Holden is now offering a choice of two V6 engines in its Commodore range and associated vehicles, including the Statesman, Caprice and utilities. A 3.0-litre unit joins the existing 3.6-litre powerplant that is manufactured in Australia and has served the company well for many years.

The new Holden 3.0-litre is an ultra-modern unit using direct fuel injection for increased efficiency. Code-named LF1, this V6 engine produces 190 kW of power at a sky-high 6700 rpm; however the torque peak at 2900 rpm, where it is a respectable 290 Newton metres is much more in line with Holden's policy of giving drivers engines with plenty of grunt at everyday revs.

Depending on the car in which the engine is installed, it has officially measured fuel consumption as low as 9.3 litres per hundred kilometres. This makes it more economical than some four-cylinder engines in larger cars.

The existing 3.6-litre Holden V6 has been extensively modified, indeed to the extent that it can almost be regarded as an all-new unit. It, too, uses direct fuel injection, resulting in a healthy 210 kW of power at 6400 revs, with 350 Nm at 2900 rpm.

Fuel consumption of the 3.6-litre V6, when measured to ADR81/02 standards, has been cut by between seven and 13 per cent depending on model.

Any reduction in fuel consumption automatically translates into an equivalent decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.

Part of the fuel saving in both Holden engines comes from the use of an advanced six-speed automatic transmission, with gearing aimed at giving strong performance in the lower and mid ratios, and low fuel consumption in the highest gears.

 

The engines both carry ‘SIDI’ badges, an acronym for ‘Spark Ignition Direct Injection’. The second two letters make sense to us, but the company has used nothing but spark ignition engines in all locally built Holden passenger cars since 1948, so the first two letters seem rather unnecessary. Still, the marketing guys need something on which to hang their campaigns...

We have yet to road test these new Holden engines, but will do so in about four weeks’ time and give full reports immediately we have done so.

As well as being used in the full range of locally built Holden cars, the new 3.0-litre will be exported to other GM divisions worldwide. These include the upmarket Cadillac marque in the USA, a high compliment for the Australian designed and built powerplant.