Commodore shuns four-cylinder path

The abject failure of the last four-cylinder Commodore - nick-named the ‘backfire’ - has convinced GM Holden not to do it again. Despite the appeal of a four-cylinder economy drive, and the chance to go head-to-head with the frugal new 2.0-litre Falcon in 2011, Holden says it is not even considering a baby engine for its family favourite.

Rather than downsize its Commodore engine, GM-Holden chairman, Mark Reuss, says the company plans to ‘out-engineer the competition’. "Dropping cylinders would be the last result because people still like the power and the towing, all the things that we get with this engine and with this car."

At the launch of the company's greener direct-injection V6s last week, Reuss says the company was committed to achieving ‘further fuel efficiencies’ out of its new 3.0-litre and 3.6-litre engines. Apart from hi-tech engine management solutions, Reuss says shedding weight is also a priority for future Commodores.

The company does have another smaller capacity V6 in the wings though. GM-Holden builds a smaller capacity 2.8-litre V6 for its export markets and Reuss has not ruled such an engine joining the lineup.

"I'm not saying we would never go below 3.0; but 3.0 is the sweet spot for the architecture, the car and the fuel economy and performance," Reuss says. "We look at all of those things and the displacement it would have. You don't rule out any of that stuff."

"Our Port Melbourne plant is the most flexible engine plant in General Motors so we can always do that and relatively quickly if we need too. Right now we think this is the answer that we're looking for and the customers really asking for. But this is a journey and we will react to the market."

Versions of Holden's new direct injection V6s will be exported to GM plants globally and will appear in several different brands, including some Saab and Alfa Romeo models. GM's Mexico plant will receive engines for the new Cadillac SRX and other markets in Europe are lining up for the new V6.

GM-Holden's incoming new chairman, Alan Batey, says he was surprised by Ford's decision not to build the Focus four-cylinder. The Ford decision ‘creates an even bigger opportunity for us’ with the Cruze, he says. "I was a little bit surprised that Ford did make that announcement based on where we think our program is," he says. "Having said that they started with a European starting point."

"We started from a global perspective where ours is a global platform that will be used around the world. From where I sit today I'm absolutely sure we can do really well with our car."

GM-Holden's Elizabeth plant in Adelaide is gearing up for the local Cruze, which will start production next year and include a hatchback version of the small sedan.