VE Commodore economy mixed result

Official fuel economy figures for the new VE Commodore range have been released today, revealing small gains on some models.

Despite the new Commodore weighing an estimated 100kg heavier than the outgoing model, the VE Omega has officially beaten the outgoing VZ Executive.

The new base model VE uses 10.9lt/100km compared to 11.0lt/100km for the equivalent VZ model. The stats quoted are Australian Design Rule (ADR) 81/01 figures. The stats match those for Ford's Falcon and were measured using 95 RON fuel.

Berlina V6, SV6 manual and (five-speed) automatic models, Calais V6 with five-speed auto and manual variants of SS and SS 'V' models also claim reductions in fuel consumption figures (see figures, below).

However, other models, namely those equipped with the new and much-vaunted six-speed automatic, have been measured at up to 0.3lt/100km thirstier than the equivalent VZ Commodores. The six-speeder, from GM North America, is fitted to VE models with the Gen IV V8 engine and was expected to bring advantages of economy over the four-speed auto equipped VZ V8s.

Tony Hyde, Holden Executive Director of Engineering summarised the thirstier result for the new powertrain combo by saying: "The six-speeder's ratios just don't suit the [ADR test} cycle."

In the case of Calais V, up by 0.2 of a litre over the equivalent VZ model with 3.6-litre V6 and by 0.3 for the V8 with six-speed, Hyde explained: "All V6 powertrains have improvements [in fuel consumption] except Calais V which delivers features and content placing it in a higher test weight class."

Holden was also forced to refute claims it had been keeping the VE's fuel consumption results a secret, as spokespersons refused to reveal figures at last week's launch in Melbourne.

"Believe me, not withstanding conspiracy theories or whatever, Denny [Mooney, Holden CEO] did not genuinely know the economy figures until he stepped off a plane in Los Angeles on the weekend," Hyde told CarPoint.

"We finished our testing on Thursday [July 20] and put the numbers together on Friday," said Hyde.

Reports that the VE Commodore range would be rated at over 11lt/100km emerged on internet forums during the week since the launch. Hyde says its consumption figures were gleaned from: "testing production cars which typically have less mechanical losses are more efficient than prototypes".

When quizzed on a rumoured diesel powerplant for Commodore, Hyde said it was some way off.

"It's still on our horizon, still working on it, still want it," he said. "It's more than a year but less than three years [away] I would say."

The engineering chief said that the delay was a result of GM's global lack of expertise and experience in large six-cylinder passenger diesels. He did confirm, however, that a 3.0-litre turbodiesel would suit the VE's packaging.

CarPoint will continue its launch coverage of the new VE Commodore when Holden lifts its embargoes on engineering and other information tomorrow afternoon.