Holden VE Commodore Fuel Consumption

UPDATE 25/07/06:

Holden has released the Fuel Consumption Figures for the Holden VE Commodore Range. Click here to see the figures

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So yesterday saw the launch of the new Holden VE Commodore and with it came a ton of information from Holden’s PR team. Most of that was covered in this post. However one of the vital pieces of information that went missing from Holden’s press release was the Fuel Consumption figures. Mysteriously left un-mentioned, Holden seems to have left a little window of opportunity for rivals to home in the “Fuel Crisis” talk and walk all over Holden.

The Commodore has been suffering what I like to call, Big-Car Syndrome. People are starting to wake up and realize that perhaps they don’t really need a big car like the Holden Commodore or the Ford Falcon. Maybe they can do with a smaller car? If you don’t believe me, you just have to look at the Commodore’s sales figures which are at a 12 year low while the Australian Car Industry has been growing at a steady rate, with record new car-sales figures set every year for the last 4 years.

Its obvious then that the 1 billion dollars that Holden has invested into the Commodore might have been better invested elsewhere! Nonetheless, Holden, much like Mitsubishi are sticking to their guns and hedging their bets on the big car segment picking up again, but I would be a little more hesitant to put a 1 billion dollar bet on it. However Holden obviously plans to not only export the Calais & Statesmen to the Middle East as it has been doing for the last few years, but also the SS Commodore might find its way to the states as the next Pontiac Grand Prix.

Infact Holden are so confident that people don’t care about Fuel Consumption they figure that the power, sound and status you get from driving a good car will make you forget about the Fuel consumption ratings.

“A car is a massive emotional statement, The difference is two beers a week.” said Holden’s executive director of sales and marketing, Alan Batey in regards to the difference in fuel prices from Holden cars to more fuel efficient cars such as Toyota’s all new Camry.

So as I mentioned, others, more specifically Toyota has jumped on Holden’s shortcoming and is pounding the old General for being too lazy in not only failing to release fuel consumption figures but also by continuing to simply deny the fact that fuel consumption comes into question for car buyers.

“We believe it (the new camry) will be the most fuel-efficient car in the six-cylinder class,” said David Buttner Toyota Australia’s director of sales and marketing.

I am eagerly waiting to see not only the kerb weight figures for the new Commodore but also the Fuel Consumption figures. All will be posted once figures become available from Holden. Both manufacturers showed off their new vehicles yesterday, Holden displayed the new Commodore range at Melbourne’s Convention Centre while Toyota used the opportunity to distract the public by showing off the new Camry at the AFL match also held in Melbourne. Toyota claims the timing was a coincidence….. yeah.. right.