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Holden
has introduced another engine option on its best selling Commodore
range. An all-new 3.0-litre V6 powerplant, tagged SIDI (Spark
Ignition Direct Injection) is offered as a lower cost unit with the
double benefits of having reduced fuel consumption and fewer
emissions of carbon dioxide (C02).
We
have just spent a week sitting behind this new V6 engine in a
Commodore Berlina station wagon as part of our routine road test
program. Holden is the first local manufacturer to introduce
direct-injection technology. This allows a higher compression ratio
for improved efficiency. Less fuel is used to produce equivalent
power. The latest Holden V6 produces 190 kW of power at 6700 rpm, and
290 Nm of torque at 2900 rpm. The 3.0 V6 comes standard in Holden's
Commodore Omega and Berlina.
We
found the engine to be an excellent choice that probably has enough
performance for just about everyone this side of the revheads. It's a
sweeter unit than the old 3.6-litre, with almost none of the
vibration and harshness that took the edge of that engine. But it
still doesn't have the honey-smooth feel of some Japanese
competitors’ V6 engines. Which is a shame as the GM Holden twin-cam
24-vlave unit really is a beauty in every other way.
The
SIDI V6 engine is tuned to idle at a very low 550 rpm, thus reducing
fuel usage at idle – every little The
new SIDI 3.0 engine is mated to a new six-speed auto transmission to
maximise both its performance and economy. It's a big improvement on
the previous four-speed automatic, with a low first gear to provide
plenty of torque off the line, the sort of grunt that Aussie drivers
just love. At
the other end of the transmission ratios on this six-speed auto is a
tall top that sees the engine turning at a mere 2000 rpm when the
Commodore's cruising at 120 km/h. On the motorway and during easy
country running on level surfaces we found the consumption to
frequently be below eight litres per hundred kilometres. That would
have been considered impossible in a big family station wagon only a
few years ago.
Around
town the engine is working in the mid-range gears so can't manage to
record such low figures as those on the open road. Expect it to be
using about nine to eleven litres per hundred kilometres in suburban
driving. And perhaps the petrol consumption will be on the wrong side
of 12 litres in heavy-duty stop-start traffic.
GM
Holden has introduced lower rolling resistance tyres from Bridgestone
as standard on model year 2010 with 16 and 17-inch wheels –
including the Berlina Sportswagon we tested. These are quiet and
smooth in their characteristics, even on concrete surfaces and rough
and ready country roads. We
did not notice any discernible change to the Commodore's handling,
the slight reduction in weight probably assists cornering, but it
would have taken racetrack stopwatch testing to measure the
difference. In any case, the VE Commodore is beautifully balanced and
corners hard and fast at the sort of speeds that are unlikely to be
attempted by the average family driver.
Comfort
remains as good as ever, Holden Commodore seems set to remain the car
of choice with those who do a lot of long distance driving in the
great Australian outback. Note
that a larger variant of the new 3.0-litre SIDI engine, retaining
that long-familiar capacity of 3.6 litres, is standard on Calais and
Calais V-Series sedan and Sportswagon as well as SV6 sedan,
Sportswagon and ute. The 3.6 engine, now has 210 kW of power and 350
Nm of torque.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL
RANGE
Omega
3.0-litre four-door sedan: $39,990 (automatic)
Omega
LPG 3.6-litre four-door sedan: $42,390 (automatic)
Berlina
3.0-litre four-door sedan: $43,490 (automatic)
Berlina
LPG 3.6-litre four-door sedan: $45,890 (automatic)
SV6
3.6-litre four-door sedan: $42,790 (automatic)
SS
6.0-litre four-door sedan: $47,790 (manual) $49,790 (automatic)
SS-V
6.0-litre four-door sedan: $55,290 (manual), $57,290 (automatic)
Calais
3.6-litre four-door sedan: $48,290 (automatic)
Calais
V 3.6-litre four-door sedan: $56,790 (automatic)
Calais
V 6.0-litre four-door sedan: $61,990 (automatic)
Omega
Sportwagon 3.0-litre five-door wagon: $41,990 (automatic)
Berlina
Sportwagon 3.0-litre five-door wagon: $45,490 (automatic)
SV6
Sportwagon 3.6-litre five-door wagon: $45,790 (automatic)
SS
Sportwagon 6.0-litre five-door wagon: $49,790 (manual), $51,790
(automatic)
SS-V
Sportwagon 6.0-litre five-door wagon: $57,290 (manual), $59,290
(automatic)
Calais
Sportwagon 3.6-litre five-door wagon: $50,290 (automatic)
Calais
V Sportwagon 3.6-litre five-door wagon: $58,790 (automatic)
Calais
V Sportwagon 6.0-litre five-door wagon: $63,990 (automatic)
FEATURES
ABS
Brakes: Standard in all models
Air
Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic
Transmission: $2000 option in SS and SS V, standard in all other
models
CD
Player: Standard in all models
Central
Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise
Control: Standard in all models
Dual
Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front
Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability
Control: Standard in all models
Traction
Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Holden Commodore
Sportwagon Omega 3.0-litre five-door wagon)
ENGINE:
Capacity:
2.997 litres
Configuration:
V6
Head
Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression
Ratio: 11.7:1
Bore/Stroke: 89.0 x 80.3 mm
Maximum
Power: 190 kW @ 6700 rpm
Maximum
Torque: 290 Nm @ 2900 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven
Wheels: Rear
Manual
Transmission: Not offered
Automatic
Transmission: Six-speed
Final
Drive Ratio: 3.27:1
DIMENSIONS,
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length:
4897 mm
Wheelbase:
2915 mm
Width:
1899 mm
Height:
1467 mm
Turning
Circle: 11.4 metres
Kerb
Mass: NA
Fuel
Tank Capacity: 73 litres
Towing
Ability: Up to 2000 kg (with braked trailer and approved towing
equipment)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front
Suspension: Coil springs, direct acting stabiliser bar
Rear
Suspension: Multi-link, coil springs, stabiliser bar
Front
Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear
Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: NA
FUEL
CONSUMPTION:
Type:
Petrol 91RON
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/02): 9.3 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 5.5/10
Air Pollution Rating: 8.5/10
STANDARD
WARRANTY:
Three
years/100,000 km
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