Holden Commodore Omega LPG 2007 Review

Road Test

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0
Engine/Drivetrain/Chassis: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 4.0/5.0
Behind the wheel: 4.0/5.0
X-factor: 3.5/5.0

While the hype and focus may have been on diesel cars of late, there has been considerable growth in interest in LPG-fuelled cars thanks to the fuel's relative lower price and (controversial) government installation and purchase rebates.

Of the local makers, Ford and Holden are the only ones to offer an ex-factory LPG car with Ford offering a dedicated gas engine while the new VE Commodore sports a dual-fuel LPG/petrol option.

The Commodore option isn't cheap at a recommended retail price of $3900 versus the Falcon's $1400 increment but both are eligible for the government rebate with the former getting the full $2000 discount and the latter qualifying for a $1000 rebate. Both the Toyota Aurion and Mitsubishi 380 are compatible with LPG but the systems offered are currently dealer-fit aftermarket set-ups.

The new system in the Commodore is a latest generation sequential gas injection unit that, unlike previous carburettor-type systems, mimics the operation of the petrol injection and so is controlled by the car's computer. What this means in practical terms is that the drive experience exhibits minimal difference (in performance) whether the engine is operating on petrol or LPG.

The first instance you notice this is on start up where although it may be switched to gas, the Commodore starts on petrol before switching over (very quickly) automatically. As a result, there is none of the rough start characteristics that we have traditionally associated with LPG installations.

Off the line, the 3.6-litre V6 engine is reasonably strong with quoted maximum power and torque figures only marginally less on gas than petrol. On petrol, the VE Omega's V6 produces 180kW/330Nm while on gas it peaks at 175kW/325Nm. Holden's listed fuel consumption for the car on gas is 16.0lt/100km while its petrol consumption of 11.7lt/100km is slightly higher than the petrol-only Omega's 10.9l/100km. This is due to the nearly 100kg of extra weight from the additional 73 litre gas tank that sits in the boot.

On the road, the marginal differences in outputs go unnoticed, with the only indication that you are running on gas being a slight tendency for the four-speed automatic transmission to shift ratios frequently under harder use.

While the engine is strong across the rev band, you do feel the additional weight of the car although this probably has a benefit in making it feel even more planted on the road than the standard petrol Omega.

And as with the rest of the Commodore range, the car's driving dynamics are one of its strong points. It sits flat and stable through corners with plenty of feel from the direct steering while still offering superb ride comfort.

If you are a high-mileage driver or like the idea of getting nearly double your distance between refuels courtesy of two tanks of fuel, the dual-fuel Commodore makes a lot of sense. The factory installation might be expensive but it ensures you can access benefits of LPG without any of the previous drawbacks.