By
EWAN KENNEDY
17 July 2006
Holden has shown its new VE series Commodore to the media at an
elaborate presentation in Melbourne. An all-new Holden Commodore only
comes along about once every nine years, making this a major highlight
on the Australian automotive scene.
Some $1.23 billion dollars have been
invested in the VE Commodore and the WM long-wheelbase variants that
will follow in a few months’ time. A huge investment that shows the
importance GM's head office is putting on these Australian designed and
manufactured cars.
Styling of the new VE Commodore works
exceptionally well. There are some cues carried over from the
now-superseded VZ range in the area of the grille and headlights. Which
makes a lot of sense because the VZ and the models from which it was
developed have dominated the Australian new-car scene for almost a
decade.
There's a short front overhang in the VE
Commodore that gives the car a purposeful appearance. An interesting
addition to the Commodore range is what GM-H calls the ‘V Series’.
These are topline models in both the sports and luxury ranges and come
with tags Calais V and SS V.
All VE Commodore models have sporting
vents (‘gills’) in the front guards to give them a semi-race look.
The roof carries a modern domed shape,
but does so without hindering easy access to the cabin. Taillights vary
in shape from model to model and are carried not only around the side of
the body but also into the upper surfaces as well.
Quality of build looks high in the seven
Commodores we have seen so far, which is impressive as these were early
build models and these can be sometimes be variable. Not so in this
case, which doesn’t really come as a surprise as Holden has put a lot
of emphasis on what it calls the ‘global significance’ of the car.
Keep in mind that tens of thousands of
Commodores and Caprices go to overseas markets every year and the
importance of high quality makes a lot of sense.
Interior space is good. At this stage we
have only sat in VE Commodores on static display but the seats feel to
be comfortable and considerable attention has been given to providing
decent support for rear seat passengers.
The Commodore Executive and Acclaim names
for previous models have been dropped. Replaced by a single model called
the Commodore Omega. The name being in reference to the Opel family car
of that name.
Engines are uprated versions of the ones
we already know in the VZ Commodore. All powerplants have been improved,
with the V6 units now having power outputs of 180 kW or 195 kW.
The 6.0-litre V8 has been brought up to
270 kW and 530 Nm, making it the most powerful V8 ever fitted to a
standard Holden. This engine will be mated to a six-speed automatic
transmission, with a six-speed manual optional on some sporting
variants.
Sales of family cars in Australia have
been declining savagely over the last year, a drop that has been caused
chiefly by sudden rises in fuel prices. But it’s not just fuel prices.
Astute buyers, particularly amongst those purchasing for vehicle fleets,
have been well aware this new VE Commodore has been coming. They also
know that Toyota is about to launch an all-new four-cylinder Camry, with
a six-cylinder model called Toyota Aurion due later in the year.
Just how good is this all-new Commodore
and can it bring Australian buyers back into the family-car market?
At this stage the big Holden certainly
looks to be a winner on the styling and interior-space stakes. Fuel
consumption is something we can’t comment on at this time. We have yet
to drive the VE, that won’t happen until we embark on a Holden-organised
two-day drive program on August 1st and 2nd.
One week prior to that Holden is holding
comprehensive engineering and design seminars for journalists on the VE
Commodore. We will report on these and our initial driving impressions
as soon as possible.
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