Holden Commodore (VE)
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The Holden Commodore (VE) is an
executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car which is equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars), and small ...
that was produced by
Holden Holden, formerly known as General Motors-Holden, was an Australian subsidiary company of General Motors. It was an Australian automobile manufacturer, importer, and exporter which sold cars under its own marque in Australia. In its last thre ...
from 2006 to 2013. It was the first iteration of the fourth generation of the
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...
. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VE) and Holden Calais (VE);
utility As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosopher ...
models were included as the Holden Ute (VE). As opposed to the VZ and all models previous which used
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
-sourced platforms adapted both mechanically and in size for the local market, the whole-new VE programme is the first Commodore to be developed exclusively by Holden in Australia. Despite its status as an all-new model, engines—comprising the 3.6-litre V6 and more powerful 6.0-litre V8—have been largely carried over from the VZ series. Clever features to help minimise export redevelopment costs, such as a symmetrical centre console housing a flush-fitting
hand brake In road vehicles, the parking brake, also known as a handbrake or emergency brake (e-brake), is a mechanism used to keep the vehicle securely motionless when parked. Parking brakes often consist of a cable connected to two wheel brakes, which is ...
lever, facilitated the conversion to
left-hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...
. Internationally, the VE was
badge engineered In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...
as the
Chevrolet Lumina The Chevrolet Lumina is a mid-size car that was produced and marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1989 until 2001. __TOC__ Background The first generation of the Lumina replaced the Chevrolet Celebrity and Chevrolet Mon ...
,
Chevrolet Omega The Chevrolet Omega is an executive car sold by Chevrolet for the Brazilian market. Replacing the Chevrolet Opala, which was a development of the Opel Rekord C, the original Chevrolet Omega was based on the Opel Omega A and built locally betw ...
and
Pontiac G8 The Pontiac G8 is a Full-size car, full-size sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia, and then exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac. The G8, a badge engineering, rebadged Holden Commodore (VE), ...
. Holden implemented a staged roll-out of the VE variants, releasing the sedan first in July 2006. Prior to this, Holden stated they would manufacture two parallel generations of Commodores until the new
station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
and
utility As a topic of economics, utility is used to model worth or value. Its usage has evolved significantly over time. The term was introduced initially as a measure of pleasure or happiness as part of the theory of utilitarianism by moral philosopher ...
body styles were launched. Variants by Holden's performance vehicle partner,
Holden Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...
(HSV), were released soon after the sedan's debut alongside the long-
wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
WM Statesman/Caprice models. The VE Ute did not enter production until 2007 when it was accompanied by the previewing of a
Sportwagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
concept Concepts are defined as abstract ideas. They are understood to be the fundamental building blocks of the concept behind principles, thoughts and beliefs. They play an important role in all aspects of cognition. As such, concepts are studied by s ...
. The Sportwagon itself was subsequently introduced in July 2008 with the standard Commodore wheelbase instead of the extended wheelbase of previous Commodore wagons. Updates to the VE have come in the form of
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
(MY) changes from early 2007 onwards. Typically subtle in nature, these recurring changes have involved alterations to colours and trim, increased standard equipment, and a reduction in fuel consumption. More noteworthy adjustments have come in the form of a smaller 3.0-litre V6 engine for entry-level versions and "Series II" styling revisions in late 2010. __TOC__


Development

Official manufacture of the sedan began at Holden's
Elizabeth, South Australia Elizabeth is an outer northern suburb of the Adelaide metropolitan area, South Australia, 24 km north of the Adelaide city centre. It is located in the City of Playford. At the 2016 census, Elizabeth had a population of 1,024. Establish ...
production facility on 13 July 2006. Three days later, Holden publicly revealed the car at the Melbourne Convention Centre, broadcast simultaneously via the Internet. The launch occurred alongside that of the
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
WM Statesman/Caprice. Previous to this, Holden announced that VE station wagon and utility variants would be postponed and the VZ equivalents would remain in production. Sales of the VE Ute commenced on 22 August 2007. This was shortly followed by the unveiling of a Sportwagon concept, the production version of which was released in July 2008.


Sedan

Holden's designers and engineers began laying down the basics of a clean-sheet Commodore sedan in 1999. In the seven years of development, the car came to be Holden's largest and most expensive project, representing an expenditure exceeding A$1 billion and 3.4 million kilometres (2.1 million miles) of testing. In 1999 Peter Hughes, Holden's manager of exterior design, produced a two-dimensional image of a sketch drawn earlier by Michael Simcoe, Holden's design director at the time. Known in house as the "Bill of Design", the sketch formed the design basis for the production-ready car. Various elements of the sketch were changed, including the rear tail lamps, the low-profile side window cluster and the drawn out
wheelbase In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels. For road vehicles with more than two axles (e.g. some trucks), the wheelbase is the distance between the steering (front ...
, but the aggressive stance remained. In 2004, just two years before the release of the VE Commodore, Holden unveiled the Torana TT36
concept car A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle, show vehicle or prototype) is a car made to showcase new styling and/or new technology. They are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or ...
at the
Australian International Motor Show The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Melbo ...
in Sydney. The TT36 served as a preview of the VE and allowed Holden to gauge public reaction to its styling. Much of the Torana's styling drew on the essence of the VE's design. Some production-ready components even carried over from the TT36 including the
steering wheel A steering wheel (also called a driving wheel (UK), a hand wheel, or simply wheel) is a type of steering control in vehicles. Steering wheels are used in most modern land vehicles, including all mass-production automobiles, buses, light and ...
, the window and
rear-view mirror A rear-view mirror (or rearview mirror) is a flat mirror in automobiles and other vehicles, designed to allow the driver to see rearward through the vehicle's rear window (rear windshield). In cars, the rear-view mirror is usually affixed to ...
switch cluster and the handbrake lever. Shortly after stylists penned the first design sketches, Holden engineers began work on developing the
chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...
.
Opel Opel Automobile GmbH (), usually shortened to Opel, is a German automobile manufacturer which has been a subsidiary of Stellantis since 16 January 2021. It was owned by the American automaker General Motors from 1929 until 2017 and the PSA Grou ...
, which had provided the basis for all previous Commodore generations, ceased production of their
rear-wheel drive Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, in which the engine drives the rear wheels only. Until the late 20th century, rear-wheel drive was the most common configuration for cars. Most rear-wheel ...
Omega Omega (; capital: Ω, lowercase: ω; Ancient Greek ὦ, later ὦ μέγα, Modern Greek ωμέγα) is the twenty-fourth and final letter in the Greek alphabet. In the Greek numeric system/isopsephy (gematria), it has a value of 800. The wo ...
in 2003. This meant that Holden had two options: to use another GM platform, or to develop an all-new vehicle. GM's new premium rear-wheel drive Sigma platform was to see production in the 2002
Cadillac CTS The Cadillac CTS is an executive car that was manufactured and marketed by General Motors from 2003 until 2019 across three generations. Historically, it was priced similarly to cars on the compact luxury spectrum; but it has always been size ...
. Holden's engineers were offered this platform, but decided it was not appropriate. The Sigma platform's double A-arm front suspension and extensive use of aluminium were too costly for the VE's market segment. The luggage compartment was deemed too small and the Sigma interior package could not be stretched sufficiently to become a family-sized car. In particular, the rear-seat shoulder width was too tight.McCarthy, McKay, Newton, Robinson, p. 31. These major drawbacks made Holden decide to develop an all-new platform, known as the
GM Zeta platform Zeta was the original name for General Motors' full-size rear-wheel drive automobile platform developed by GM's Australian subsidiary company Holden and was at one stage referred to as the "GM Global RWD Architecture". The GM Zeta platform r ...
, on which a number of forthcoming GM vehicles would also be based. The Zeta
suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
system comprises new double-pivot
MacPherson strut The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles, and is named for American automotive engineer Ear ...
for the front and a four-link independent rear setup. These replace the previous simple MacPherson strut design front and much criticised
semi-trailing arm A (semi) trailing-arm suspension, sometimes referred to as (semi) trailing-link is a vehicle axle or wheel suspension design in which one or more horizontal arms (or "links"), perpendicular to and forward of the axle, are connecting the axle or w ...
rear suspension, for improved ride and handling.
Denny Mooney Dennis M. "Denny" Mooney (born 1956 in the United States) is a former General Motors (GM) executive. Mooney joined GM in 1978, and held positions such as head of the Buick-Cadillac-Oldsmobile N-car chassis development team, and executive director f ...
was appointed chairman of Holden on 1 January 2004, by which time development of the VE Commodore was well underway. Key design and engineering work was being finalised, and investment was already being made in making the tooling with which to manufacture the car. One of Mooney's priorities was to improve the perceived quality issues that surrounded the previous generations of Commodores. The interior quality benefited dramatically from this additional emphasis; Mooney pushed for panel gaps to be reduced by a further over previous targets. Smaller panel gaps are just one of the ways that Holden have developed the VE to pitch it against the European competitors. Through the use of advanced steels and intensive design, the body structure is 50 percent stiffer than the outgoing model, benefiting from noise and vibration reductions, handling and crash safety. However the new body has resulted in substantially increased weight over the outgoing model. The development of the new car led Holden to redesign the
Elizabeth Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to: People * Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name) * Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist Ships * HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships * ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
plant in South Australia so that entire sections of the car can be assembled off the foremost production line. This new production method allows for complete sub-sections like the engine and transmissions to be constructed seamlessly together on rigs that simplify production. This process is applied to the front-end module of the VE Commodore, consisting of the
headlights A headlamp is a lamp attached to the front of a vehicle to illuminate the road ahead. Headlamps are also often called headlights, but in the most precise usage, ''headlamp'' is the term for the device itself and ''headlight'' is the term for ...
, bumpers,
airbag An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...
sensors and other accessory components. It can be easily removed as one-piece leading to lower repair costs and easier access to the engine bay. This design represents the first time such a method has been used within GM, and garnered the SAE Australasia's 2006 ''Automotive Engineering Excellence Award''. A modular design structure known within Holden as "Flex Vision" has been applied to the interior where fundamentally different components such as audio units and instrument clusters can be swapped out for the different Commodore variants, creating radically varied interior look and feel without much higher costs. The upshot of this is much greater differentiation between the variants than the outgoing model creating three distinct interior looks, dubbed: ''Functional'', ''Performance'' and ''Luxury''. The closely related long-wheelbase WM Statesman/Caprice derivatives feature a fourth interior type referred to as ''Prestige''. Additional detail touches were added to the VE, such as a new four-strut hinge system for the boot to replace space intrusive, much maligned "gooseneck" hinges as used on previous Commodores. High-specification variants see expandable door pockets and a
Saab Saab or SAAB may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Saab Group, a Swedish aerospace and defence company, formerly known as SAAB, and later as Saab AB ** Datasaab, a former computer company, started as spin off from Saab AB * Saab Automobile, a fo ...
-like "blackout" feature which illuminates only the
speedometer A speedometer or speed meter is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the early 20th century, and as standard equipment f ...
at night to enhance driver focus on the road. An innovative flush-fitting handbrake set into a symmetrical centre console means the lever can be easily reversed to sit on the opposite side of
console Console may refer to: Computing and video games * System console, a physical device to operate a computer ** Virtual console, a user interface for multiple computer consoles on one device ** Command-line interface, a method of interacting with ...
for
left-hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...
export markets, minimising redesign costs.


Sportwagon

Introduced in July 2008, the A$110 million VE Sportwagon programme represented a departure from previous Commodore
station wagon A station wagon ( US, also wagon) or estate car ( UK, also estate), is an automotive body-style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door ( ...
s. Holden was concerned that the traditional wagon market was being severely eroded by growing
sport utility vehicle A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
(SUV) sales and over-reliance on
fleet Fleet may refer to: Vehicles *Fishing fleet *Naval fleet *Fleet vehicles, a pool of motor vehicles *Fleet Aircraft, the aircraft manufacturing company Places Canada * Fleet, Alberta, Canada, a hamlet England * The Fleet Lagoon, at Chesil Beach ...
purchasing. Up to 90 percent of VZ wagons were bought by fleet companies and Holden sought to attract more retail customers. The decision was made to develop a sportier, more stylish wagon as an alternative to SUVs. The Sportwagon, unlike the previous VZ wagon, which shared its long-wheelbase with the Statesman/Caprice is built on the same short-wheelbase platform as the sedan. This shift in thinking means cargo capacity is reduced from VZ's but the sedan's near 50:50 weight distribution is retained. The Sportwagon is styled with an aggressively sloping rear profile. To ensure the cargo opening is sufficiently large with such a profile, the tailgate hinges part way up the roof line. The design of the tailgate is compact enough to open in just of space, a publicised feature in Sportwagon
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. Revisions were made to the
suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
over the sedan's setup. These included stiffer springs,
anti-roll bar An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) is a part of many automobile suspensions that helps reduce the body roll of a vehicle during fast cornering or over road irregularities. It connects opposite (left/right) wheels ...
changes and an additional ball-joint in the rear suspension to handle the extra load. Weight increases by over the sedan. Aggressive pricing means Sportwagon variants of each specification level receive a A$1,000 premium over the sedan and are cheaper than the outgoing VZ wagons.


Ute

2007 saw the launch of the VE Ute, a
coupe utility A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors. The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
based on the VE Commodore. It was unveiled to the media in August, with showroom sales began later in the month. This generation of the Holden Ute is aimed as a "lifestyle vehicle", a shift from the traditional "workhorse" market. The VE series Ute was marketed as the ''Holden Ute'' rather than as the ''Holden Commodore Ute''. * Omega: The base model, having similar standard features to the Commodore Omega sedan but can carry more than the SS V, SS and SV6. It has the standard 3.6-litre V6 and . The manual version of the Omega came with the 3.6-litre High-Output V6 with and but only until the mid-2009 MY10 update. * SV6: A sportier version of the V6 Ute, the SV6 replaced the S-pack from previous models. This has the 3.6-litre High-Output V6 with and . Which has been recently updated to and engine. * SS: The SS Ute is the basic V8 version with the same 6-litre V8 as the Commodore sedan with and . * SS V: A higher spec edition of the SS and based on the SS V Sedan, it has a 6-litre V8 with and . * SS V Redline (Series II):A performance version of the SS V offering Brembo brakes, 19-inch Alloy wheels, FE3 Super Sports Performance Suspension and a tyre inflater kit. * SS V Z Series: A variant that combines luxury and sport features, sold in late 2012/early 2013. Standard features include: 19" forged alloy wheels, front Brembo brakes with red calipers, FE3 suspension, sunroof (Sedan only), Z series carpet mats, Z series badges, rear view camera, rear park assist, exterior chrome highlights, leather wrapped steering wheel, chrome highlights in instrument cluster. Unlike the previous VU–VZ generation, no double-cab, cab-chassis or AWD variants are offered.


Safety

Engine packaging became a contentious issue during development. Holden's designers wanted the engine positioned well behind the front
axle An axle or axletree is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to the vehicle, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearing ...
to allow short overhangs and an overall sportier appearance, whereas the crash engineers were concerned that this would reduce the body's impact absorption in an accident. Negotiation between designers and crash engineers resulted in moving some of the engine components, including relocating the battery to the
boot A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is cle ...
, freeing up valuable front-end space. By having the engine moved back and further down, the VE Commodore also benefits from near perfect 50:50
weight distribution Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocke ...
across all variants, leading to superior handling. Crash engineers introduced several other
safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...
initiatives, including relocating the
fuel tank A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propel ...
in front of the rear-axle line, instead of behind. A more crash-resistant rear-end was also seen as necessary. The design though had to incorporate a spacious boot and a spare-wheel bay that could house the largest-sized wheel to be fitted to the car. Crash test results from
Australasian New Car Assessment Program The Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) is a car safety performance assessment programme based in Australia and founded in 1993. ANCAP specialises in the crash testing of automobiles sold in Australia and the publishing of these resu ...
(ANCAP) rate the VE lower in the offset frontal impact test than the previous generation Commodore. The overall crash score was marginally higher than the outgoing VZ, due to improvements in side impact protection giving a score of 27.45 out of 37 or a four star rating out of a possible five. Holden's standardisation of six airbags in March 2008 for MY09 made the VE eligible for the ANCAP side pole test, yielding additional scoring points. The second stage of the VE's safety rollout in October 2008 for MY09.5 included the addition of an energy absorbing
steering column The automotive steering column is a device intended primarily for connecting the steering wheel to the steering mechanism. Secondary functions A steering column may also perform the following secondary functions: *energy dissipation management ...
shroud and redesigned rear door latches across the VE range. The inclusion of a seat belt reminder on the Omega sedan yielded another point, thus allowing the Omega sedan to score five-stars, or a score of 33.45 when tested the following December. The Omega Sportwagon was the next model to be awarded the full five stars the following February, following the addition of a seat belt reminder in Sportwagon production. The remaining VE models, including the Ute and WM Statesman/Caprice, which had already received most of the safety upgrades, received the seat belt reminder as standard fitment as of MY10 production from August 2009. As a result, all VE sedan and Sportwagon variants along with the extended length WM models received the five-star rating. The VE Ute officially received the rating on 19 October 2009, making the entire line-up of Australian-made Holdens five-star ANCAP rated.


Powertrains

Holden, concerned about the risks of introducing a new platform and drivetrain at the same time, introduced the Australian-built '' Alloytec''
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
in the proven VZ model. This allowed time to address any issues or faults before fitting it to the VE. The original base V6 benefited from power increases over the VZ, with engine noise reduced by using new timing chains among other modifications. An updated version of the long-serving four-speed '' GM 4L60-E''
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
remained for this engine.
Manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
options are the Aisin ''AY6'' and Tremec TR6060 six-speeder. Two automatics featuring '' Active Select''; the five-speed '' GM 5L40-E'' and six-speed '' GM 6L80-E'' were also offered. The latter was reserved exclusively for a modified '' L76''
V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
, giving an extra of power compared to the VZ. This new engine designated '' L98'' does not readily support fuel-saving
Active Fuel Management Active Fuel Management (formerly known as displacement on demand (DoD)) is a trademarked name for the automobile variable displacement technology from General Motors. It allows a V6 or V8 engine to "turn off" half of the cylinders under light-lo ...
technology, unlike the ''L76''. In October 2006, Holden introduced a
bi-fuel Bi-fuel vehicles are vehicles with multifuel engines capable of running on two fuels. The two fuels are stored in separate tanks and the engine is able to run on one fuel at a time. On internal combustion engines, a bi-fuel engine typically burn ...
version of the ''Alloytec'' V6, available to the Omega and Berlina. Able to run on both petrol and LPG, it features an advanced sequential vapour gas injection (SVGI) system and hardened
valve seat The valve seat in an internal combustion gasoline or diesel engine is the surface against which an intake or an exhaust valve rests during the portion of the engine operating cycle when that valve is closed. The valve seat is a critical compon ...
s to cope. The bi-fuel V6 produces and less than the conventional V6 when run on LPG, for a total of . Although LPG prices are lower, the engine uses a large cylindrical gas tank which causes decreased boot space and slightly increased fuel consumption. Holden was able to take advantage of a loophole in
government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...
legislation, allowing an A$2,000 rebate on LPG installation because the unit is fitted post-production by Holden's customisation arm ''HSVi''. Normally, people would only be entitled to a A$1,000 rebate for new cars pre-installed with LPG. Due to the possibility that these bi-fuel Commodores may have been fitted with undersized
O-ring An O-ring, also known as a packing or a toric joint, is a mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus; it is a loop of elastomer with a round cross-section, designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more par ...
s in the service valve hand tap, Holden issued a recall affecting the first 981 of these models on 10 April 2007. There were also two VE recalls previous to this. The initial 16 October 2006 recall affecting 1,521 V8 Commodore and WM Statesman/Caprice models involved a faulty fuel hose, causing a fuel smell to enter the cabin. A second 10 November 2006 recall affecting 12,830 Commodores and WM models built prior to 11 September 2006 resulted from defective rear
seat belt A seat belt (also known as a safety belt, or spelled seatbelt) is a vehicle safety device designed to secure the driver or a passenger of a vehicle against harmful movement that may result during a collision or a sudden stop. A seat belt reduc ...
anchors. On 7 December 2007, another recall was issued for over 86,000 VE and WM V6 models. This was due to the possibility that one of the fuel lines in the engine compartment may have a rub condition with a fuel vapour hose clip, possibly causing a fuel smell to become evident. For the 2008
Australian International Motor Show The Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) was an annual auto show held in Australia, alternating between the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. Prior to the Sydney event in 2010, both cities previously hosted separate annual exhibitions. Melbo ...
in Sydney, Holden announced the MY09.5 upgrade involving the standardisation of the "premium" '' Alloytec'' V6 across the Commodore range from 1 November 2008, whereas previously it had been reserved for the SV6 and Calais. Omega and Berlina variants acquired
variable valve timing In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combination with varia ...
, like the ''High Output'' engine, but not the "premium" dual exhaust system and the five-speed automatic transmission. These changes result in the base petrol V6 producing less power and less
torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...
than the engine it replaces. However, Omega and Berlina sedans benefit from a two percent fuel efficiency improvement, or four percent for wagons. Additionally,
emissions Emission may refer to: Chemical products * Emission of air pollutants, notably: **Flue gas, gas exiting to the atmosphere via a flue ** Exhaust gas, flue gas generated by fuel combustion ** Emission of greenhouse gases, which absorb and emit rad ...
have also been reduced allowing petrol-powered variants to achieve
Euro VI The European emission standards are vehicle emission standards for pollution from the use of new land surface vehicles sold in the European Union and EEA member states and the UK, and ships in EU waters. The standards are defined in a seri ...
certification, a pending
emission standard Emission standards are the legal requirements governing air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Emission standards set quantitative limits on the permissible amount of specific air pollutants that may be released from specific sources over ...
for European introduction in 2014. These changes extend further than the petrol engine as bi-fuel LPG variants benefit from an eight percent improvement in fuel economy when run on LPG. This reduced fuel consumption does however, come at a cost—LPG-equipped models are rated at , less than before. Also announced at the 2008 motor show was a version of the 6.0-litre V8 engine fitted with
Active Fuel Management Active Fuel Management (formerly known as displacement on demand (DoD)) is a trademarked name for the automobile variable displacement technology from General Motors. It allows a V6 or V8 engine to "turn off" half of the cylinders under light-lo ...
(AFM) technology, known as the '' L76''. Originally omitted from the ''L98'' V8, AFM aids fuel consumption under light engine loads, although it is available only when paired with the automatic transmission and power output is reduced by . The announcement of AFM coincided with the announcement of ''EcoLine'', a badge highlighting Holden vehicles employing fuel saving technologies or those powered by fuels other than
petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
. For the VE Commodore, both AFM and LPG-powered versions fall under the ''EcoLine'' umbrella. On 7 April 2009, Holden announced that dealerships were receiving their first deliveries of ''EcoLine''-branded models, including the new ''L76'' V8s. On 4 August 2009, Holden announced the MY10 revisions to the VE and WM range to be released in September. For the VE Omega and Berlina, the 3.6-litre ''Alloytec'' V6 has been downsized to 3.0-litres, the lowest
engine displacement Engine displacement is the measure of the cylinder volume swept by all of the pistons of a piston engine, excluding the combustion chambers. It is commonly used as an expression of an engine's size, and by extension as a loose indicator of the ...
of a Commodore since the
straight-six engine The straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine bala ...
fitted to the 1986 VL series. This smaller capacity engine features
Spark Ignition Direct Injection Gasoline direct injection (GDI), also known as petrol direct injection (PDI), is a mixture formation system for internal combustion engines that run on gasoline (petrol), where fuel injection, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber. This ...
(SIDI) technology, and is officially claimed to reduce fuel consumption by up to 12 percent depending on the variant. Power increases to , although torque is reduced to . Along with the 3.0-litre engine, a 3.6-litre version of the same, producing and , was also unveiled. Other than the manual transmission version of the SV6, all SIDI V6 models are coupled to GM's '' 6L50'' automatic and fall under Holden's ''EcoLine'' banner. Benefits to fuel economy for the 3.6-litre ''SIDI'' can also be attributed to an improved "deceleration fuel cut" system, which terminates the fuel supply during engine
coasting Coasting may refer to: * Coasting (vehicle), performing a natural deceleration of a motor when the power is removed * Carrying out a part of a spaceflight without orbital maneuver * Sledding * Performing ovarian hyperstimulation without inducing ...
; a higher efficiency
alternator An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current. For reasons of cost and simplicity, most alternators use a rotating magnetic field with a stationary armature.Go ...
and
voltage regulator A voltage regulator is a system designed to automatically maintain a constant voltage. A voltage regulator may use a simple feed-forward design or may include negative feedback. It may use an electromechanical mechanism, or electronic components ...
; a 50 rpm lower
idle speed Idling refers to running a vehicle's engine when the vehicle is not in motion. This commonly occurs when drivers are stopped at a red light, waiting while parked outside a business or residence, or otherwise stationary with the engine running. Wh ...
(to 550 rpm); and a new "turbine damper" for the automatic transmission that works to suppress vibrations at low rpms, thus enabling earlier upshifts. Omega versions of the Ute and all bi-fuel versions retain the existing 3.6-litre and four-speed automatic combination, although the LPG engine has been tweaked for further efficiency gains. Further powertrain improvement came in September 2010 with the MY11 upgrades. Omega versions of the Ute were upgraded to the 3.0-litre ''SIDI'' engine with six-speed automatic transmission as used in the sedan and wagons versions. Holden also modified both the 3.0-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 engines to accept
E85 E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. In the United States, the exact ratio of fuel ethanol to hydrocarbon may vary according to ASTM 5798 that ...
bio-ethanol in addition to petrol. Holden claims that running either engine on E85 provides a sizeable increase in performance and reduces emissions between 20 and 40 percent, depending on the distance the fuel is transported from the production site to the
filling station A filling station, also known as a gas station () or petrol station (), is a facility that sells fuel and engine lubricants for motor vehicles. The most common fuels sold in the 2010s were gasoline (or petrol) and diesel fuel. Gasoli ...
. E85 compatibility extended to the 3.6-litre V6 as part of the MY12 update in September 2011.


Models


Commodore Omega

Replacing both the outgoing Commodore Executive and Acclaim (nameplates introduced in 1983 and 1993, respectively), the Omega offers a halfway point in terms of equipment levels. The most significant gain over the Executive is the
electronic stability control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
system ( Bosch version 8.0) now standard across the range. Like all VE models, the Omega uses a "space saver" spare tyre, which has come under scrutiny. The tyre can be driven for at a maximum speed of . Concerns have been raised by the public over its usefulness in remote Australian
outback The Outback is a remote, vast, sparsely populated area of Australia. The Outback is more remote than the bush. While often envisaged as being arid, the Outback regions extend from the northern to southern Australian coastlines and encompass a n ...
areas, far from any tyre repair centres and asserts that it is a cost-cutting measure. Similar concerns have been raised in the media, although Holden maintains that this is a weight-saving feature and allows for full-size spare tyres to be purchased at an additional cost. Likewise, critics found the omission of standard
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
for the Omega model unforgivable, given both the overall hot Australian climate, and the cost of the car. This, however, was rectified in the MY09 upgrade of the Omega (see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor *Bottom (disambiguation) Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
). Holden have offered five
limited edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, r ...
models based on the Commodore Omega: * V-Series: introduced in October 2006, the Commodore V featured air conditioning, a sports-oriented
body kit A body kit or bodykit is a set of modified body parts or additional components that install on a stock car. Typically composed of front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers, bonnets (bonnet scoop), and sometimes front and rear side guar ...
including 17-inch
alloy wheel In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. Alloys are mixtures of a metal and other elements. They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much soft ...
s, a rear
spoiler Spoiler is a security vulnerability on modern computer central processing units that use speculative execution. It exploits side-effects of speculative execution to improve the efficiency of Rowhammer and other related memory and cache attacks. Ac ...
and colour-matched
wing mirror A side-view mirror (or side mirror), also known as a wing mirror, is a mirror placed on the exterior of motor vehicles for the purposes of helping the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle, outside the driver's peripheral v ...
s and exterior door handles. * Lumina: debuted in June 2007 with a luxury theme including the Berlina grille and the original Calais V seven-spoke alloy wheels. Specified identically to the V-Series with exception to the rear spoiler, the Lumina saw the addition of rear
parking sensors Parking sensors are proximity sensors for road vehicles designed to alert the driver of obstacles while parking. These systems use either electromagnetic or ultrasonic sensors. Ultrasonic systems These systems feature ultrasonic proximity dete ...
and
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
connectivity. * 60th Anniversary: released on 1 May 2008 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 48–215, Holden's first vehicle. Aside from the unique 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seat inserts, and "60th Anniversary" badging, the anniversary model is essentially identical to the Lumina in terms of both equipment and styling. * International: sedans and Sportwagons entered production in mid-March 2009. Internationals are appointed with launch VE Calais V alloy wheels, front foglamps, a six-disc
CD changer A CD player is an electronic device that plays audio compact discs, which are a digital optical disc data storage format. CD players were first sold to consumers in 1982. CDs typically contain recordings of audio material such as music or audi ...
, leather upholstered trim and steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity and rear park assist. Holden reintroduced the International in October 2009. Offered in sedan and Sportwagon body styles, the second iteration was fitted with the 3.0-litre ''SIDI'' V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission; a 3.6-litre LPG ''Alloytec'' V6 engine with four-speed automatic transmission option was available for the sedan only. Extra features include 18-inch alloy wheels, Berlina front grille, leather seat trim and steering wheel, Bluetooth connectivity and rear park assist for the sedan (already standard on Sportwagons). * Z Series: released on 5 September 2012 as a special edition Commodore. It was released to help boot the slowing sales of the VE range and to help send off the last model VE's before the VF was released. The Z Series combined luxury and sports features for great value. The models that had the Z badging were the Omega, SV6, SS and SS V. Features included leather seat trim (Omega and SS V), Bluetooth connect, rear parking sensors, rear parking camera, 18" WM Caprice alloys (Omega), rear lip spoiler, 19' alloys (SV6 and SS). The Sedan and Sportwagon came as Z Series, SV6 Z Series, SS Z Series and SS V Z Series. The Ute came with all except for the Omega-based Z Series model.


Commodore SV6

Building on the Omega, the SV6 is equipped with the more powerful ''High Output'' variant of the ''Alloytec'' V6 engine, coupled to a six-speed
manual Manual may refer to: Instructions * User guide * Owner's manual * Instruction manual (gaming) * Online help Other uses * Manual (music), a keyboard, as for an organ * Manual (band) * Manual transmission * Manual, a bicycle technique similar to ...
or five-speed
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
. Air conditioning, a key feature missing on the launch Omega, came standard on the SV6. A body kit and sports suspension similar to the V8 Commodore SS/SS V variants is also fitted. The SV6 sports the ''Performance'' interior look, an accentuated matte black centre console and red lighting, as opposed to the silver ''Functional''-style interior of the Omega. *Thunder SV6 Ute The thunder SV6 ute received charcoal coloured 19-inch alloy wheels, satellite navigation, leather seat bolsters and Thunder badging. *SV6 Z Series Released on the 5th September 2012, the Z Series combined sportiness with luxury for maximum value. It was used to market off the final VE models before the launch of the VF and to promote the value of the Commodore due to slowing sales. The Z Series was mechanically the same as the standard SV6 but gained 19 inch charcoal alloy wheels, leather bolstered seats, Z Series badging, Z Series carpet, rear view camera and rear sensors. Full leather, satellite navigation, a tilt and slide sunroof and a full size spare were all optional extras offered with the Z Series.


Commodore VE SS

Offering similar equipment levels to the SV6, the Commodore SS uses the 6.0-litre V8 engine and ''T-56'' six-speed manual transmission. The SS is recognisable from its quad exhaust outlets in place of the SV6 dual outlets. The resulting specification level is much higher than the outgoing minimalist SV8 and only missing a few cosmetic touches of the previous flagship Commodore SS. Since its release, the SS has won two consecutive (2006 and 2007) ''Bang For Your Bucks'' awards,\''
Motor An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...
'' magazine initiative. The judges gave preference to the SS the second-time-round because ." A more upmarket SS, the SS V-Series represents the first time this type of naming has been applied to Holden products. The V-Series naming is reminiscent of the V-badging on selected
Cadillac The Cadillac Motor Car Division () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM) that designs and builds luxury vehicles. Its major markets are the United States, Canada, and China. Cadillac models are distributed i ...
models, another member of the GM family. The badge design on the bootlid bears strong resemblance to the ones used by Cadillac. But whereas Cadillac uses it to signify high-performance versions of its products, Holden V-Series variants boast extra features. The V-Series variants were introduced, largely due to a fully optioned Commodore SS in the VZ range being rather successful. The SS V offers extra luxuries at a similar price point to the preceding SS. Inside, it is recognisable by the metallic look pedals and instruments matched with the exterior colour. Additionally, the entire dashboard can be optioned in a range of loud colours: bright red, orange or black. The SS V exterior is equally adventurous, exhibiting five-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels and the option of larger 20-inch wheels: the largest wheels ever fitted to a Holden car. * SS V 60th Anniversary: like the 60th Anniversary Omega-based edition, the SS V pack launched on 1 May 2008. Over the standard production SS V, the anniversary model added 10-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels,
satellite navigation A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...
, rear parking sensors, a high-mounted rear spoiler, chrome exterior door handle highlights and "60th Anniversary" badging and floor mats. * SS V-Series Special Edition: following the 2009 cancellation of
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
brand in North America, the
Pontiac G8 The Pontiac G8 is a Full-size car, full-size sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia, and then exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac. The G8, a badge engineering, rebadged Holden Commodore (VE), ...
front-end fascia and other trimmings were fitted to approximately 1,500 Commodore SS Vs. Unveiled at the 2009
Deniliquin Deniliquin () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, close to the border with Victoria. It is the largest town in the Edward River Council local government area. Deniliquin is located at the intersection of the Riverina ...
ute muster on 2 October, sales began in November. Unlike the G8 which was only offered as a sedan, Holden issued utility, sedan and Sportwagon body variants of the Special Edition. Due to the popularity of the Pontiac-inspired SS V, Holden announced on 14 January 2010 that production would be extended until March 2010. *Thunder SS Ute Additional equipment over the standard SS were- 19-inch alloys, lowered sports suspension, excellent satnav with camera warning and traffic info', Bluetooth phone and audio and partial leather sports seats.


Berlina

Priced lower than the outgoing model, the second tier Berlina retains a similar amount of equipment. The exterior styling is similar to the Omega but gaining extra touches such as larger tail-lights, front
fog lamps The lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted to or integrated into the front, rear, sides, and in some cases the top of a motor vehicle. They illuminate the road ahead for the driver and increase th ...
and seven-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels. It features the ''Luxury''-type interior with a large LCD centre display and is the only model in the VE range that features
wood grain Wood grain is the longitudinal arrangement of wood fibers or the pattern resulting from such an arrangement. Definition and meanings R. Bruce Hoadley wrote that ''grain'' is a "confusingly versatile term" with numerous different uses, including ...
highlights. The VE series is the last one to feature this nameplate, first introduced in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...
as a model variant and as a standalone nameplate in
1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...
. *Berlina International: The Berlina International was based on the Series II Berlina but had a number of additional features. It was available as a sedan or wagon. It featured leather trim, 18-inch alloy wheels and a reversing camera. *Equipe: The Equipe was a luxury special edition Berlina released in 2011 under the Series II badge. It was based on the Berlina but also had many Calais features. In many ways it was similar to the previous limited edition Berlina International but was even better equipped. The car featured 18" Calais alloy rims, full leather Calais interior, fog lamps, rear parking sensors, rear view camera and came as a Sedan or Sportswagon model. The Sportwagon also featured a cargo blind. The car had $9600 of additional features. This special edition was limited to 7 colours and limited build numbers. The colours were Heron White, Sizzle, Karma, Nitrate, Alto Grey, Phantom and Mirage Glow. Satellite Navigation was available as an option.


Calais

Like the Berlina, the Calais retains the features of the outgoing model but at a lower price point. Offering a blend of luxury and sporting character, it pairs the ''High Output Alloytec''
V6 engine A V6 engine is a six-cylinder piston engine where the cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V6 engines were designed and produced independently by Marmon Motor Car Company, Deutz Gasmotoren Fabrik ...
of the SV6 with the five-speed
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
. Unlike the previous model Calais which featured a semi-sport
suspension Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspend ...
setup known as ''FE1.5'', the VE shares the Commodore SS/SS V stiff sports suspension. Like the SS, an upscale V-Series edition is available. Being the
flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
of the Commodore range, it comes with everything the VE has to offer and serves as a stepping stone to the luxury long-wheelbase Statesman/Caprice range based on the VE. The Calais (as well as Berlina) are the only models in the range to feature larger tail-lights. * Calais V International: Based on the Series I, the Calais V International was available with V6 or V8 and auto transmission. The model featured 19" alloy wheels, unique interior trim, chrome exterior door handles, colour satellite navigation and alloy faced pedals. * Calais V 60th Anniversary: The Calais V 60th Anniversary Edition featured electronic sunroof and 19" alloy wheels. It also featured onyx/ light urban leather interior, alloy faced pedals and chrome exterior door handles.


HSV range (E Series)

The enhanced performance VE range sold by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) is marketed as the ''E Series'' and it comprised the variants listed below. For the first time, in order to more greatly differentiate its products from the mainstream donor cars, HSV invested in revised sheetmetal (chiefly, different front fender panels with dedicated air vent and different tail lights). E Series HSV vehicles have been the most successful and mass-produced vehicles in HSV's history.


Clubsport

The E Series Clubsport R8 takes its fundamental body structure from the mainstream VE Commodore. It is also the standard model in the HSV line-up. With the deletion of lower lines of V8 HSV models the Clubsport slipped down to the entry level HSV V8, on a par with the Manta of the VR-VS-VT series. As such the sales of E Series Clubsports has been over shadowed by the sales of the E Series GTS. The Original E-Series Clubsport was released in September 2006. The Clubsport had LED taillights and vertical front fender grilles only found on HSV E-Series models. Cloth trim was standard on Clubsport models with leather being an option.Go Auto
First Drive: HSV's Clubsport range.
In September 2008, the Clubsport R8 Tourer was released. The Tourer is a
wagon A wagon or waggon is a heavy four-wheeled vehicle pulled by draught animals or on occasion by humans, used for transporting goods, commodities, agricultural materials, supplies and sometimes people. Wagons are immediately distinguished from ...
version of the R8, based on the Sportwagon. The two Clubsport models were powered by the LS2 6.0 L V8 and Tremec T56 six-speed manual gearbox, capable of doing in 5.8 seconds with the manual gearbox and 5.9 seconds when fitted with the auto transmission and having a top speed of . From April 2008, all HSV models use 6.2 L LS3 V8s, instead of the previous LS2. The LS3 powers the HSVs at and . The HSV E Series 2 range was released 2010 and was the most major update since the release of E Series HSVs. Prices on the E2 Clubsport models started at $65,990 for the Clubsport R8 and $66,990 for the Clubsport R8 Tourer. The range received many cosmetic changes with new front and rear bumpers, twin-nostriled bonnet (from the
Pontiac G8 The Pontiac G8 is a Full-size car, full-size sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia, and then exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac. The G8, a badge engineering, rebadged Holden Commodore (VE), ...
) and a new range of wheel designs. The Series 2 has a very distinctive looking set of daytime running lights standard across the E2 range.The Motor Report
HSV Reveals Full E Series 2 Range.
The new engines is the range are the 6.2 L LS3 V8 used exclusively by the HSV GTS, with the rest of the E2 range being powered by an LS3 in trim. The new engines have also improved fuel economy by 4.2% on the LS3 V8. New is the intelligent launch controls, competition mode ESC and extended cruise control systems which are all standard for E2 models excluding intelligent launch control which is only available with a manual transmission. HSV E Series 3 or E3 commenced sales in 2011. Model changes for the E series 3 include an option for LPI system (for an extra $5990) allowing the vehicle to run on LPG and unleaded petrol; the LPI system is not available on the ClubSport R8 Tourer. Cosmetic changes include a new spoiler and revised exhaust tips. HSV E Series 3 models reach in 5.8 seconds. The HSV E Series 3 introduced the new HSV Enhanced Driver Interface; it has the same interface as the Holden IQ (found in VE Series II Commodores) but with added function. The system allows users to access the car's computer and monitor fuel consumption, stability, g-force and vehicle dynamics. Other functions include data logging options, digital gauge displays, stopwatch, driver and racing options, along with controls for the Grange's Bi-Modal exhaust and Side Blind-Zone Alert. The HSV Enhanced Driver Interface and satellite navigation is standard across the E series 3 range.The Motor Report
HSV E Series 3 E3 range launched in Australia.


Vauxhall VXR8

350 Vauxhall VXR8s per year were scheduled for official importation into the UK, at a price of £35,105. The LS3 V8 is particularly popular among tuners in the US, so performance parts are widely available. A
supercharger In an internal combustion engine, a supercharger compresses the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to produce more power for a given displacement. The current categorisation is that a supercharger is a form of forced induct ...
kit was available, which increased the
power output Power most often refers to: * Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work" ** Engine power, the power put out by an engine ** Electric power * Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events ** Abusive power Power may ...
to . The supercharged Bathurst edition VXR8 was reviewed on ''
Top Gear Top Gear may refer to: * "Top gear", the highest gear available in a vehicle's manual transmission Television * ''Top Gear'' (1977 TV series), a British motoring magazine programme * ''Top Gear'' (2002 TV series), a relaunched version of the or ...
'', and its power-lap time was 1 min 26.3 seconds, a similar time to the old BMW M5 E60. In July 2010, '' Autocar'' reported that, "VXR8 was quietly dropped from the price lists several months ago" after stocks ran out. However, a facelifted version based on the new HSV E3 GTS was released to the UK market in April 2011 at a price of around £49,500, almost £15,000 more than the previous VXR8, but significantly cheaper than most of its rivals, like the Mercedes E63 AMG and
BMW M5 The BMW M5 is a high performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports sedan category. The majority of M5s have been produced in the sedan (saloon) body style, but in so ...
. Vauxhall has offered the 2011 Clubsport to UK customers as a special order model.


CSV CR8

In 2007, the same model was exported to the Middle East badged as the CSV CR8, albeit in
left hand drive Left-hand traffic (LHT) and right-hand traffic (RHT) are the practices, in bidirectional traffic, of keeping to the left side or to the right side of the road, respectively. They are fundamental to traffic flow, and are sometimes referred to ...
. In this instance, CSV stands for "
Chevrolet Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore ...
", not to be confused with the unrelated, but also
Holden Commodore The Holden Commodore is a full-size car that was sold by Holden from 1978 to 2020. It was manufactured from 1978 to 2017 in Australia and from 1979 to 1990 in New Zealand, with production of the locally manufactured versions in Australia endin ...
-based
Corsa Specialised Vehicles Corsa Specialised Vehicles (CSV) is a small-scale automaker established in 1994 that is based in Mildura, Victoria, Australia. Its range consists of V8-engined high performance cars based on those produced by Holden. Since its founder, Peter Di ...
(CSV) cars.


GTS

The fundamental underpinnings are based on the mainstream VE Commodore models of the same years. The car is powered by GM's 6.2-litre LS3
V8 engine A V8 engine is an eight-cylinder piston engine in which two banks of four cylinders share a common crankshaft and are arranged in a V configuration. The first V8 engine was produced by the French Antoinette company in 1904, developed and us ...
, with a maximum power output of 442 PS (325 kW). Buyers have the option of a six-speed
manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission (mechanics), transmission ...
or six-speed
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving c ...
; the manual is capable of reaching in 5.5 seconds and the automatic is capable of in 5.6 seconds. ;E Series 1 The GTS has usually used a more powerful engine and robust drivetrain than other HSV models, however the E-Series 1 GTS shared the 6.0L LS2 V8 engine with of power and of torque, with the cheaper Clubsport and the luxury
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
. The major difference between the E-Series GTS and other HSV models in the range is the Magnetic Ride Control (MRC, or "MagneRide"). MRC utilises magnetorheological dampers to improve the car's handling and dynamics. In the GTS, the MRC can be switched between ''Performance'' and ''Track'' response modes at the touch of a button. MRC is not available on the Clubsport; it is standard equipment of the Senator, but switches between "Luxury" and "Performance", there is no "Track" mode like the GTS has. HSV claims the braking performance of the GTS is better than some of the world's leading sports cars, including the
BMW M5 The BMW M5 is a high performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports sedan category. The majority of M5s have been produced in the sedan (saloon) body style, but in so ...
, Mercedes-Benz AMG CLS55 and
Lamborghini Gallardo The Lamborghini Gallardo (; ) is a sports car built by the Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is Lamborghini's second car released under parent company Audi, and best-selling model with 14,022 built throughout its ...
. The GTS can stop from in just 36 metres, only 30 centimeters shy of a
Porsche 997 Porsche 997 is the internal designation for the Porsche 911 sports car manufactured and sold by the German automobile manufacturer Porsche between 2004 (as Model Year 2005) and 2013. Production of the Carrera and Carrera S coupés began in early ...
. ;E Series 2 Released in September 2009, the E Series 2 HSV GTS incorporated a more powerful motor and drivetrain than other HSV models. It retains the same GM LS3 6.2L V8 engine but while the rest of the HSV range still have 317 kW or 425 bhp, the GTS engine is rated at (325 kW). Twin bonnet scoops have returned to this model from the styling of the Pontiac G8. Other changes include the availability of launch control on manual versions, a recalibrated version of the magnetic ride control suspension with stiffer springs for the HSV GTS, wider wheels and a new high-flow dual-mode muffler system that produces a throatier roar under heavy acceleration. The E-Series 2 stability control system also has a ''Competition'' setting which allows for more wheel slip for special track or motorsport applications. The
cruise control Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a ste ...
brakes the car when it is travelling downhill to ensure its speed stays within one per cent of the set speed. This model has daytime running lights. ;E Series 3 The E Series 3 was announced in September 2010. It carried the same motor and drivetrain as before, and only minor changes to the exterior. In this series HSV focused on changes to the interior of the car as well as major upgrades to the computer systems and a new electronic interface called the HSV Enhanced Driver Interface. External changes included the ''shock wave'' exhaust tips and grilles and new HID Xenon adaptive projector headlamps. The control panel changes included a new 'Oracle Dash' with upgraded trip computer, tire pressure monitors and fuel statistics; the center console was reworked, introducing the Holden touchscreen IQ system and the HSV EDI performance data logging system (similar to the
Nissan GT-R The Nissan GT-R (Japanese: 日産・GT-R, ''Nissan GT-R''), is a high-performance sports car and grand tourer produced by Nissan, unveiled in 2007. It is the successor to the Skyline GT-R, a high performance variant of the Nissan Skyline. Alth ...
), which displays real-time information on engine speed, brakes, gear shifts,
g-force The gravitational force equivalent, or, more commonly, g-force, is a measurement of the type of force per unit mass – typically acceleration – that causes a perception of weight, with a g-force of 1 g (not gram in mass measure ...
s on the car, steering angle, fuel economy, stability control, Magnetic Ride Control suspension, car dynamics, Bi-Modal Exhaust, battery voltage, oil pressure, power, torque, elevation, exhaust pressure, intake manifold pressure and air intake temp. The system includes preloaded race track locations, stop watches and track maps,
satellite navigation A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...
, digital radio,
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
, optional
DVD player A DVD player is a device that plays DVDs produced under both the DVD-Video and DVD-Audio technical standards, two different and incompatible standards. Some DVD players will also play audio CDs. DVD players are connected to a television to wa ...
and ability to download data onto a PC using the Motech i2 software. The E Series 3 introduced (SBZA) Side Blind Zone Alert which uses ultrasonic sensors to alert drivers of traffic obstructions in blind spots. Using the HSV EDI the driver can customize operation of the car by for example turning off stability control and controlling the Bi-Modal Exhaust. The E Series 3 offered the option of ''HSV LPI'' (Liquid
Propane Propane () is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula . It is a gas at standard temperature and pressure, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used a ...
Injection), an LPG Autogas system which allows the use of liquid propane as an alternative fuel. The LPI is controlled by the car's ECU and seamlessly changes from
petrol Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic co ...
to LPG when the engine has reached optimum temperature (when maximum engine power is required, the system automatically switches back to petrol).


Maloo

The all-new E Series Maloo utility was a late arrival, released in October 2007, and only available as the Maloo R8. The
Chevrolet Corvette The Chevrolet Corvette is a two-door, two-passenger luxury sports car manufactured and marketed by Chevrolet since 1953. With eight design generations, noted sequentially from C1 to C8, the Corvette is noted for its performance and distinctive ...
-based 6-litre LS2 V8 was now tuned to deliver and . Later 2008 and onwards models saw the power output rise to with the adoption of a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine. Refinements on the E Series include
Electronic Stability Control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
, five-star ANCAP rating, and linear control suspension. In August 2009, the facelifted E Series 2 was released which uses the same drivetrain as the W427 with an upgraded dual plate clutch not found on previous models. Late in the model run, HSV released the limited edition GXP sedan and Maloo GXP ute, being amalgams of HSV and Pontiac G8/ST components. A mildly cosmetically altered E Series 3 was released in September 2010, and with it a special ''20 years of Maloo'' edition limited to just 100 examples, featuring unique exterior equipment, including matte black 'Vector E' vents on the front guards and bonnet, 20-inch GTS alloy wheels, bi-modal exhaust system, Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA), and new hero colours, including 'Hazard' yellow. The interior of the 20th anniversary Maloo features special leather upholstery, satellite navigation, Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI), and a specific rear window decal and numbered build plate. File:VE HSV Maloo Ute109 (cropped).jpg, HSV Maloo (E Series) File:2007-2009 HSV Maloo (E Series) R8 utility (2010-06-21).jpg, HSV Maloo (E-Series) File:2010 HSV Maloo (E Series 2 MY10) GXP utility (2009-01-19) 05.jpg, HSV Maloo (E-Series 2) File:2009 HSV Maloo (E Series 2 MY10) R8 utility 02.jpg, HSV Maloo (E-Series 2) File:2011 HSV Maloo (E Series 3 MY11) R8 utility (2016-01-04) 01.jpg, HSV Maloo (E-Series 3) File:2012 HSV Maloo (E Series 3 MY12.5) R8 utility (2016-01-04) 02.jpg, HSV Maloo (E-Series 3)


Senator

The E Series Senator Signature is based on the VE Commodore and was released in August 2006 with of power. It is a four-door, 5 seat sedan, is rated to tow a maximum of and is fitted with automatic transmission and leather interior as standard. The development cost for the E Series Senator was more than the VT, VX, Y Series and the Z Series Senators combined.
Wheels magazine ''Wheels'' is an Australian automotive magazine owned by Are Media. The publication is well-renowned by Australian car enthusiasts. Its main competitor within the Australian car magazine market is ''Motor'', though ''Wheels'' and ''Motor'' ar ...
''2006 Collector's Edition VE Commodore: The Full Story''
In general, the HSV Senator Signature is a significantly more upmarket form of the Holden Calais-V, with a matching pricetag. The E Series Senator is long and wide, and the stopping distance from is about 36 metres. The Senator is equipped with 19-inch, 10-spoke chrome shadow alloy wheels. The cabin features carbon fibre and imitation metal highlights. For the first time there are no visible wood grain trims that have featured in previous models. The rear lights on the Senator are full
LED A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor Electronics, device that Light#Light sources, emits light when Electric current, current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy i ...
and were repositioned, lowering them by to help differentiate the car from its Holden donor, creating sporting flair yet keeping the luxury image. The development cost to redesign the rear taillights cost HSV $3 million. The designers of the Senator have also attempted to add a more of a luxury feel to the car instead of favouring the aggressive side. The entry level price for the Senator Signature is $76,990, down $4,000 from the previous model. Like the E-series HSV GTS, the suspension is fitted with switchable
Magnetic Ride Control MagneRide is an automotive adaptive suspension with magnetorheological damper system developed by the Delphi Automotive corporation, during a period when the company was a subsidiary of General Motors (GM), that uses magnetically controlled damper ...
(MRC, or "MagneRide") offering Luxury or Performance modes. It does this by electrically adjusting the
viscosity The viscosity of a fluid is a measure of its resistance to deformation at a given rate. For liquids, it corresponds to the informal concept of "thickness": for example, syrup has a higher viscosity than water. Viscosity quantifies the inte ...
of the
ferrofluid Ferrofluid is a liquid that is attracted to the poles of a magnet. It is a colloidal liquid made of nanoscale ferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic particles suspended in a carrier fluid (usually an organic solvent or water). Each magnetic particle ...
inside the shock absorbers, producing different damping levels. Magnetic Ride Control also enhances braking by preventing forward weight transfer when the car is under heavy braking. The MRC system development took three years and cost HSV more than $4.5 million. Standard gear includes climate control, Blaupunkt sound, cruise control, full trip computer, rear park assist,
traction control system A traction control system (TCS), also known as ASR (from german: Antriebsschlupfregelung, lit=drive slippage regulation), is typically (but not necessarily) a secondary function of the electronic stability control (ESC) on production motor vehicle ...
,
Electronic Stability Control Electronic stability control (ESC), also referred to as electronic stability program (ESP) or dynamic stability control (DSC), is a computerized technology that improves a vehicle's stability by detecting and reducing loss of traction ( skiddi ...
, power mirrors and windows. The oil, voltage and temperature gauges are now digital. The interior offers a choice of light urban beige, white or black for the colours. The carpets remain dark as in the Holden Calais V-Series. The Senator Signature also offers a number of options such as a roof mounted DVD player, front park assist, rain sensing wipers and door entry lamps. Satellite navigation will become available as an option in the near future. From April 2008, the HSV Senator Signature was fitted with the 6.2-litre Generation 4 alloy LS3 V8 that delivered at 6000 rpm and at 4400 rpm. It can go from in around 5 seconds and has a limited top speed of . From this MY09 model onwards, the Senator Signature was available with an optional 6-speed manual transmission. In early 2009, HSV introduced a base model Senator at the Melbourne Motor Show. This special model was priced from $69,990 (RRP) with just 30 manual and 59 auto examples produced. While it retained the look of the Signature model, it was essentially a ClubSport with a Senator body kit and did without many of the luxury features mentioned above as well as the MRC suspension, GTS-style seating and shadow chrome finish on the wheels. In October 2009, HSV released their E2 model upgrades which introduced the "Shockwave" theme to the exterior of the Senator Signature. It was applied in a more subtle way than seen on the ClubSport, GTS and Maloo models with the front end receiving a new grille and some LED daytime running lights while the rear was fitted with the same style of lower body kit as the other sedan models. As with other models in the E2 range, the Senator Signature was available with the "SV Enhanced Options" bi-modal exhaust system and the 20" Pentagon wheel in place of a re-designed 19" wheel. There were no interior styling updates for the E2 model. 2010 saw the arrival of the E3 HSV range which brought with it a raft of interior changes shared with the VE Series II upgrade of HSV's donor vehicle, the Holden Commodore, such as the new Holden iQ audio/infotainment system and safety features such as Side Blind zone alert. It also brought HSV's Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI) system to the Senator, a system that constantly streams real-time vehicle dynamics and performance information to the touch screen in the centre console. The exterior remained mostly unchanged from the E2 model apart from the move to a 20" forged alloy that was available in Dark Stainless or Gloss Black. The LS3 was upgraded to with the fitment of the E2 GTS' bi-modal exhaust system. The E3 was also available with the upgraded 6-piston brakes from the GTS and had the option of a modern LPG fuel system called LPI (Liquid Propane Injection) to help reduce the running costs.


Senator SV08

This was a limited edition of 50 vehicles released in late 2008 in the "MY09.5" model year. It was released alongside the limited edition 40 Years GTS. It was primarily to commemorate 20 years since the release of the SV88, one of the first vehicles released by the then new HSV outfit. There were 20 manuals (the first of the general run HSV E Series to use the TR6060 6 speed manual that had only been used in the W427 prior – straight from the current Corvette) and 30 autos. They were released in only 3 colours, Nitrate (silver) Sting (red) & Voodoo (blue). It was also the first VE model Senator to be officially released with a manual. Equipment levels & drivetrain were identical to the Senator Signature of the time. Unique features of the SV08 are: SV08 badging, 20" Pentagon wheels, lower body gloss black accenting (ran along the doors at the same level of the black accenting on the front & rear), chrome mirror head & door handle accents, SV08 sill plates & SV08 build plate.


W427

The HSV W427 is the limited edition flagship of the initial
E Series E series may refer to: * BMC E-series engine, a series of automobile engines * Electronic E series of preferred numbers, a series of preferred values for electronic components such as resistors, capacitors, inductors, zener diodes * Entwicklung seri ...
range by automobile manufacturer
Holden Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...
, released in celebration of the company's 20th anniversary in 2008, but produced until 2009. The W427 is based on the
Holden VE Commodore The Holden Commodore (VE) is an executive car that was produced by Holden from 2006 to 2013. It was the first iteration of the fourth generation of the Commodore. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VE) and Holden Calais (VE ...
, but powered by the 7.0L
LS7 LS7 may refer to: Vehicles * General Motors LS7, a small-block V8 gasoline engine * Hongqi LS7, a 2022–present Chinese full-size luxury SUV * IM LS7, a 2021 Chinese electric mid-size SUV concept * Rolladen-Schneider LS7 The Rolladen-Schneide ...
V8. Power outputs are at 7000 rpm and at 5000 rpm, It features recalibrated Magnetic Ride Control (MRC, or "MagneRide") and stiffer suspension settings than the HSV GTS, as well as a toughened 6-speed manual gearbox, a new exhaust system, larger 6-piston brakes, and strengthened limited-slip differential. The W427's name is the result of a combination of factors. W is to honour the founder of HSV,
Tom Walkinshaw Thomas Dobbie Thomson Walkinshaw (14 August 1946 – 12 December 2010) was a British racing car driver from Scotland and the founder of the racing team Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). He was also involved in professional rugby union, as owner of ...
. The 427 is simply the engine capacity in cubic inches, but it is also a nod to the HRT 427C, which won the
2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
and 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour motor races. Consumer interest for production of the W427 actually began with the still-born HRT 427 Coupe of 2002, based on the
Holden Monaro The Holden Monaro ( ) is a rear-wheel drive coupé manufactured by General Motors Holden in Australia from 1968 to 1975 and later reintroduced from 2001 to 2005. It was also manufactured as a 4-door sedan from 1973 to 1977. Three generations of ...
. The original W427 concept car was produced in the same body colour as the very first HSV model, the VL Commodore SS Group A SV. The production version HSV W427 sedan was announced in August 2008 and retailed for A$155,500 (EUR€90920) without optional equipment. Additional cost options amounted to three items : Electric Glass Sunroof, Satellite Navigation, and Rear Passenger Overhead DVD Player. Production was originally intended as a limited run of 427 cars. However, only 137 cars were built (this number does not include the original concept car), sold only in Australia and New Zealand (only three cars were exported to NZ). Reportedly,
Holden Special Vehicles Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) was the officially designated performance vehicle division for Holden. Established in 1987 and based in Clayton, Victoria, the privately owned company modified Holden models such as the standard wheelbase Commodore, ...
offered the pre-order of build no. 427 (uniquely painted in "''Panorama''" silver) to a Cairns Monaro collector, who purchased the 2002 HRT 427 coupe for $920,000 in 2008. The last W427 to be built was made to order in July 2009, being build no. 137 in "''Heron''" white, sold by Shacks HSV in Fremantle, Western Australia, and personally signed by Tom Walkinshaw. The HSV W427 will be noted in TWR / HSV history as the only car to which Tom Walkinshaw 'personally' attached his name. It was not the first Holden Commodore-based vehicle to be powered by a 7.0L
LS7 LS7 may refer to: Vehicles * General Motors LS7, a small-block V8 gasoline engine * Hongqi LS7, a 2022–present Chinese full-size luxury SUV * IM LS7, a 2021 Chinese electric mid-size SUV concept * Rolladen-Schneider LS7 The Rolladen-Schneide ...
V8 engine as that honour went to the more affordable
Corsa Specialised Vehicles Corsa Specialised Vehicles (CSV) is a small-scale automaker established in 1994 that is based in Mildura, Victoria, Australia. Its range consists of V8-engined high performance cars based on those produced by Holden. Since its founder, Peter Di ...
GTS. ; Total production by colour option * includes 2 ''Panorama'' (silver metallic) and 1 ''Lamborghini green'' (metallic) units.


Model year changes

Like the VZ model before it, Holden with the VE have continued to moderate the long-standing tradition of implementing substantial updates marked by the frequent use of new model designations (such and VT, VX, and VY) successively interspersed with "Series II" and occasional "Series III" revisions. Holden have also implemented a series of running changes over VE's lifetime, signified by the
model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...
(MY): * MY08: models came in April 2007. The horizontal
wood grain Wood grain is the longitudinal arrangement of wood fibers or the pattern resulting from such an arrangement. Definition and meanings R. Bruce Hoadley wrote that ''grain'' is a "confusingly versatile term" with numerous different uses, including ...
key line across the dash on the Berlina was replaced by a matte silver insert. Also, the recessed buttons on the Omega
key fob A keychain (also key fob or keyring) is a small ring or chain of metal to which several keys can be attached. The length of a keychain allows an item to be used more easily than if connected directly to a keyring. Some keychains allow one or bo ...
were now raised and made of a more durable plastic. This did not affect the remaining variants, fitted with the "flip-out" key fob from launch. * MY08.5: changes from August 2007 coincided with launch of the VE Ute. * MY09: models were launched on Saint Crispin's Day (Scott Weedon's Birthday) 2008. Six
airbag An airbag is a vehicle occupant-restraint system using a bag designed to inflate extremely quickly, then quickly deflate during a collision. It consists of the airbag cushion, a flexible fabric bag, an inflation module, and an impact sensor. Th ...
s were made standard across the range—Omega and SV6 variants were previously fitted with two and four airbags respectively. Omega models also received standard fitment of
air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C or AC, is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior environment (sometimes referred to as 'comfort cooling') and in some cases also strictly controlling ...
, 16-inch
alloy wheel In the automotive industry, alloy wheels are wheels that are made from an alloy of aluminium or magnesium. Alloys are mixtures of a metal and other elements. They generally provide greater strength over pure metals, which are usually much soft ...
s, body colour
wing mirror A side-view mirror (or side mirror), also known as a wing mirror, is a mirror placed on the exterior of motor vehicles for the purposes of helping the driver see areas behind and to the sides of the vehicle, outside the driver's peripheral v ...
s and door handles, and a new
grille Grill or grille may refer to: Food * Barbecue grill, a device or surface used for cooking food, usually fuelled by gas or charcoal, or the part of a cooker that performs this function * Flattop grill, a cooking device often used in restaurants, ...
insert with chrome highlights. Revised alloy wheel designs were featured on the Calais (seven-spoke) and Calais V (10-spoke). * MY09.5: upgrades affected models ordered from 21 October 2008 and produced from November.
Instrument cluster For business applications, see Dashboard (business). A dashboard (also called dash, instrument panel (IP), or fascia) is a control panel set within the central console of a vehicle or small aircraft. Usually located directly ahead of the driver ...
illumination was commonised to white. The
turn-by-turn navigation Turn-by-turn Navigation is a feature of some satellite navigation devices where directions for a selected route are continually presented to the user in the form of spoken or visual instructions. The system keeps the user up-to-date about the best ...
and Berlina V8 options were removed. Engine wise, the "premium" version of the ''Alloytec'' V6 was now fitted to the Omega and Berlina, bringing improved
fuel consumption A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...
and a slight reduction in engine output (see above). A range of safety upgrades were also introduced (see above). Further MY09.5 changes were introduced in March 2009. The space-saver
spare wheel A spare tire (or stepney in some countries) is an additional tire (or tyre - see spelling differences) carried in a motor vehicle as a replacement for one that goes flat, has a blowout, or has another emergency. ''Spare tire'' is generally a mi ...
were discontinued and replaced by two no-cost options: either a lightweight tyre inflator kit or a full-size spare wheel (previously an extra cost). Sportwagon variants of the Calais V and SS V receive an alloy spare wheel if the full-size spare is chosen, while the remainder of the line-up receives a steel wheel spare. March also signalled an opportunity for Holden to replace the dark-grey horizontal dashboard strip and steering wheel spokes as used on the SV6, SS and SS V to a matte silver type. The safety improvements made to the Omega sedan from October production onwards were also introduced for the Omega Sportwagon (see above), and the "V-Series" insignia used on SS V and Calais V models was removed, replaced by a single "SS V" or "Calais V" badge. * MY10: versions of the VE were released in September 2009. New 3.0-litre and 3.6-litre V6s have been introduced, featuring
Spark Ignition Direct Injection Gasoline direct injection (GDI), also known as petrol direct injection (PDI), is a mixture formation system for internal combustion engines that run on gasoline (petrol), where fuel injection, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber. This ...
(SIDI) and coupled to a new six-speed automatic transmission (see above). These revised powertrains are marketed as part of Holden's ''EcoLine'' range. Visually, all SIDI versions are distinguished by relocated and additional ''EcoLine'' badging. 3.0-litre versions now utilise twin exhaust outlets. Updated cars also gain a recalibrated suspension setup and an extra ball-joint in the rear suspension (previously introduced on the Sportwagon); the result is increased tautness and improved handling in models fitted with 18 and 19-inch diameter wheels. These cars are also equipped with a larger rear
stabiliser bar An anti-roll bar (roll bar, anti-sway bar, sway bar, stabilizer bar) is a part of many automobile suspensions that helps reduce the body roll of a vehicle during fast cornering or over road irregularities. It connects opposite (left/right) whee ...
. Additional engine bay sound deadening and a new
muffler A muffler (North American and Australian English) or silencer (British English) is a device for reducing the noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine—especially a noise-deadening device forming part of the exhaust sys ...
have resulted in reduced
noise, vibration, and harshness Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), also known as noise and vibration (N&V), is the study and modification of the noise and vibration characteristics of vehicles, particularly cars and trucks. While noise and vibration can be readily measured, ...
. Elsewhere, the fitment of lighter low rolling-resistance tyres aids fuel consumption by minimising friction. The MY10 model year also saw the introduction of the Tremec TR-6060 6-speed manual transmission and higher specification clutch for all V8 models.


Series II

* MY11: revisions to the styling identify this update, marketed by Holden as the "Series II". Announced on 31 August 2010, and launched on 10 September, MY11 heralded styling changes across the range by way of new front fascias, the addition of
aerodynamic Aerodynamics, from grc, ἀήρ ''aero'' (air) + grc, δυναμική (dynamics), is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dyn ...
lip detailing to the
decklid The trunk ( North American English) or boot (British English) of a car is the vehicle's main storage or cargo compartment, often a hatch at the rear of the vehicle. It is also called a tailgate. In Indian English the storage area is known a ...
s of sedans, and new alloy wheel designs on the Berlina specification and higher. Front-end changes comprise partially reshaped headlamps, redesigned bumpers, and an enlarged grille with restyled inserts that differ throughout the model range. Inside, the interiors receive a redesigned centre console stack incorporating a new 6.5-inch
touchscreen A touchscreen or touch screen is the assembly of both an input ('touch panel') and output ('display') device. The touch panel is normally layered on the top of an electronic visual display of an information processing system. The display is often ...
, new dashboard, rearranged controls, reconfigured ventilation outlets, and updates to trimmings and illumination colours. SV6, SS and SS V interiors are differentiated via the application of circular air vents. Standard on all models is the 6.5-inch
infotainment Infotainment (a portmanteau of ''information'' and ''entertainment''), also called soft news as a way to distinguish it from serious journalism or hard news, is a type of media, usually television or online, that provides a combination of infor ...
system developed primarily by
Siemens VDO VDO is a German brand of Continental Automotive which makes automotive electronics and mechatronics for powertrains, engine management systems and fuel injection systems. A full range of Tachograph, Data Management, and Telematics products are p ...
. Dubbed "Holden-iQ", this integrates media playback and control functions. The iQ
head unit An automotive head unit, sometimes called the infotainment system, is a component providing a unified hardware interface for the system, including screens, buttons and system controls for numerous integrated information and entertainment func ...
replaces the previous mechanical CD stacker with a single slot and built in storage for approximately 15 CDs worth of music (internal storage optional on the Omega). The system also features full
iPod The iPod is a discontinued series of portable media players and multi-purpose mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The first version was released on October 23, 2001, about months after the Macintosh version of iTunes ...
integration,
USB Universal Serial Bus (USB) is an industry standard that establishes specifications for cables, connectors and protocols for connection, communication and power supply (interfacing) between computers, peripherals and other computers. A broad ...
and auxiliary input, and incorporates
Bluetooth Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
handsfree telephone compatibility and music streaming. On V-Series specifications, iQ incorporates
satellite navigation A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...
with live traffic updates,
speed zone ''Speed Zone'' (also known as ''Cannonball Fever'' and ''Cannonball Run III'') is a 1989 American action comedy film set around an illegal cross-country race (inspired by the Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash). The plot fo ...
alerts and
traffic camera A traffic camera is a video camera which observes vehicular traffic on a road. Typically, traffic cameras are put along major roads such as highways, freeways, expressways and arterial roads, and are connected by optical fibers buried alongside or ...
notification. Sedans and wagons specified with navigation also receive a
reversing camera A backup camera (also called a reversing camera or rear-view camera) is a special type of video camera that is produced specifically for the purpose of being attached to the rear of a vehicle to aid in backing up and to alleviate the rear blind s ...
.
In terms of powertrain, the MY11 brought
flex-fuel A flexible-fuel vehicle (FFV) or dual-fuel vehicle (colloquially called a flex-fuel vehicle) is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel, usually gasoline blended with either ethanol fu ...
capability for the 3.0-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8, allowing them to run on
E85 E85 is an abbreviation typically referring to an ethanol fuel blend of 85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline or other hydrocarbon by volume. In the United States, the exact ratio of fuel ethanol to hydrocarbon may vary according to ASTM 5798 that ...
bio-ethanol (see above). With the MY11 update, Holden also introduced a new "Redline" sports package as an option on V-Series models. The package includes lightweight, forged and polished 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels from the
Pontiac G8 The Pontiac G8 is a Full-size car, full-size sedan that was produced by Holden in Australia, and then exported to the United States, where it was sold by Pontiac (automobile), Pontiac. The G8, a badge engineering, rebadged Holden Commodore (VE), ...
GXP. Other Redline additions encompass four-piston
Brembo Brembo S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of automotive brake systems, especially for high-performance cars and motorcycles. Its head office is in Curno, Bergamo, Italy. History Brembo was established in Paladina, Italy on January 11, 1961 ...
high-performance brakes, stiffer "FE3" suspension and chromed window surrounds for sedans, and the fitment of the tyre inflater kit on the Redline Ute. * MY12: Holden commenced production of the MY12 update Commodore on 6 September 2011. This followed Holden's 2 September announcement that mechanical changes would be limited to efficiency improvements and the implementation of E85 compatibility for the 3.6-litre ''SIDI'' V6. As part of the cosmetic update, the Omega gained new seven-spoke 16-inch alloy wheels and chrome highlights for the lower outboard fascia inserts, while the Berlina received new chrome highlighted foglight surrounds. The Calais V added a new boot lip spoiler, which was available as an accessory for other MY12 sedans. SV6 and SS models score a new chrome-highlighted lower
airdam A spoiler is an automotive aerodynamic device whose intended design function is to 'spoil' unfavorable air movement across a body of a vehicle in motion, usually described as turbulence or drag. Spoilers on the front of a vehicle are often ca ...
and front grille surround, with V-Series versions of the SS acquiring additional chrome-accented lower outboard inserts. Redline editions of the SS V gain redesigned 19-inch wheels, red painted
brake calipers A disc brake is a type of brake that uses the calipers to squeeze pairs of pads against a disc or a "rotor" to create friction. This action slows the rotation of a shaft, such as a vehicle axle, either to reduce its rotational speed or to hold ...
, and the fitment of "FE3" suspension was extended to the Sportwagon and Ute variants.


Production

At the time of launch in Australia, Ford's
BF Falcon The Ford Falcon (BF) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 2005 to 2008. It was the third and final iteration of the sixth generation of the Falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes ...
directly competed with the VE Commodore. In November 2006
Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
released their key Aurion model to the Australian market. The
front-wheel drive Front-wheel drive (FWD) is a form of engine and transmission layout used in motor vehicles, where the engine drives the front wheels only. Most modern front-wheel drive vehicles feature a transverse engine, rather than the conventional longit ...
Mitsubishi 380 The Mitsubishi 380 is a mid-size car that was produced between 2005 and 2008 by Mitsubishi Motors Australia. Available only as a sedan, it marked the end of Australian production by the Japanese manufacturer. The 380, given the model designatio ...
also indirectly competed with the Holden Commodore, but was discontinued with the 2008 closure of the
Mitsubishi Motors Australia Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) is a fully owned subsidiary of parent company Mitsubishi Motors Corporation of Japan. The company was established in 1980 and began vehicle manufacturing in that year, having taken over the facilities ...
plant in Tonsley Park, South Australia. The VE Commodore was well received in the Australian market, where it had consistently outsold rivals in the large car segment. The VE's position as Australia's outright best selling car was challenged in 2007 and overtaken during some months in 2008 by the
Toyota Corolla The is a series of compact cars (formerly subcompact) manufactured and marketed globally by the Toyota Motor Corporation. Introduced in 1966, the Corolla was the best-selling car worldwide by 1974 and has been one of the best-selling cars in ...
in the face of increasing
petrol prices The usage and pricing of gasoline (or ''petrol'') results from factors such as crude oil prices, processing and distribution costs, local demand, the strength of local currencies, local taxation, and the availability of local sources of gas ...
. However, the release of the Sportwagon in mid-2008 has helped to reestablish its number one sales position by accounting for more than 30 percent of total Commodore sales. In 2007 the VE Commodore became the fifth Commodore model to receive the ''
Wheels Car of the Year ''Wheels'' Car of the Year (commonly abbreviated to COTY) is an annual automotive ''Car of the Year'' award presented by ''Wheels'' magazine. The publisher claims that it is the world's oldest continuous motoring award of its kind. The award is gi ...
'' award. The last VE produced was a Commodore SS V automatic sedan, painted ''Chlorophyll'' green and destined for a Northern Territory dealer. Since July 2006, Holden produced more than 520,000 units of which 350,000 were sold in Australia. The following table lists the sales of the VE Commodore over its tenure.


Exports

The full Holden VE range was exported and sold to New Zealand, whereas in the Middle East and South Africa it was re-branded as the
Chevrolet Lumina The Chevrolet Lumina is a mid-size car that was produced and marketed by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1989 until 2001. __TOC__ Background The first generation of the Lumina replaced the Chevrolet Celebrity and Chevrolet Mon ...
. Sales of the Berlina began in 2007 for Brazilian market as the
Chevrolet Omega The Chevrolet Omega is an executive car sold by Chevrolet for the Brazilian market. Replacing the Chevrolet Opala, which was a development of the Opel Rekord C, the original Chevrolet Omega was based on the Opel Omega A and built locally betw ...
.
Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada *Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality ** Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...
in North America also imported Commodore sedans from 2008 through to 2009 as the G8. The G8's cessation was a consequence of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting in the demise of the Pontiac brand. Unlike the Chevrolet Lumina and Omega, the Pontiac G8 received several unique features including a revised '' L76'' engine with
Active Fuel Management Active Fuel Management (formerly known as displacement on demand (DoD)) is a trademarked name for the automobile variable displacement technology from General Motors. It allows a V6 or V8 engine to "turn off" half of the cylinders under light-lo ...
as opposed to the Commodore's '' L98'', and appearance changes.


Bitter Vero Sport

In 2009, the small-scale German manufacturer, Bitter, which specializes in rebodying existing vehicles, unveiled its "Vero Sport" at the
Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by th ...
. It was based on the Commodore SS and its production ended in 2012.


Motorsport

Due to its larger dimensions than the previous VZ, the VE had to have major areas of the bodywork redesigned to fit the mandatory chassis size of V8 Supercars. The Holden Commodore VE made its official debut in the V8 Supercar Championship Series in
2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
with
Garth Tander Garth Tander (born 31 March 1977) is a multiple-championship winning Australian motor racing driver competing in the Virgin Australia Supercars Championship's Enduro Cup, co-driving the No. 97 Holden ZB Commodore for Triple Eight Race Engineer ...
and the
HSV Dealer Team The HSV Dealer Team, previously known as the K-Mart Racing Team, was an Australian V8 Supercar team. The team ceased operations at the end of 2008, with Walkinshaw Racing and Kelly Racing being formed by owners and staff of the former team. The ...
winning the championship. It also won the
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
and 2012 International V8 Supercars Championship, 2012 series with Jamie Whincup and Triple Eight Race Engineering. It won the Bathurst 1000 four times; 2009 Bathurst 1000, 2009 and 2011 Bathurst 1000, 2011 with the Walkinshaw Andretti United, Holden Racing Team and 2010 Bathurst 1000, 2010 and 2012 Bathurst 1000, 2012 with Triple Eight Race Engineering. It won a total of 103 races.Holden's milestones by the numbers
''Speedcafe'' 2 April 2016


Notes


References


Works cited

* * *


External links

{{Holden timeline Cars of Australia Full-size vehicles ANCAP executive cars Holden Commodore, VE Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Station wagons Coupé utilities Police vehicles Sports sedans Cars introduced in 2006 2010s cars