Holden Commodore SV6 Review & Road Test
November 9, 2009 by Paul Maric
Holden’s SIDI equipped automatic and manual gearboxes are like chalk and cheese.
Model Tested:
- 2009 Holden Commodore SV6; 3.6-litre, six-cylinder, petrol; six-speed manual; sedan – $42,790*
Options Available:
- Metallic Paint $500; Limited Slip Differential $360; Leather Upholstery $2500; Sunroof $1990; DVD Player $1290; Six CD Changer $595; Full Size Spare Wheel $350
Sporty gearbox; fuel economy; interior room
Dated exterior; dated interior; brake pedal feel
CarAdvice Rating: 
Death by Holden, that’s what it felt like. First the Calais V-Series, then the Statesman and finally the Omega… I wasn’t sure I could cope with any more Aussie lions.
With that frame of mind I lumbered over to Holden to collect the SV6 I was booked into. Expecting yet another six-speed automatic – which I was slowly growing to hate – I was subtly surprised to find a gear stick and three pedals.
Could this be the gearbox which shows the SIDI engine’s true colours? There was only one way to find out.
Holden’s MY10 upgrade yields no changes to the body work, likewise with the interior. The only visible changes are the SIDI badges on the side flanks and the boot and the direct injection V6 under the bonnet.
If you were to forget that the VE Commodore was released in 2006, you would find the Poison Ivy test vehicle to still be quite the looker. The modern design still attracts attention and looks sporty enough to trick people into thinking that your bite is worse than your bark.
When you open the cabin door, you’re reminded again of the VE Commodore’s age. The once steadfast interior design looks very dreary in comparison to the competition on offer from Ford’s Falcon and Toyota’s Aurion.
The dark colours and dark red background lighting don’t inspire a sense of excitement like they once did.
Luckily the negatives stop there.
Interior leg and head room is still the Commodore’s forte. Passengers of any size can hop into the rear and stretch out in comfort. The limousine-like leg room is matched by sufficient shoulder and head room, except if you’re banished to the middle-rear seat which sits a bit high for adults.
Having driven a range of vehicles in Holden’s latest direct injection line-up, the gearbox has always been the main letdown. This time around I was graced with a six-speed manual gearbox that mates perfectly to the 3.6-litre V6.
The short shifting six-speed manual is sharp and notchy, giving the driver the impression they’re actually driving the car. The clutch on the other hand has a fairly long travel and is a bit laborious, but doesn’t take long to get used to.
Being at the helm of the SV6 is a commanding position. While the A-pillars are far too chunky and manage to hide small cars and cyclists, forward and rearward visibility is good overall.
One of the most notable advantages of the new direct injection engine is how much freer the Commodore revs. The SV6 previously felt like it was being held around the neck and was restricted in some way. Now, a boot full of throttle yields an uncastrated engine note and a rewarding torque band.
While it’s no SS Commodore, the SV6 can cruise along in sixth gear and has enough torque to pull the vehicle’s mass at any speed beyond 60km/h. On the highway, the SV6 rides and handles like a family car, soaking up any road thrown at it. This ultimately affects the vehicle’s cornering prowess, but it was never a true sports car to begin with.
Brake feel is bitterly disappointing across the entire Commodore range. The brake pedal has a lot of travel and doesn’t begin biting until the end of its travel, at which point the pedal becomes firm and requires plenty of boot.
Under the bonnet is Holden’s all new SIDI (Spark Injection Direct Injection) engine. Producing an impressive 210kW and 350Nm of torque (still down on the Falcon’s 391Nm of torque), a six-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmission is available.
Official fuel consumption is rated at 10.2-L/100km, on test we achieved around 10.4L/100km with around 70:30 highway/city driving split.
Starting at $42,790, the SV6 costs $300 more than the Falcon XR6 and $2,200 more than the Aurion Sportivo.
Standard features include: 18-inch alloy wheels, seven-speaker sound system with CD-player, air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity, central locking, power mirrors, power windows, partial electric driver’s seat, automatic headlights, leather steering wheel, alarm and trip computer.
Safety features include: Driver and front passenger front airbags, driver and front passenger head airbags, driver and front passenger side airbags, rear passenger head airbags, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and engine immobiliser.
It seems I have found the only way to appreciate Holden’s all new SIDI engine. The six-speed automatic gearbox doesn’t do this engine any justice and until Holden can reinvigorate the gearbox, the only way to truly enjoy the new engine is with a manual gearbox.
A sporty gear shift and easy clutch make the SV6 an absolute pleasure to drive. The masses of space and eager performance make the SV6 an excellent choice for family makers chasing a large family sedan with a hint of performance thrown in for good measure.
Ratings:
CarAdvice Overall Rating:
How does it Drive: 
How does it Look:
How does it Go:
Road Test the Rivals:
Specifications:
- Engine: 3564cc DOHC six-cylinder (24 valve)
- Power: 210kW @ 6400rpm
- Torque: 350Nm @ 2900rpm
- Induction: Direct injection
- Transmission: Six-speed manual
- Driven Wheels: Rear
- Brakes: Discs with ABS, EBA & EBD
- Top Speed: Not Tested
- 0-100km/h: Not tested
- CO2 Emissions: 242g/km
- Fuel Consumption: 10.2L/100km
- Fuel Consumption: 10.4L/100km
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 73L
- Fuel Type: 91 RON Unleaded
- ANCAP Rating: Five-stars
- Airbags: Front, Side & Curtain
- Safety: ESC with Traction Control
- Spare Wheel: Space Saver
- Tow Capacity: 2100kg (braked)
- Warranty: Three-years/100,000km
- Weight: 1663kg (Tare)
- Wheels: Alloy 18-inch
Print it: 
I feel transformed back into 90’s ….yawn
I think once Holden significantly update the interior and give the exterior a mid life freshen up (Front lights and front bar,rear tail lights and rear bar) then they will be onto a winner again.
Fingers crossed for VF!
It’s only a winner in sales.
You’re only saying that because the its more popular than the Toyota Camrion!
More popular?? How many were sold again, world wide?
You really are a Toyota fan arent you Tomas?
Because just like Toyota you move the Goalposts when it suits you or your arguements.
We are talking about an Australian made car the VE Commodore and comparing it to the two other Australian made Cars the Falcon and the Camrion.. and how they are going in the Australian New Car Sales market – Large Cars: Commodore 1st; Falcon 2nd; Daylight 3rd; Camrion 4th
No Wheelnut, I just happen to realize that the world is bigger then your trailer park!!
And now that you brought popularity/sale into the equation, might as well include the world wide sales! I know you would’nt want to, given how badly the VE flunk in the U.S!!
Not really Tomas; because thats like saying the Skoda Fabia [for example] is “Popular”.
Yet there are a number of countries such as Australia; where the Fabia isn’t sold – So by your “Logic” the Fabia isn’t that Popular at all.. However; that’s not to say that it isn’t a good car
Same goes for a number of other cars which are only avaialble in Europe or the USA
You got to realise that tastes in Australia are different to those in Europe and the USA.
The VE wasn’t a flop in the USA it was a victim of the GFC which resulted in a downturn in sales of a number of car companies not just GM and not just the VE.
If it was a flop why are they decided to make it the replacement for their old Highway Patrol Cars?
You obviously haven’t read the positive comments American Car enthusiasts [not to mention several international journalists] have made about the VE – or you have and [as usual] have chosen to ignore them because they don’t agree with your prejudiced opinion….
Wheelnut, the Fabia will be sold in Australia next year!!
Also If the Falcadores were popular, there would be a greater demand for them around the world, and they would be exported more!! But they just aren’t!!
The Crappadores flunked out in the U.S even before the GFC… GTO ring any bells?? And Falcdores Haven’t been making any profit well before then!! How long do you reckon I could run a company without turning profit?
As for the positive American reviews, sure they might love it over the comparable local FWD product, but in the end, people still didn’t buy it!!
They choose something better!!
Even though the Yanks were getting it offered to them at a significantly cheaper price then me, the Australian Taxpayer who actully paid for it!!
Also you seem to thinking Clarkson gave the VXR8 a good review, when in fact he clearly stated that it was moronic and he wouldn’t have one!!
Wheelnut says:”If it was a flop why are they decided to make it the replacement for their old Highway Patrol Cars?”
As far as i know, they are only offering them, just like many other manufacturers, nobody bought anything yet!!
C’mon man you gotta just wake up someday and realise your beloved VE simply isn’t a good car. People buy it just because they think they’re helping the country. Hardly anyone would even consider it if it were badged something else. The so called Camaurion pair is just as Australian as the Commodore, assembled here with parts coming from overseas.
What Ford did wrong was not allocate a badge for OZ. America is always imprinted on people’s minds when it comes to this brand. What they don’t realise is that the Falcon is the most Aussie they could ever have for a car. The 4-litre six is original and not borrowed stateside. The interior quality is better and the exterior has a more advanced design, if not looking better at the same time. It’s also quicker and more efficient, and all that torque even in non-turbo models won’t leave you wanting. Floor the pedal when the light turns green and it will surge to the speed limit effortlessly. The base Omega with 4-speed auto struggled and its weight is felt from rest. The new one with SIDI and 6-speed should be better, but small displacement will still have some lag from naught.
The FG is an honest effort from Ford Australia in trying to build something decent for the people, while Holden should just see to it they go better someday (as their slogan suggests).
besides the colour i don’t think this is such a bad car… people hate because of familiarity
for $42k i reckon you could walk out with an SS V8 if you looked and bargained hard enough
even the auto sv6 sedan is $39k driveaway,you may be right there…
with the XR6 auto at $35.5k (or thereabouts) they got some hard work ahead
It’s a special. I do beleive Holden also has some hard discounts on their Commodore range.
Holden do discount well, but does the SV6 not com with more safety feature, more standard features and bigger wheels ?
I think people are will to tp fork out the extra $300 bucks.
Lets not kid our self’s here the Aurion Sportivos don’t play in this league
Why anyone bothers with these SV6’s is beyond me when for a few thou more you can buy an XR6T with 0-100 k.p.h. times of as low as 5.1 seconds, and they just love a good belting and their performance just makes one of these SV6 puppies look so ordinary.
I guess if you absolutly have to save a few bucks on petrol or arn’t allowed a turbo for company policy or licence reasons, if you must…..
Insurance mostly, XR6t’s absolutely rape people for insurance, also fuel consumption, brand loyalty, reliability, and the fact that a sv6 isnt really a sport car, heaps of these are bought for fleets.
Absolutely correct Tom! A completely uninformed comment probably by a 10 year old…
People also seem to think that it is only private buyers purchasing these ’sports’ variants. A lot of companies are now choosing these as fleet vehicles to give their brand a better image than that of a Omega or XT. Unfortunately it is not feasible for a company to fork out the extra money and insurance premiums and Im sure they dont want to give their employees any further reason to flog their car.
Alot are unmarked cop cars!
Particularly VE SS Commodore, seen quite a few people pulled over by brand new SS Commodores with the little blue and red lights flashing in the front grill.
Insurance for my FG XR6T is about $10 more per month than my BF II XR6 was *shrug*. Pays to shop around I guess :)
Fleet car. Hight of mediocrity. Yawn.
height
Good work, Grammar Nazi.
Now if only we can get people to stop using apostrophes for plurals.
eg “Why anyone bothers with these SV6’s is beyond me”
XR6 all the way. Or splurge a bit more for the XR6T!
Sorry Holden, the Commodore is in need of an upgrade as it already looks outdated.
You can market SIDI crap as much as you want but fuel efficiency isn’t there nor is it any better than its rivals.
As i have always said, Holden are the best marketers out there!
‘The most significant change in the history of the commodore’??? Of course not! but the old bloke next door sure thought so and so will anyone else who know doesnt bother to look any further…
The ‘Aussie’ lion badge and good front end design are all it took to put it on top of sales. It doesn’t ace any area at all. The Falcon’s looks could have been appreciated more if not for the BA/BF. Ford desperately needed a fix for the AU design and applied what could have been intended for the replacement model. The FG is slick and slippery when placed beside the dated VE. It’s better in just about every way but Australia needs to know the Falcon is indeed the real home car.
“The Aussie Holden badge and a good front end design is all it took to put it on top of sales…”
Whatever you reckon…..
“Putting a Holden badge on will sell anything” Exhibit A: http://www.caradvice.com.au/47.....lling-suv/
let’s turn this around… why haven’t Ford got their own DI project? Or even a liquid LPG injection? on a turbo? with the ZF 6 spd?
Holden fans are Holden fans and would never buy a Ford… not even if it ran on water and passed lavender perfume…
Hehehe……….lavender perfume…..hehe.
I am a Holden and although I would have an SS over and XR8…. I would definitely go for an XR6-T over an SV6.
Wait for the Coyote.
Yeah; the Coyote is an impressive engine; but I could also wait for the Supercharged LS-7 from the Z-R1 Corvette [which HSV are apparently looking at]
But then the price would become incomprehensible with that engine. The 427’s 150K sticker is already downright ridiculous.
The coming EcoBoost is direct injected and turboed
Now that GM have decided to keep Opel and that Bob Lutz is the new CEO of Opel we could see the same Direct Injection Twin Turbo V6 engine from the insignia – which is similar to that in the TT-36 Torana Concept and capable of 300Kw+ in a Holden
That is of course if we don’t see the insignia over here
I drive/lease a 2007 SV6 and must say I’m pretty happy with it. Ample power and space, and drives well over long distances. Can also say there’s no reliabilty problems as is often claimed of locally-built cars.
WRT this model, an external visual update as well as a change in the colour of the instrumentation cluster (from the bright red) would’ve been in nice.
GM has a wide range of great mid-size cars but we have to make do with a rebadged Daewoo Tosca because Korea is much nearer here than the States or Europe. The Chevrolet Malibu looks fantastic and you could just imagine it parked beside your neighbour’s dorky Accord (non-Euro). The Insignia is definitely welcome as well. Even the outgoing Pontiac G6 is a better car.
It just doesn’t feel nice how we get left out when it comes to delectable goodies on account of distance from the rest of the world.
I swear this guy contradicted himself a few times here…
e.g. Weaknesses: Dated Exterior. Yet just a few paragraph’s into it he’s praising the “modern” exterior design?
Then, the clutch is long and laborious, but he mentions later that it is “easy”
Indeed.
“Luckily the negatives stop there.” Then he complains about the fat “A” pillar.
This car has lots to dislike and a few things to like. I’d NEVER put my money here.
The general standard of reviews on this site has been going downhill for a little while now. Either poorly written or come across as just puff pieces. Find myself coming to this site less and less nowadays, was much better a year or two ago. Thats alright though, its not like this is the only car website in Australia.
I agree completely, this gives no indication of how the car drives, if anything its just an excuse to bag the car in the first paragraph unnecessarily, ok you are sick of testing the 3.6’s, dont let that impact on the review of the car.
I think the SV6 is acutally better looking than the SS
I am not quite sure why.
Both are heaps better looking than any falcon.
Second that.
Yes I tend to agree BUT, when you drive an XR6T, you realise one of these SV6’s are a classic case of beauty is only skin deep.
Pretend sports car anyone ?
Thing is, hard performance isn’t at the top of everyones list when buying a car.
And as stated by everyone with some attention span the XR6T is turbo charged with SS performance and is a purpose built sports car whereas the SV6 is a Family car with that extra bit that families want. Holden’s are for Holden Fans and Fords are for ford fans. Oh and Toxic Horse both the SV6 and the SS have the same exterior bar the taller spoiler on the SS.
Which is another way of saying Holden have nothing to Answer to Ford in the Performance 6 Cylinder Segment.
It’s a V8 or nothin.
Shak and Toxic
Only exterior way to tell SS from SV6’s these days is duel or Quad pipes and the badges, Holden has gotten rid of the High Mount Rear spoiler unfortunately.
Inside is a bit easier
SS has sports seats and 6 stacker. SV6 does not
Long live differences!
I find the Commodore to be rather unsightly, both inside and out. Give me a FG any day over this, and I’m not a Ford man.
So why mention it!
By mentioning it I’m highlighting the fact that not everybody sees things the same way. I’m also grateful that other people have different views. I’d hate to have only one type of car to choose from.
I actually agree… FG Falcon looks like a Lakemba BF Special.
But the Falcon is better in all other respects.
I still can’t believe that the Commodore and Falcon STILL have fixed rear head restraints (I use that term loosly) with no centre one at all. Even most budget model “$15990 drive away” buzz boxes have them. Very dissapointing considering they are marketed as a ‘world class family car’.
Good point and while they’re at it when are we finally going to get xenon’s, (it’d be too much to ask for directional xenon’s so I won’t bother), or adaptive, radar based cruise control.
My wish list for FPV FG F6 Mk11
Xenon headlights
Adaptive cruise control
Higher Spec Stereo system, Harmon Kardon would be nice
Choice of leather colours, come on if other OEM’s can offer six or more different leather colous why the heck can’t Australian manufacturers
More boost 16 p.s.i. 350KW and 700nm would be good
The new 8 Speed ZF Auto transmission
Bigger brakes with the option of carbon ceramic
No more repeated price rises.
I don’t want much do I LOL.
Want afterburners too? 700nm is massive, not only for the engine but for the drivetrain.
Grange and Caprice have bi-xenons.
Buddy those things dont come standard on some of the top spec german limos, although our LOCAL limos (ie Caprice and Grnage) have some of that stuff much cheaper.
Please name one German “Limo” that doesn’t have xenons…
I wouldn’t compare a Caprice to say an S Class… quite embarassing really.
The reason I put it all down is hoping with multiple choice FPV might read it and tick at least a couple of boxes.
Bigger brakes, some choice of leather colour, xenon’s and some more boost would be nice, common FPV, wakey, wakey it’ll be 2010 shortly.
I agree Buck – current F6 has the best engine + transmission of an Aussie car (though you can correct me). Couple this with a few more creature comforts, get rid of the cheapness of some of the interior, and incorporate styling cues like LEDs and you’d be looking at something quite formidable.
Why did commodore loose it’s leather color choices …? Ive seen VYs with Blue Red, tan Black
Because they weren’t all that popular – it was just an way to let people add a bit of individuality to their cars..
Andrew M, could you please explain to Buck why you think the FG Falcon doesn’t need xenons or the other features?
Yeah but the Euro “Limos” don’t need Xenons either though do they?
Car Companies offer Xenons to try and justify charging a premium or to try and differentiate between models
Same applies to a number of other rather superfluous features on most modern cars.. Particularly Europeans
Next time you see the Chief Engineer at Mercedes Benz let him know that you think he’s a tool and that he should use the halogen headlights out of a Holden W200 in all of his cars.
Having driven a Caprice wiuth Xenons, Give me an FG (or BF) set of standard peepers any night!!!! Bugger the expensive trendy crap, I want lights that work and the Ford ones (and for that matter the standard Holden ones) are without peer for looking fo skippy on the long lonely highways at warp speed 7!!!!!!!!!! (that’s if you are using hire cars without fitting your own spotties)
Safety First,
I agree with you to a point, I’m very happy indeed with the headlights on my BF11 Typhoon and on the face of it there’s not much advantage with Xenon’s, UNTIL, you drive a car on a lonely twisting back country road at night with directional / vectoring xenon’s, that’s when they really come into their own.
Dont agree. If you need more light than a std BF on high beam’s your kidding yourself.
Also when I had to replace a bulb in my BF it cost me $15….On my parents MB it blew a bulb which then in turn burn out the starter (some part of the halogen light system) and it cost them over $1000. They were also advised by the service advisor that it happens often….
They are also sick to death of being flashed by other drivers.
Devil’s Advocate:
Commodore International
Berlina
Calais and
Calais V
Do actually have non fixed head restraints with a center on.
Non fixed for side occupants has been on Calais since VT
Thanks for pointing that out Andrew as their websites had no interior shots of the rear of the higher end models. I looked at the Calais/G6 etc before I posted but no joy! But it STILL shouldn’t only be available on the higher end models. If other manufacturers/models can have them in the bottom end of the range, why can’t they? It is NOT a Luxury feature, it is a safety feature. Especially considering they are pushing the ’safety’ angle in marketing. Even the cheaper imported Holden/Ford models have them fitted. IMHO it is a cop out only fitting them on the high end models. Even the Cruze has 3 adjustable rear head restraints!
PS: The Sportwagon in all specs still have fixed rear head restraints with nothing in the centre. Why when all the Jap/Euro/Korean etc wagons still have adjustable head restraints? Even the Astra wagon from the “same” stable has adjustable rear head restraints!
I agree with you completely there Devil’s advocate, but at least commodore has them kinda, better then none.
Taxi in drag
Jake,
Didn’t realise cars back in the 90’s had Direct Injection!?
Buck,
Nice to have a wish list but economy of scale is always going to rule, do you think they have the local sales volume to offer 6 or more different leather colours!?
Sorry i’d much rather more practical applications in vehicles.
The first use of direct gasoline injection was on the Hesselman engine invented by Swedish engineer Jonas Hesselman in 1925… In 1996 gasoline direct injection reappeared in the automotive market. Mitsubishi was the first with a GDI engine in the Japanese market with its Galant/Legnum’s 4G93 1.8 L inline-four….and so on…
adam,
It doesn’t cost them one cent to have other leather colours as options, its just a different dye colour in the leather and the leather supplier could easily offer those other colours at no cost to Ford / FPV.
It comes down to a cultural thing. FPV and Ford need to become more customer focused, simple as that. Besides who wants black or dark grey leather anymore, its far too hot and cracks and drys up far to quickly.
Tan, cream or something else that doesn’t scorch the skin off your backside when you sit in it would be nice….
Yes it does cost them to have all these options for leather!
Each Colour will require:
- minimum production runs
- Additional storage for each colour
- Durability testing for fade resistance etc for each colour
- added complexity to ordering and production line
- additional quality control as each colour has its own production requirements just like paint
I do agee that more options would be nice but totally understand the reason why they aren’t available.
When the BA and SX Territory’s were released, the huge range of options and customisation was a big attraction, however how many of those options were actually taken up in profitable numbers?
Sorry but there was a review in here? That felt more like a brochure. I really don’t think alot of the caradvice criticism is fair, people suggest Wheels is on the Holden payroll, well all the reviews here seem very negative, that first paragraph was completely irrelevant to any of the content of this review.
How about some impression of how the car actually drives or accelerates? Or is just quoting power figures enough?
And as already said in the comments, how can you call the VE’s exterior dated? Yes it has been around for a while, but its still looks FAR better than any of the ‘modern’ FG Falcon lineup.
If you are going to give a car 4/5, make sure the wording of the review actually has some points to back that up.
Tom:
“And as already said in the comments, how can you call the VE’s exterior dated? Yes it has been around for a while, but its still looks FAR better than any of the ‘modern’ FG Falcon lineup.”
Your opinion would be in the minority there.
Really? Ive never heard anyone say they particularly like how the FG looks. I’m talking exterior not interior. Its lines dont flow and seem to contradict themselves alot, it also looks feminine next to the VE’s muscular lines.
2006 is only 3 years old. Its not like its a 5 year old design here.
Err.. well if you haven’t heard anyone talking positively about the FG’s looks you’ve had your head under a rock.CA and numerous other Motoring review sites/magazines have commended Ford for the design of the current FG.
The whole point of the “kinetic” styling is to create a flowing shape, they did it well. Your opinion (which is fine in isolation) contradicts the exact thing Ford Aus. were going for. If you define Feminine as sleek, thats a matter of interpretation. Both Sports variants of Holden & Ford are intimidating in their own way.
Comparing XR’s to SV6/SS/SS-V they Falcons have nothing … the only time an FG looks good is G6E and G6E-T.
I agree with Tom. The commodore doesn’t look dated or odd form any angle. Which can be said about the XR’s come on give us something that doesn’t look like a rounded BA/BF Falcon.
And how can people say this 3 year old car looks old when the XR’s didn’t change any more than this from 2002 till 2008 that is 6 years old.
Joker, i do believe most of the media were very underwhelmed but ok, if you want to hold that opinion thats ok. The falcon isn’t an ugly car, and i do realise they were going for the Ford heritage “kinetic” styling, but the problem is, mondeo lights dont work on a Falcon. And the Commodore only looks outdated because there are so many on the street and it is a very farmiliar design. Taken in isolation, it is still as fantastic as it was 3 years ago. If someone released that today it would not look old.
As Andrews sadly poorly worded reply states, there is not a single angle the Commodore doesn’t look fantastic. I will admit though, from back on, the Ford looks better.
Andrew, Disagree.
The FG in XR6/T and 8 variants can look awesome. Opinion is always a personal thing and objective.
I’m not saying the commodore is odd from any angle but seriously, the only time a Commodore looks good is after the Omega and Berlina. Both look quite cheap in standard form.
VE’s back end is aging fast, the front has done well but those wheel arches on the front are quite large unless you have a nice big wheel to fill it with (atleast 18’s). Calais with 18, 19’s and sporting those 6.0L V8 Badges along with those Tail lights? NICE!
As Ford said, they wanted to evolve the shape. The FG doesnt share one common panel with the BA/F.
Tom: The Falcon doesnt use Mondeo lights or anything remotely close.
It is a uniquely Australian with a kinetic twist.
I disagree that the holden looks aged because its common, its because its a safe, conservative design that can look great with a body kit and/or bigger wheels but otherwise isn’t so spectacular. 3 Years is a long time in a design cycle. Yes, Ford left it a long time to do a model update and they were criticised for an aging design (rear doors to name one). It was the shining drivetrain, ZF gearbox and power figures that were its saving grace.
FG Falcon is a massive misfire styling wise, especially in the upper spec models.
Put one next to an Audi A5 or similar and see how poor they look.
Once again, your opinion only.
Put it next to it’s competition and it looks good.
And don’t worry Audi (& I love them) have had some styling nasties too.
The Falcon easily has the better looking rear.
come to think of it Holden hasnt done a nice looking rear for quite some time.
the shopping trolley handles for rear spoilers dont dress it up enough to hide the too high rear tail lights.
I dont mind the GTS rear end though……
When it comes to the front, thats the bit I find where preferences kick in.
Sure the Commodore uses a squarer look, but it still is well balanced.
Sure the Falcon uses a sleeker look, but it also is well balanced.
Ford just came out of their “squarer” phase. I think what they did in rounding a few corners was great.
Before the FG was released I commonly said all they needed to do was add a few body lines to give it a sleek look, and thats the way they went.
Sometimes I think to myself the squarer BF phase looked pretty good (in some models better) but once you see the both together I think the squarer look certainly looks the dated product.
When VE gets an exterior update yu can all expect them to add some body lines like ford did.
Lets see the Holden dis the curvy design then…..
The biggest problem with Falcon’s styling is those horrid tail-lights.
I like both Commodore and Falcon, but were I laying down my hard-earned on either, it would be on the Holden.
Over tail lights? … Allegiancies run deep then that Bent 8 ;)
spellbound,
Why oh why do we need such silly, irrelevent comments?
Taxis drag you say, fly to Europe and you will see Merc E-classes used as TAXIS also…
Don’t feed the trolls, they probably drive 10 year old BMW 318i’s thinking they are so classy.
True…i should know better.
A brief query – the photo shows the SV6 shod with Yokohama tires. Weren’t SV6s previously shod with Bridgestones manufactured one suburb away? The result of the announcement to close the SA arm of Bridgestone perhaps?
All brigestones that were on Commodore range except Omega and Berlina are made in Japan. They now put Yokahamas on SV6. The 19inch wheels on SSV ute they are using Michelins.
Cheers Frenchie.
I don’t think the exterior is that dated. Looks fine to me.
“The once steadfast interior design looks very dreary in comparison to the competition on offer from Ford’s Falcon and Toyota’s Aurion.”
The Falcon yes, the Aurion no, did it not only get a new stereo face in its update, Aurions are more plasticy then either Commodore or Falcon.
I don’t know how anyone can say an Aurion interior is better then any Commodores !
Quality yes but the design is so plasticky and tacky, like its made of melted lego.
Commodore may have an old interior but it will be getting upgraded soon and Holden dont need to spend money for a end of life upgrade, they still sell in the top three every month so Holden really dont care what the haters think.Im a Holden fan, and i think the exterior is fine but the exterior is getting old. Other than that all is well till the VF
I partly agree with you Andrew. The plastics are much worse in the Aurion than the Commodore not to mention a better design. However the Aurion IMHO has a better quality fit, even though the finish/design is not as good.
I agree, the Falcons interior is light years ahead, i remember back in the BA/VY days this was commonly pointed out, when i actually enjoyed my time behind the wheel of a VY significantly more from an interior standpoint.
The Aurion is a nightmare to drive, and feels cheap in everyway, i cant believe they are even mentioned in the same breath.
Of course the FGs interior is going to look more modern etc than the VE…. The VE is 4 years old.
As far as looks are concerned – although some may say that the VE looks “dated” it still looks a lot better [inside and out] and IMHO will age more gracefully than the Aurion/Camry
Andrew,
Couldn’t agree more.
Its simple……if you want to be a sheep and have no mind of your own and you think Holden is an “Aussie” car.lol you buy a Commodore.
If you want to buy a car that is still better in every way than the latest Commodore, including fuel economy, you buy a Falcon.
As a motoring guy said recently in a fuel economy test at Bathurst “the Falcon is still a better place to be than a Commodore.” For me …….I have driven FG and VE series 2 back to back and I cant believe how much better the FG is than the VE…….not only in looks inside and out but the refinement of the engine\transmission is light years ahead of Barack Obamas latest Commodore. Interior quality and feel is no contest really no matter what Holden lovers say. And how can “Holden” spend so much money on fuel economy technology and still havent really matched the Falcon’s much better inline 6? Its a joke ……..
My preference is for Ford too Car Guy but you just stirred up the ant nest ;)
Majority of Holden fans will never accept or believe the Falcon is superior. Period.
again mate that is your opnion, some motoring journos say otherwise whereas some agree with you. This is my take on things(I back the Red camp BTW)
Falcon has better interior
Commodore has better economy
Falcon has better gearbox and engine combo
Commodore more up to date engine
Commodore remains stylish and good looking
Falcon not bad but has to become less feminine
All in all if it were a performance run the Falcon would win, if it were up to space and looks and everyday ability most journos back the commodore.
Car Guy:
Ford is also an American company.
Holden was Australian, but decided to accept GM’s bail out in order to keep Australian’s in a job.
This is goes how GM decided to take majority owner ship by the US government rather then having to close, putting 100’s of thousands out of a job world wide, not to mention crippling the rest of the what was left of the US economy.
Also yes the Falcon was superior in the 6’s now its matched.
I also might add Car Guy grow up that is a silly comment
Matched at best……..
Holdens 6cyls now seem to be “acceptable”.
The I6 still has better drivability due to its torque being more usefull coming on sooner with more of it, and economy in the Falcon seems to just still edge ahead.
On the back light issue…..
The Red is really harsh at night.
My Mazda also has/had red back light till I fiddled round with it and found you could switch it to have a calmer blue back light. Glad I sorted that out early cause its pretty annoying
Holden has been owned by GM since well before its birth as a car manufacturer Andrew. It was a bodywork company before hand.
And the new DI Holden 6’s have shown significant advances in fuel economy, dont quote different tests with different driving conditions. On the recent wheels comparison the 3.6 consumed one litre less per 100km while performing equal performance (slower 0-100 *just* but faster on the roll *just*).
Ultimately, image and styling is most important to the consumer than these tiny drivetrain differences, and i think Holden cars are just cooler and look better. Also Ford seriously lacks a performance v8 option.
Actually, Ford do have a pretty good V8 Option. Ford’s GT Falcon was up until the E Series 2 more powerful than the HSV. The Falcons have been let down by poor rear wheel grip primarily. Still, I’d be interested to see them both on the Dyno again.
It’s just lacking some fat tires to help get that grunt to the ground.
Yes, its pretty heavy over the front wheels but a bit of decent sticky rear grip would help to no end :)
Joker I think you’ll find your statement incorrect. The E-series HSV did indeed have 317kw LS3 which was more than the boss 315, though at launch it did only have the 307kw LS2 which was more then the GT’s 302kw.
Really the problem witht he Boss engine isn’t power, but the willigness to rev. The engine just isn’t as responsive as GM’s LS series. By no means is it a weak engine.
Deco,
You’re right, purely on numbers alone, the HSV does appear to be more powerful.
When Wheels or Motor (cant remember which) ran the Falcon GT and HSV on the Dyno’s the Falcon delivered its power earlier and better, not to mention more… The Holden say about 10Kw’s lower than they’re quoted figures. Remember, both Holden and Ford use different measurements for power output ;) It all gets confusing lol
What a crock Andrew, GM has owned Holden since 1931, the first real Holden ( which was based on a rejected Chevy design) came out in 1948, that’s 17 years after GM bought the company. So every Holden badged car since the first was actually American.
GM bailed them out to keep Australian jobs? seriously, some of you people talk crap. The first real Australian made car was the Tarrant, perhaps someone should revive that name and make our industry truly Australian.
Without a word of a lie, an RACQ tow truck rocked-up 3 doors down from me today and guess what car it was about to load and cart away … yeap, you guessed it – a VE Crapodore. Had a chuckle to myself !!
My boss has a VE SS and in 6 months has now broken down a total of 3 times.
Says it all really.
They pick up more Falcons and Commodores then any other car and not because there are more of them either.
I dont understand all these reliability claims and all this nonsense about nationwide breakdowns. The only thing i can put it down to is that the VE and the Zeta platform are Holdens own first attempt at making its own car. The older gens were all Opel based and had euro input, but even then Holden should have worked out the Kinks by now.
It makes me laugh when even the Holden freaks talk about Holden as if the’ve always built Commodores, and yet they believe that at some point they were an Australian owned car maker. hahahaha.
The closest thing to complete car that the Australian Holden ever built, was bodies for Ford Australia before they built their new factory. Thats why GM bought Holden, so they could stop them building bodies for the opposition companies. Oh and the little matter about the unpayable debts……
Hmmm so your saying that the Commodore isn’t a truly Australian car?
Maybe you say it to the Australian’s who designed it, the Australian’s who did the (re-engineering and alot of it before the VE), the Australian’s who sell it and most of all the Australian’s who make it !
No Andrew you mis-understood the post. Lets rephrase it:
“As an Australian owned company, closest thing to complete car that the Holden ever built, was bodies for Ford Australia …”
Since becoming 100% American owned they have produced many cars, including Commodores in later years.
And yes I personally know some of the Australians who re-engineered pre VEs, designed VEs and built Holdens over the years. The biggest pity with GMH was that VE was designed to an American formula and not what we really needed in Australia – not a bad car but could have been more relevant to Auistralia if it didn’t grow so fat for the yanks.
That’s strange ? The falcon has more shoulder room, so isn\’t it wider ?
Hmmm the platform was designed to be GMs Global Rear Drive, but that never eventuated. Why would GM design a car for America when its majority sales are in Australia ?
Andrew, no the Commodore is wider.
Why did you give the answer, and follow it with the question??
Sure the Commodore variant will sell mostly in Australia, but the platform vaiants were to significantly outnumber that.
Anyway, to understand where GM went wrong with Commodore you need to look at where it could have been smaller and more relevant to where the market is heading instead it grew bigger and fatter.
Allen.
The FG is wider (has more shoulder room) then the VE, it also grew in all aspects, so by your logic it was Ford also went wrong deigning it, and they were waging a larger bet then Holden were, the future of Australia’s manufacturing.
If the VE went wrong why does it out sell everything else in Australia (yes i no they flog them to fleets as well, fleets buy then and private buy them and they are exported.
And if the FG is so good why can’t they get an export market, and why didn’t they engineer for export capabilities ?
Answer that!
Ahhhhhh, why does it have to be the hard way with some people?
VE 1899mm wide, BF 1863mm, FG 1868mm. VE IS wider!
FG did not grow in every didemsion over BF, infact it really is only 40mm extra length, which is crash protection engineering.
The FG was engineered off of the same base floorpan as BF. Whilst being a completely new car it was not a clean sheet design. Ford Australia did not have the option to dowsize the platform.
VE was a clean sheet design (although one hampered with too many carryover bits). GM probably realised that the platform was too big for the Australian market, but most of the volume for the platform was intended for the US, so it was sized accordingly. Without the US platform requirement VE would have been smaller than VZ, not bigger and would have been more relevant to the Australian market.
Just imagine where VE sales would have been then.
FG is engineered for LHD (well over 90% anyway). The program was cancelled for other priorities towards the end.
And Ford being the Multinational that they are decide where to sell their range of products, based on the global business case.
Andrew, please take a step back, take a deep breath, and think before launching into half though out posts hey.
Allen;
Either way the FG has class leading (only time im ever going to say that and Falcon in the same sentence) shoulder room and that is what i was saying, and so it has grown, and you were saying the VE was a mistake because it got bigger, so therefore your precious FG was also an error in judgment on Ford’s behalf.
At least Holden can design a car from scratch, the Falcon sits on a nearly 12 + year old platform (all be it heavily modified)
What carry over bits are you talking about ? the Wiper and Indicator stalks or the HEAVILY modified engines , because the FG has a lot more carry over then that!
And if it was smaller, even more then they are now, not only thrashing Falcon sales, but pulverizing them ? hmm 75 % of large car sales opposed to 50%?
You’re right Allen: the VE could have been made smaller – because in the lead up to the VE Project.. Holden designed the Alpha Platform.. which was used as the basis for the TT-36 Torana Concept Car
Whilst the Torana received rave reviews etc – it was decided that the VE Commodore needed to remain as a Large Car in order to compete with the Falcon. They therefore; made a longer wider version of the Alpha platform – called the Zeta platform
Holden showed a VE prototype and the Torana Concept Car to a number of GM Execs.. who were impressed by What Holden had created.
The VE was approved because they GM believed it had “global” potential – However; the Torana was knocked back as GM already had a similar sized “global” car – the Opel Insignia which hopefully will one day make its way to Australia.
Taxi in drag , tarted up reps transport fom A to B , not even on the radar
………..and still with crap brakes two or three decades later.
and here i was thinking the Falcon was the taxi in drag
Does anybody know if GM keeping Opel and Vauxhall means we will get the loved Astra back. And if by some miracle we may even get the Hotted up Insignia for HSV. What does everone think, just a dream or close reality?
GM made the decision to keep Opel last week – and since then [Holdens #1 fan in the USA] Bob Lutz has been appointed “interim” CEO of Opel.
This could mean there is even more chance of the Insignia making it down under – most likely as a sepperate stand alone brand
Must be frustrating to see 10:04 pm on your post, then look at your watch and see 7:34???
Just wait till 9:30 and we’ll start telling you about tomorow. lol
It’s a wonder no-one esle has yet commented on where Holden pinched the VE styling from.
Compare it to the early 70’s Leyland P76:
- Low sloping nose, check
- Exagerated front wheelarches, check
- High squared off and short bootline, check
- Simple understated flanks, check
Go on compare some photos side by side, the resemblence is quite uncanny!
I’m going to look into this lol. Sounds interesting!
Isn’t it a pity that, according to Paul M, that the best version of Holdens SISI Commodore is the manual, that will account for such a small percentage of sales it’s hardly even worth offering?
Sorry, Freudian slip; “…Holdens SIDI Commodore…”
I realise Pauls opinion is that the manual really makes the car shine, but from most accounts the auto isn’t bad either. Some reviews comparing it equally to Fords ZF.
But I do agree, be a shame not to sell many manuals, makes second hand hunting a problem :(.
Andrew……yes Ford is an American owned car company……..but GM Holden is fully owned by the Barack Obama American Government because of the 100’s of billions it gave them to stay alive. So to all you GM fans dont hold your breath that there is going to be alot of changes on the VF Commode because there isnt much development money at GM ……..just 100’s of billions owed to the American Gov\taxpayer.
I don’t think it went over 80billion, just saying.
Holden has there own money from selling cars that they use for updates. GMs money comes in for platform changes.
And the platform(commodore) is not changing to 2012.
Exactly.
Which is the shortest ever commodore platform life @ 6 years . . .
Check your facts, Obama only owns 60% of GM (and there for the same % of Holden) the Canadians and the US unions own the rest. Oh and then the 2010 stock float GM are planning hmmm so the public will too.
And i really don’t care that some one had to bail GM out to save job, or should we just let companies collapse and people become unemployed ?
Why does GM in its adverts refer to “SIDI” direct injection? Is it really called “Spark Ignition Direct Injection Direct Injection”? lol Spark ignition…….wow !! wow !! wow!! Gee …thats a new thing!! GM are lame…….
Not really – It’s the same as people saying I’m going to the ATM machine… The Auto-Teller Machine machine?
And when you go to the automatic teller machine machine don’t forget your personal identification number number lol
mr smartypants,
google h.c.c.i.
get back to me…
Spark ignition as opposed to compression ignition (ie, diesel).
Still lame, though…
Not to mention Holden had to use SIDI because Mazda had already taken DISI (Direct Injection Spark Ignition)!! ;-) :-)
Serious!?! Surely there are more acronyms left for the automotive world to abuse?
Why didn’t they just call it Fuel Under Compression Kinetic Energy Device … :-)
Becaue that’s another way of spelling Holden?
oh wow car guy, it seems any mention of Holden brings the cynic out in you. At least Holden is still around, and thousands of jobs in the automotive industry are safe for the time being. GM kept Holden because of the investment they had already made in building the Cruze here, not to mention that the Australian government subsidize the whole Australian automotive industry, including Holden, Ford and Toyota with millions in pay outs.
If you had any idea of how subsidies really work then you would know that the Government no matter how desperate the industry will not subsidise more then 40% of an industry. This idea of the governmnet portecting Holden is just like Germnay and America protecting their auto industries.
What a ghastly shade of green!!
I like it. I think its their best colour.
At least it’s not purple or orange…
Hey look I DONT know were the hell you got XR6T from omfg ITS turbo’d for crying out loud! I SWEAR IF YOU TURBO’D THE Aurion and the Commodore then YOu may be like power is sort of similar but fuel econemy has gone down the hole….
Look and the main reason why the SV6 costs so much is due to the fact its a new type of engine so it would cost more for them to make at first like every technology and hey if it uses 1L less per 100km good on them there trying there hardest. Look all you oldies may think Commodores look outdated and all maybe think this. IF you saw XR6’s round for a few more years with same interior you would say the same SO COMMON! Before you FORD and HOLDEN fans diss eachother thinkg for crying out loud. AND YES MANUAL IS BETTER
IT MEANS YOU CAN DRIVE DAMNIT! UNLIKE U LAZY OLD MEN WHO THINK AUTO IS GOOD OMG auto uses more fuel and less skill i have a 15 yr old sister who can drive an auto and shes a dumb blonde sorry sis….with fords when you throttle its a slight pause then the power comes with comoodores its pedal and power at the same time…. Look you may all say FORD HOLDEN TOYOTA w.e guys its a car and us younger people think FORDS LOOK LIKE JUNK unless utes that are black with black rims.. BUT have better engines and Commodores look way better but have less better engines hmmm however kids would prefer Holdens. And about the cars braking down lol doesnt every car when u thrash it non stop? exacltly think people think!! I Love Holdens for their better looks and Love Fords for their 4l nice engines. Im not here to insult im just pointing out a younger point of view and critisiing some of the stupid things you all say which if lets say Ford was Holden and Holden was Ford youd all say the same crap about the cars…. This is a car review not a HOLDEN VS FORD athon gosh keep with the main point here. ok ok im a hypacrit however ive driven both cars and i like both of them equally cause they are in a way different to eachother but stil eachothers fierce competator.
Dude, you need to pay more attention in english class.
Dammit man lay off the energy drinks after 9:00pm will ya??? You’ll give your self a heart attack…. :p
I believe the supercharged Aurion was cancelled it was that good
I too tried started to read your comment, but with the poor punctuation I couldnt.
Didn’t read the comment, but from the first 2 sentences i could gather it wouldn’t be worth my time.
Mate, not all us young people think like you and your fully sick mates. Stop making all the Y generation look silly.
Love the ‘Taxi in drag’ comments, considering the majority of taxis in Australia are Falcons…
Holden and Frost, the saddle makers, were making buggies and horse carts. They created the company ‘Holden Motor Body Builders’ (HMBB) to continue their successful work. Later Holden and Frost was sold off.
HMBB built bodies for Chevrolets, Pontiacs, Buicks and many other makes INCLUDING Ford.
There are many reasons for GM to buy HMBB, such as HMBB being caught out by the great depression just after they had made a large expansion.
One reason was that Ford was rumoured to be making an offer on HMBB.
Part of the agreement struck by GM and HMBB was that HMBB would produce bodies exclusively for GM makes. The company of General Motors Holden’s Limited would not come around until after the war.
this just confirms my opinion all along, the only transmission to buy in a sporty model car is always the proper MANUAL with a proper clutch!!!
I second that……
I too like manuals, but after reading many reports on the Falcon XR/GE turbo
I am not sure as to which box I would get, as the auto is quicker but the manual is more fun.
Does the SV6 Sportwagon come in manual? The website dosnt mention it and the salesman said he would check to see if they offer it, he also mentioned that sometimes they can push an order through to the factory with a special request – would this be right? I know the ute and the sedan can come in manual through a normal order.
I don’t think it does. This is what is preventing me from upgrading to one.
Yes, its also stopping us as well from getting one, my wife is adament that the new car be manual. I really dont see why they wouldnt offer it, apparantly the SV6 sportwagon has a much higher private purchaser rate than the sedan – so you would think a manual transmission would be offered if the sedan is at least offering one.
I’m pretty sure you can request one ;)
Disagree with CA comments on long travel on the brake pedals. Don’t know if its Australian tune but Aurion also has long travel. I like it.
Some imports I’ve driven has shallow and firm brake pedals. You can’t easily control the degree of brake power with much precision.
VE Commodore is on it’s last legs & about to burst from ageing. But i do like that green. Looks more modern for some reason. Sorry, i’m a Holden boy & i can see an update is in need especially the interior. Once the update is done inside & out, & more Holden persuasive advertsing, Holden will be onto a winner once again. I can imagine Commodore & Cruze claiming No.1/No.2 Spot Monthly Sales in 2010. Go HOLDEN.
Now breath deeply Byron, no holding your breath. VF may not make it untill 2011 at the earliest. And it will be quite minor cosmetics exterior wise whenit does arrive. Look for NO sheetmetal changes.
it worked for the HQ-WB
VF is due 2nd or 3rd quarter 2010 and its sheet metal !
Bet ya a slab it aint! (sheetmetl changes)
bet you a slab it is!!!
Andrew how reliable is your source?
What else can you tell us about VF?
O read it in wheels, also CEO Mark Rues said it was nearing final development when asked about it at the launch of MY10.0 Commoodre
Look at the Coupe 60, and i’m guessing you pretty much got your VF minus the 2 doors and huge rims. Pretty sure they’ll adopt those rear tailights of the coupe on the VF.Holden rarely does show cars that don,t have design elements in the upcoming models, this obviously doesn’t apply to the effijy.
I second that
^^ Ur probably right, the TT36 Torana showed off the VE design language so why not use the Coupe 60 to show off the next gen design language. Ive seen a couple CGI images and they look damned nicer than the VE, but if they are made is a different thing.
I’ll have a Volkswagon Passat any day and if i want performance i’ll take Passat R36 Now that’s one refinded v6 3.6lt build by german engineers! not 10 guy’s in thongs Afl shorts and a stubbi in one hand trying to learn how to build a motor using google .
You can have the service costs,as well.
and reduced legroom and reduced road holding and handling prowess.
You can have your Passat. Seriously why mention it?
Unrelaible, FWD heap of euro trash that couldnt pull a greased stick out of a pigs backside.
Horses for corses.
Dank where do you get your quality information from?? I have a diesel Passat wagon and have absolutely no problems in just under three years plus average fuel economy of 7.5L/100lm and have got under 5l/100km on a number of long runs. 320nm of torque ain’t bad for a 4cyl 2 litre.. Re the SV6 I would take an Xr6 any day given the current price difference. The turbo is in another world after having recently driven a G6ET. The Commodore interior is now heavily dated compared to the Fords. You can get a 2008 G6ET for 43k driveaway with low kms if you look hard enough, I know where I would spend my money. The new engines SIDI engines are much improved but the Commodore badly needs an interior and exterior update.
prior to the VE, holden’s so-called “re-engineering” consisted of widening a mainstream euro model and calling it a commodore. starting fromt the VB, that was pretty much a replica of the opel rekord, then was based on the opel omega after that. ever wondered why the commodore up to the VZ had a patch-panel at the base of the C-pillar? cause that’s what the opel had. wonder why up to the VZ it had such a crap IRS system? cause that’s what the opel had. did you also wonder why, from the VN up to probably the VT, there was noticable driveline shudder on initial acceleration? because they basically took a front drive engine and turned it 90 degrees, and couldn’t/didn’t bother trying to get the resulting vibrations sorted.
holden marketing have done a fantastic job making the australian public think that holden (and the commodore) are as true-blue, dinky-di aussie as you can get, but in reality, it’s the falcon that should be considered the most “australian” car, especially since from the XA onwards there really hasn’t been another car in the ford world like it. the same can’t be said for the commodore.
You have blue blood i presume. Although the Ford engines may be Aussie not much else is. It is screwed together in Oz like the commodore form imported and local parts. So the only realy aussie car is Elfin. GO HOLDEN
Shak,
Unless you know the parts break down, don’t make stuff up. PS. Elfin runs a Gen 4 V8 or some other American engine I believe.
Im not specifying each part just the major parts. Gearbox, engine, chassis, lights, wiring, panels. Im just saying dont use that Anti Aussie thin against Holden because Ford has it just as bad.
All I can see with everyones comments is that they are 100% jealous of Holdens Australian Birth Place and Supremecy in making great looking cars. Heck, unless you were not born in this great country, you don’t know what a good car is. I was not a Holden fan before reading these comments. Now……I luv them and I just went and purchased a SV6……luv it. Never again Toyota Canary or Fording Apart. Worst car I ever drove was the Canary Box Wedge. Best car….VE SV6….everyone takes notice and I feel like the King of the road….yeee…haaaa
Tosser!
lol… Some how i think you’re taking the micky but if not….
One word of advice Kackybum, get out, see the world and drive a few more cars :)
I’m doing my work exp at my local Holden place this week, starting tomorrow. I’m gonna ask him about VF & SIDI’s demand among other things. Any questions u wanna ask, just let me know & i’ll be glad to ask him. Go HOLDEN!
I have finally figured it out.
its the single exhaust outlet on each side.
IMO this makes the car look tougher than the double on each side of the SS.
SIDI is becoming popular. I’ve seen 10 around & asked the Holden guy when i was at the dealership & he said they were in high demand & the fleets love them. We just need the facelift.
Anyone know when it’s coming?
I wonder why anyone interested in commodore would buy an omega over International..
The international RRP starts from 35K (about 5K less than omega) but still has everything that an omega has plus $7500 worth features that are only optional in omega so it’s actually a lot cheaper and looks way better (with 18-inch alloy wheels)
Can anybody tell me why?
does anyone here know when a facelift is scheduled for commodore?
I think that’s all Commodore needs… the sales will skyrocket when it gets a new fresh look.
I hired a new ( well, 11K on the clock) SV6 auto in Melbourne, and have driven from there to Adelaide ( via Great Ocean Road) then Broken Hill and Dubbo to Sydney.
Problems have been : the air con seems to give up after a few hours, the brakes lack a little feel before they warm up and I would ditch the rear spoiler. Otherwise , its quiet, smooth and gives us 8.5 l/100 kms driving at 105-110 using the Cruise control.
I like it, and yes I would buy one. I’ve had a lot of cars in 40 years of driving, this is amongst the best. Thanks Holden ( and Ford and Toyota !)