VE Commodore Packs On The Kilos

Toby Hagon
28 February 2006
www.smh.com.au

Holden's all-new VE Commodore will be up to 10 per cent heavier than the model it replaces courtesy of a larger body and added safety features.

Due in August, the VE is expected to be around 150 kilograms heavier than the VZ it will replace, which is the last of the VT-based models that first arrived in 1997.

But General Motors product development chief Bob Lutz says the Commodore's anticipated near-two-tonne body is in line with weight gains on many new models as car makers engineer added safety into their vehicles in response to stricter regulations.

"Everything is getting heavier … everybody's replacement vehicle will be bigger," says Lutz, explaining that new regulations concerning rollover protection, side impact protection and pedestrian protection have led to increased bulk in new-generation vehicles. "Everything (new model) is growing to meet these new (safety) requirements."

All things being equal, added weight means increased fuel consumption, something Holden could do without as it watches sales of its volume-selling large cars plummet.

Industry pundits are crediting rising fuel prices with the slump in large car sales; in 2005 the Commodore recorded its lowest sales in 12 years.

Holden is refusing to comment on details of the upcoming VE through fear of affecting the sales of the soon-to-be-run-out VZ.

However, logic suggests the extra 150-odd-kilograms of weight will result in increased fuel consumption for the VE.

But other factors also come into play with fuel consumption. Holden is also expected to add a five- and/or six-speed automatic transmission in an effort to improve the appeal of its biggest seller to fleets and family buyers increasingly concerned about running costs.

While the V6-powered VE Commodores that account for the majority of sales will benefit from incremental improvements, the basics of the 3.6-litre engine are expected to remain the same.

However, Holden is believed to be adding cylinder-deactivation technology to its recently-acquired 6.0-litre V8, meaning it can run as a four-cylinder when minimal power is required.

Will the Camaro not ride on a similiar platorm to Sigma?

I just don't see how an 08-09 Camaro that needs to adhere to all the new federal regulations, and will be based on a platform being developed by Holden will somehow weight that same as a 4th gen or close to it.