VZ preview

The company now has the power to take on the BA Series II Falcon as well as covering its ground in the run-up to the all-new VE in 2006.

Its latest hero is the VZ – even Holden's American chief, Denny Mooney, calls it Vee-Zed and not Vee-Zee – with a new heart, improved mechanicals, quality upgrades and some cosmetic tweaks.

Few people outside the Holden family and fans will pick the VZ changes at first glance, but a quick drive will win over almost anyone.

The Alloytec V6 makes a world of difference, but there's also a smoother-shifting four-speed auto, a more compliant ride, sharper handling and extra equipment.

The long-running S-pack car has been replaced with the SV6, which will go head to head with the Falcon XR6 that has been crushing the Commodore.

Crucially, Holden has fitted the first electronic stability program on any locally made car and held price rises to less than 1 per cent on most models.

And there is a giant digital speedometer front and centre in every dash to prove the VZ was developed in the age of speed cameras.

"This is our lifeblood," Mooney says. "We have to get this right and we think that we have."

Holden spent $189 million on the upgrade, a job that took nearly two years and included building 46 test cars for 1.6 million kilometres of trials. There were trips to Sweden for tuning of the electronic stability control system. Work on the brakes involved trips to Germany and Korea.

The result is a car that Holden claims is the best Commodore yet, though the VZ is only marginally better at the petrol pumps and doesn't look much different from the VYII or even the VX.

STILL, the value is good and there is a lot of detail work on things such as the automatic gearbox and front suspension tuning. Value-added extras include the latest Bosch anti-skid brake controls, a tyre-pressure monitor on some models, LED tail lamps in the Statesman and Caprice, and front-parking radar.

Holden has switched the safety emphasis on the new Commodore from passive systems to protect people during a crash to active systems that can help to avoid a smash.

They include the stability control, a first for a passenger car, though Ford fitted it to the Territory, and electronic brake force distribution.

These features could be a tough sell because they are not as flashy as CD sound or satnav, but Holden has produced educational videos for showrooms.

But it's hard to avoid the Global V6 in any discussion of the VZ family, despite Mooney's talk.

"There is more than powertrain to talk about. We've also made some big improvements in safety," he says. "The average driver is going to be a much, much better driver."

ON THE ROAD

HOLDEN had a full family of Commodores to try at the VZ press preview over a range of roads near Newcastle, NSW.

All were good, some were better, and the V8-powered Calais was best, even if the focus was on the Alloytec V6 cars. The only disappointment was the SV6. For us, the front suspension tuning was too sharp, the nose moves too much over broken surfaces and there isn't enough bite when you turn.

But the sweet new six does a great job, particularly when you crack on past 6000 revs in most un-Commodore style, and the Aisin six-speed manual gearbox is good with well-spaced ratios. The SV6 is definitely going to make life much tougher for Ford's XRs.

We also tried the 190kW six-pack in a Calais, complete with touch-change five-speed automatic. It was much smoother than we remember from early Calais models, with an automatic eagerness that was very enjoyable and refreshing.

THE 190 V6 will easily twist the tachometer beyond the start of the red zone at 5500 revs, but it also snaps through the ratios and is quiet and refined, with the instant fuel consumption often below 8 litres/100km at freeway cruising pace. It also responds more eagerly, thanks in part to the drive-by-wire throttle system.

The tuning work on the four-speed automatic has paid off and you would barely know the 'box from earlier Commodores. There is barely any flaring on downshifts and it doesn't jerk or clunk the way it did.

The ride of all cars apart from the SV6 seemed a little more plush, and the six-cylinder cars felt to be around 50kg lighter over the front axle. That means a smoother ride and more confidence in corners.

We had no chance to test the electronic stability system, but the latest traction control and anti-skid brakes are fine if you don't mind a slightly mushy brake pedal.

The cosmetic changes to the VZ don't ring our bell, and the cabins seem barely changed at all, but Holden has held the price line and that will be more important to most customers.