 9.9, I don’t quite see how Holden have made any significant ground when it comes to their 6 cyl engine. They are still behind on torque, whether it be the 3.0 or the 3.6, and really only thing going for it is the 210KW found in the SV6 and Calais! Problem there is the 270 KW Turbo charged Inline 6 cyl engines from Ford will still blow away both 6 cylinder engines Holden have to offer. Im not using the Wheels comparo as Gospel, but its defiently food for thought. Holden, as far as I can see, you have merely caught up to the competition.
Saying the Falcon would have gone better with the 6 speed auto is like saying St Kilda would have won yesterday if they’d kicked only another 13 points.
Well, yeah, but results are results, and the cars were tested in their standard forms. Your quoting was very selective, too. You omitted this: “The direct injection 3.6 in the Calais is in a class of its own. It’s smooth and responsive and out-punches the Falcon, depsite using half a litre less per 100km”. Oops. Kinda not what you wanted to read, I guess.
The WHOILS guys wondered if the 3 litre might have scored better economy if there had been a greater percentage of urban driving in their mix, but that remains to be discovered another time.
Please read the whole test, rather than the bits you like. I did, and concluded that both new engines are rippers for their size.
Golfy you are on the dot. But one thing Krish said correctly was that Holden has merely caught up to the competition. Mate that is what Holden and Ford have been doing in this country for alomst 40 years now. they leapfrog each other with each new gen. Watch with the VF Holden will have upped the interior and improved the feul economy. They may even intro diesel, and then Ford will HAVE to do it. They both play this game and they know they each do. its good for their competition between them.
Maybe, Shak…and maybe not, with regards to the catch-up thing. I’m a fan of the Falcon motor, but she’s a big 4 litre mutha and I’m more interested in the fact that only one 3 litre six available in Australia has a better set of numbers than the new 3 litre Commodore engine, and it goes in BMW’s 5 series. I would presume that the same engine goes in the 1 series where, possibly due to differing ECU or exhaust tune, the advantage goes to Commodore.
I read the whole article champ :) I was merely stating that if you add the ZF into the Falcon, dollar for dollar, you would be pretty much line ball with the new Omega’s price in Auto, and the 6 spd ZF in the Falcon is a better drive than the 5 spd. I have no criticism on the 3.6 either, great engine from what I have read. Its just that in my opinion, they have gone from a relatively thrashy and non sophisticated engine, to the complete opposite, which is something the competition have had for over 2 years. Competition can only be good eh :)
I get you!
Finally GM/Holden are realising that they can’t sell rubbish to everyone. Other car manufacturers will now have a bit of competition on their hands, not only here, but also in all GM markets.
I’m liking all of GM’s new vehicle line up, I think Chapter 11 was the best thing to happen to GM. Keep up the good work.
Ford Falcon “FAIRMONT GHIA” BF Series II 2006-2007 5.4Litre 230kW/500Nm hooked up to a 6SPEED ZF is the cheapest luxury car with the best ever engineered 5.4Litre SOHC VCT 3V eight cylinder engine, tuned for reliability, long live and quietness.
It has massive 462Nm of torque from just 1500rpm and at 2000rpm it makes almost 98% of peak 500Nm of torque.
All on RON91 petrol.
These cars are cheap now days and can be bought for less than thirty grad! the best thing for the money, specially the models with beige leather in seduce red with a V8 badge on the side.
They are the best cars on EARTH for cash and the V8 , may be only 230kW, but it can crack 0-100km/h in under 6.5s and with moon reaching gear ratios purrrrr at 120km/h at only 1500rpm in 6th along side its tall 2.53 final drive ratio.
That is a car you should all be looking at and chasing to buy before they totally disappear.
a V8, get a V8, Aussie engineered car with the best bulletproof V8 Barra230/Triton engine…….. which was discontinued due to its never failing nature and very little spare parts being sold for it because it never stops.
ps: when you run this now days cheap sucker 5.4L 3V V8 engine on RON98 petrol you will get the NEVER MARKETED 246kW of power at even lower RPM than 5350rpm and massive 540Nm of torque from just 2000rpm.
And this is no joke! , get this cheapo now, they are the best luxury cars for cash!
i see idiots buying new 3.0L Di crap for like $30000 plus , and while these luxury V8s are now less than 25 grand! plus leather!!!!!!! lmao
thanks for reading
ps: i genuinely own a 2006 BF 4.0L 6 speed auto and a wagon XT 4 speed auto 4.0L and they all crap all over every single V6 commodore so far ever produced including some older V8s all the way up to the very 1st 220kW GENIII! and its no joke its a fact.
this is great the 4.0L I6 really is! , in stock form!
especially with 6 speed ZF, even smoother and 1 tenth of a second quicker than 4 speeder!
and not to mention Fairmont Ghia 5.4L auto 6 speed ZF which i use for business functions!
cheapest luxury thing ever! , i got mine for less than 25 grand! comparing this to this 3.0L Di, makes a 3.0L Di look like 1/4 of a car plus worst value for $$$.
cheers