Commodore Series II breaks cover

Australia's favourite car for the past 14 years, the Holden Commodore, has come in for a minor facelift – and from next month it can be powered mostly by sugar cane.

As part of the first significant cosmetic change to the Commodore in four years, Holden has adapted the V6 and V8 engines to run on ethanol derived from sugar cane and other crop waste, blended with a small amount of regular unleaded.

The 3.0-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 models can run on up to 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent regular unleaded – or any combination in between – following upgrades to the fuel delivery system.

The 3.6 V6 versions of the Commodore and Caprice are not due to be E85-ready until this time next year.

There is no loss in power by switching to E85 – indeed, E85 produces slightly more power than regular unleaded.

Caltex recently announced it would install 100 E85 petrol pumps nationally by the end of next year, and that more would follow.

The 100 E85 outlets will account for a fraction of the 1400 Caltex outlets nationally (7 per cent) and an even smaller proportion of the 6000 petrol stations across all brands and independent operators nationally (1.6 per cent). Until recently there have been fewer than 10 pumps nationally for E85.

To date, only six of the more than 500 new cars on sale in Australia can run on E85 – four Saabs, one Dodge and one Chrysler.

Cars cannot easily be "retro-fitted" with an E85-compatible fuel delivery system, and Holden warns that anyone who accidentally fills a non-E85 car with E85 fuel to drain the tank before starting the engine or risk damage to the car's fuel system.

The switch to the renewable fuel can reduce CO2 emissions (Holden claims a 40 per cent reduction) but because you need to burn between 30 and 50 per cent more E85 to travel the same distance as you would in a car powered by regular unleaded, the net CO2 reduction at the tailpipe is between just 2 and 10 per cent.

The E85 capability is just a part of a long list of changes to the Commodore, whose prices will remain unchanged except for lower prices on some Caprice models.

The squint-and-you-might-miss-them alterations include a few different bends and bulges in the front bumper, a hairline fracture change to the headlights, and a subtle bump in the bootlid to improve aerodynamics.

Changes to the stuff you can't see includes more plastic covers on the underbody to improve airflow under the car at freeway speeds, a fuel economy measure.

Holden has used the Series II update to trim a few per cent off its fuel consumption figures across the range – all V6 models now earn a four-star rating on the Green Vehicle Guide, with the most economical posting a fuel rating label figure of just 9.1L/100km, only 0.3L/100km more than a Toyota Camry four-cylinder automatic.

The interior has been updated with a host of user-friendly functions designed to boost the Commodore's appeal amid a wave of newer imported cars.

Inside, little has changed cosmetically except for the instrument panel and the centre section of the dashboard which houses the audio and air-conditioning controls.

All models now come standard with dual zone air-conditioning.

As we reported back in March, a new touchscreen infotainment system will make its debut on the Series II, standard across all Commodore models. Called Holden-iQ it includes a 6.5-inch multi-function LCD touch screen for the audio system, wireless Bluetooth phone connection, iPod connection, a USB port and a built-in hard drive that can store up to 15 music CDs.

A navigation system and a rear camera are standard on the flagship SS-V and Calais V models, and optional on others in the range.

Announcing the changes at a press conference in Melbourne this morning (Tuesday August 31, 2010), the managing director of Holden, Mike Devereux, said: "Our customers have told us they want to see more functionality, from Omega to Caprice. We have listened and responded in a way that continues to keep Commodore relevant to Australian motorists."

The Series II update was due to appear much earlier than this; with the previous generation Commodore, the Series II model arrived within two years.

But weakening Commodore sales, the axing of the Pontiac export program, and the Global Financial Crisis have starved Holden of the funds necessary to make more changes sooner.

Furthermore, these subtle tweaks need to keep the Commodore looking fresh for another few years before the next updated model arrives.

The Series II Commodore is due to go into production later this month and arrive in dealerships in October.

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