ilPistone.com: Holden Commodore

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Best Holden ever made

The Holden VE SS Commodore
Achievment: first drives of the new Holden Commodore VE have led to solid praise

It was nearly eight years and a billion dollars in the making and until this week no one from outside Holden had sampled the results of what is described as the most important car in the Australian manufacturer's history.

After 600km on public roads and several hours' free-range testing at Holden's Lang Lang proving ground, it's time to answer some key questions concerning this most expensive of Australian motoring exercises.

Is the VE Commodore the best Holden ever made? Absolutely, and by a considerable margin. That is not so surprising given the technological and investment advantages this car enjoys over its predecessors.

Holden's engineers and designers have been able to work with and call on world's best practice and resources ... but it is what they have done with it that is so impressive.

Is the VE Commodore world class? Yes, it is. That is not to say it is world-leading but it would be rare company indeed in which this car could not hold its own.

As the rest of the world discovers VE ? largely through the roll-out in a variety of GM products using the rear-wheel drive architecture which supports the stylish body penned by former head of design Mike Simcoe and refined by the team of Tony Stolfo ? Holden's reputation as a centre of excellence can only keep growing.

"Is this a car that our guys can be proud of ... oh yeah, it certainly is," GM Holden boss Denny Mooney says without any hesitation. "Across the board everyone in the team that brought this car to what it is wanted it to be the best ... not just the best Commodore but the best. There were arguments over all aspects of the cars, big and small.

"I'll tell you Mike Simcoe can be one hard-ass ? and that is not in any way a criticism of the guy. His refusal to budge on the front-end styling of the car gave the engineers huge headaches on packaging a V8.

"It was a real challenge but Tony Hyde's guys got on with it, made it work and made it work as well as it has. That sort of attitude was right across the entire team."

Across the range ? from the base Omega through to the SS and Calais V-series cars ? the first and lasting impression is of how improved the steering feel is. Gone is the slight vagueness from the VZ.

The improvements in body and chassis stiffness, refined-steering rack design now mounted forward of the front-axle centreline, an all-new, four-link, independent rear suspension and new tyre and wheel packages all play towards the VE's confidence-inspiring steering feel and straightline stability.

And when enthusiasm exceeds the considerable mechanical grip of the Commodore chassis there is the standard electronic stability program waiting. The intervention is not harsh but it is effective in all but the greatest excesses and the driver is reminded by a dash notification that "stability assistance has been rendered".

Noise vibration and harshness levels are outstanding, particularly in the Calais range where engine, road and incidental exterior sound has been banished from the cabin.

The impression of refinement at the top of the range is underscored by the new six-speed automatic, which boasts shift changes as smooth as any in the market.

A model-by-model potted rating of the new VE range as driven by CARSguide.

OMEGA (4-speed automatic; 3.6-litre V6; 180kW@6000rpm, 330Nm@2300rpm)

It is obvious this is the fleet car. All the key improvements such as ride and handling, improved NVH at cruise and solid road feel are on show but there are areas where resources were optimised. The four-speed gearbox, although recalibrated from VZ, is still coarse and left hunting for a ratio in hilly country. There is a degree of drivetrain harshness transmitted to the cabin when the engine is called on to work hard off the line.

BERLINA (4-speed automatic; 3.6-litre V6; 180kW@6000rpm, 330Nm@2300rpm)

A little more refinement and equipment than the Omega and larger 17-inch alloys lift the ride feel. It still has the same engine coarseness on launch and the four-speed box again lets the whole package down.

SV6 (6-speed manual; 3.6-litre V6; 195kW@6500rpm, 340Nm@2600rpm)

Rides on a sport suspension and links the six-speed manual to the high-output 195kW V6. Sits with an impressively solid feel, albeit with a slightly harsher ride quality than the luxury line cars. Straightline and mid-corner stability a feature. The gear shifts are sharp, the gates close enough to feel sporty but sixth gear is little more than a highway overdive.

SS V (6-speed automatic; 6.0-litre V8, 270kW@5700rpm, 530Nm@4400rpm)

Go hard with confidence in this one. The ride is excellent, the stability and the feedback through the steering a strong confidence booster and the feeling of plenty of urge under the right foot empowering. Fuel efficiency varies greatly depending on how hard you drive it but at the end of a 500km day where economy wasn't the target it still returned a reading in the mid-13L/100km range.

Calais V (6-speed automatic; 6.0-litre V8, 270kW@5700rpm, 530Nm@4400rpm)

Luxury and refinement with a very muscular undertone. The note from the quad exhaust pipes is all about "I can if I want to but I don't need to shout about it". The 6.0-litre V8 coupled to the refined six-speed auto is an absolute gem. The whole package reeks of refinement yet when urged along there is plenty of athletic ability on call. No longer the poor relation of luxury, the Calais is going places.

THE VERDICT

Our top motoring writers have spent much of this week road testing and track testing the range of new Holden Commodores. Here's what they say about the new VE.

KEVIN HEPWORTH, The Daily Telegraph, Sydney

FOR: There is a quantum leap forward in steering feel across the range. Chassis dynamics, body stiffness, refinement and NVH levels are, as Holden claims, world class. The new six-speed automatic sets an awesome standard in shift smoothness.

AGAINST: The carry-over four-speed automatic in the Omega and Berlina, although recalibrated for the VE, is a disappointment. Its harshness of shift and tendency to hunt is made all the more obvious by the six-speed's refinement. In common with many modern cars, vision through the A-pillar is not good.

JAMES STANFORD, Herald-Sun, Melbourne

FOR: This is a substantially better car than the model it replaces with all-inclusive ground-up approach built around a rock-hard body.

AGAINST: The Omega feels cheaper than it should and there were some quality issues on some test cars that Holden will want to fix.

STUART MARTIN, The Advertiser, Adelaide

FOR: It has lived up to expectations, with promises of a taut body shell, a big step forward in quality inside and out and first-rate ride and handling all fulfilled. Holden's engineers sought to achieve a 50-50 weight balance in the car's handling. They have achieved their aims.

AGAINST: The only minor complaints are a fiddly handbrake and reduced headroom when a sunroof is fitted. Another minor probem is the thickness of the A-pillar which can be a bit of an obstruction.

KEITH DIDHAM, The Mercury, Hobart

FOR: We knew the VE Commodore was going to be a better beast than the VZ, but the real surprise is just how much the gap between expectation and reality is. The improvement is substantial. It has gone from being a good car to a great one. The Commodore feels rock solid, nimble, well balanced and is surprisingly quiet.

AGAINST: It's not all good news, though. The rear wing on the SS and the thick A-pillar on all models restrict vision, the gauges on the SS are hard to read, the repositioned handbrake looks and feels cheap, the car still doesn't offer a split back seat, and while the base Omega is well packaged, owners miss out on airconditioning as standard fare, which seems mean.

GORDON LOMAS, The Courier-Mail, Brisbane

FOR: The driving experience is not a generational improvement over the outgoing Commodore, it is an intergalactic leap. There are no two things that can be compared with the VZ, such has been the shift in build quality and driving dynamics on the very fluid VE.

AGAINST: There are a couple of niggling points to the VE such as the trip computer button which can move forward through the functions but not back; frustrating if you overshoot the function you are looking for.