Holden details its 2018 Commodore four

For the first time in the Commodore's history, the mainstay of Holden’s imported 2018 ZB Holden Commodore fleet will be powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.

That will make it one of the smallest Commodore engine's ever, but with 191kW of power and 350Nm of torque on tap, it will also be (by a whisker) the most powerful entry-level Commodore engine yet and, says Holden, the quickest and best base Commodore ever.

Six months from launch, Holden is keeping full specifications to its chest, but Australian outputs of the German-made Commodore’s new entry-level 2.0-litre petrol engine were revealed at our first drive of the model this week, as Holden applies the finishing touches to its 100,000km-plus local steering and suspension tuning program.

What we know is that when it goes on sale in late February next year, the new-generation Commodore will be available in two body styles – sedan/liftback and wagon – and there will also be a high-riding crossover version of the Sportwagon dubbed the Tourer.

Related Reading:
Holden Commodore 2018 Review

Three powertrains will be offered from launch, headlined by a 235kW/380Nm 3.6-litre naturally-aspirated V6 with nine-speed automatic transmission and ‘Twinster’ all-wheel drive system, which will power the Commodore VXR and, almost certainly, the V6 AWD Tourer.

Below the sports and crossover variants will be two turbocharged four-cylinder engines also hooked up to a nine-speed auto but this time front-drive.

This will include the Commodore’s first diesel engine, but detailed this week is the entry-level 2.0-litre petrol engine, which despite downsizing delivers 191kW/350Nm. That’s less torque than the European version’s 400Nm and less power than the 210kW/350Nm 3.6-litre V6 in the outgoing Commodore SV6.

But it’s more power and torque than the 185kW/290Nm 3.0-litre V6 that powers the current Commodore Evoke and more power and torque than the 180kW/330Nm 3.6-litre that powered the base Commodore before it downsized to a 190kW/290kW 3.0-litre V6 in 2009.

Holden reckons the base Commodore will accelerate to 100km/h in about seven seconds, which would make it about a second quicker than the outgoing Evoke and almost as quick as the SV6.

Fuel economy will be below 8.0L/100km, insists the company, which is not only less than the existing Commodore 3.0-litre (8.3L/100km) but also the 3.6 (9.0L/100km), thanks to the car's significantly reduced mass compared to the current Aussie-made VF Commodore.

Again expected to be priced from around $35,000 in sedan form, the five-door range is likely to be offered in three model grades (to replace the outgoing Evoke, Calais and SV6, but not SS).

"We are really excited about this car because it's by far the best entry-level powertrain we've ever had in a Commodore," declared David Johnson, lead development engineer for ZB Commodore.

"It's responsive, it's nimble and it's a beautiful car to drive."

Read our first test review of the new 2.0-litre front-drive Commodore, check out the review section.

Another first for the Commodore is a turbo-diesel engine, but exactly which one remains unknown.

"In Europe this car is sold with a range of diesels. We've haven't picked the highest output, but one of the better diesels," says Johnson, who also ruled out a diesel version of the Tourer.

"At the moment it's not in the program. I think there is a version of that, not with the same diesel we're getting.

“But for us, to be honest, diesel in Commodore is a bit of a toe in the water. We've never had it before and it'll be interesting to see how the market responds to that, and whether we change the portfolio would depend on demand."

Europe’s Opel Insignia is available with a pair of 1.6-litre turbo-diesel engines a top-range 2.0-litre turbo-diesel.

But given that Europe’s version of the crossover will receive a more powerful new diesel engine, we expect the oil-burning Commodore to come with the same 2.0-litre seen in the Grand Sport manual, which produces 125kW/400Nm and consumes just 5.2L/100km.

Holden has worked for more than a year fine-tuning the German car's chassis to better suit Australian and New Zealand roads, as well as recalibrating things like the radio, satellite-navigation, stability control and anti-lock brakes.

It’s yet to be confirmed how many of them will be standard on the base model, but the new Commodore will be offered with a range of new features, from a massaging driver's seat function to radar-based cruise control and active lane keep assistance, allowing the vehicle all but drive itself on the freeway.

A multi-camera 360-degree parking view, heated and cooled seats and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) will also be added. It also has a five-star Euro NCAP crash rating, which means it will automatically receive a five-star ANCAP rating in Australia.

"It is a smart Commodore," said Johnson. "It's got a lot of technology [and] it's a great European car, but it's been made great for Australia through Holden involvement."

Related Reading:
Holden Commodore 2018 Review