MY10 Commodore hits the road

Australia's top-selling car, the Holden Commodore, now has what it takes to retain that honour into 2010. The 'MY10' upgrade for Holden's volume-selling large car boasts important new changes to the specification -- changes that have reduced the Commodore's fuel consumption by a substantial amount, while improving NVH (noise vibration and harshness), safety and driveability.

"We think large cars are still very, very relevant," Phillip Brook, Director of Marketing at Holden told the Carsales Network. "And it's for this reason that the product upgrades... represent a very important change for the Commodore range."

"Model Year 10 is proof that we've really been listening to our customers and it's proof that we've invested in areas that matter most to them: fuel efficiency, fuel efficiency, fuel efficiency...

"Plus, we've managed to give Commodore extra performance and refinement at the same time."

As the Carsales Network has already reported, the revised model range gains two new direct-injected V6 engines and six-speed transmissions across the board. The smaller 3.0-litre SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) V6 powers the Omega and Berlina grades, while the sports and prestige grades -- SV6 and Calais -- feature a 3.6-litre version of the engine.

For the sake of promoting the range, Holden ran different variants from Melbourne to Sydney and back. A 3.0-litre Omega sedan and Sportwagon running from south to north achieved 7.5L/100km at a constant highway speed. On the return run from Sydney, a Calais V Sportwagon, with 3.6-litre engine, achieved 8.0L/100km.

All three vehicles, including the 3.6-litre Calais, managed to complete the run on one tank of fuel.

The company also plans to enter an Omega Sportwagon in the Global Green Challenge at the end of October.

And the benefits of the new model range don't end with new engines, transmissions and other accoutrements to lower enhance fuel efficiency. For the MY10 Commodore range, Holden has up-specced safety, with all passenger-carrying models rated at five-star safety by crash-testing authority ANCAP.

Further to that, Holden expects ANCAP to test the Ute variants later in the year and, while the manufacturer is not promising anything, fingers are crossed that the upgraded commercials will also snag a five-star rating. Holden anticipates the Utes will score big by virtue of the side-curtain airbags added to the vehicles' specs for 2010. This is, according to Holden, a first for a pick-up in Australia.

But don’t expect to spot the external differences between the old and new models easily. Holden has made very few changes in this department, instead focusing resources on the engineering alternations.

The new MY10 range will reach dealers' showrooms late this month, coinciding with a national brand campaign which will feature the upgraded models. Holden has retained the pricing of the outgoing models, with the exception of the Omega which rises $700.

The Carsales Network will publish detailed launch review drives of the new Commodores in coming days. In the meantime check out our detailed model by model rundown of the updated range.

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