Holden Commodore 2006 News

Australia has injected excitement into the Paris Motor Show with one of the most outrageous concept cars in the French capital.The Chevrolet WTCC Ultra Concept Car is the work of talented young GM Holden designers Ewan Kingsbury and Breony Crittenden, who stood beside their creation in Paris this week as it was revealed to the world.And there is more to the outrageous new coupe than just a potential motorsport program. The Chevrolet-badged newcomer will probably become the next Holden Viva.It was displayed in Paris with a turbo-diesel engine and stripping away the pumped-out bodywork reveals a good-looking coupe that could easily be turned into a South Korean production car.It is also a fully operational car, not just a plastic body dropped over a set of wheels.The WTCC racer is the latest work from a Holden team that has won a worldwide reputation for its talent and commitment on a range of concept and production cars stretching back to the Suzuki-based Cruze and including the latest Efijy show stopper, VE Commodore and the conversion work on the production model of the Chevrolet Camaro.Kingsbury was the lead designer on the body of the new Chevrolet and Crittenden did the cabin, renewing a partnership that saw them working together on the Torana concept car that was produced in Australia and is still the model for a mid-sized future car stretched out of the VE Commodore mechanical package.The Australian connection on the WTCC car includes designer Max Wolff, who developed the original concept and early design work in South Korea, and the design department workers at Fishermans Bend, who produced the scale and full-sized clay models for the car.The interior was done in Melbourne by a digital sculpting team working entirely on computers.They were not in Paris this week, but the last big international motor show this year was flooded by Australians touting the cars that will be coming Down Under in the next few years.Australians led the work on the WTCC Ultra but Peter Bramberger, design manager at GM Holden, says the car is the most global project undertaken by General Motors."The way the WTCC Ultra took shape is indicative of Chevrolet's international alignment and intentions as a brand," Bramberger says.Apart from the Australian and South Korean input, the WTCC Ultra includes model work in India, technical input from Chevrolet's race team in Britain and a final construction team in Japan, which also builds the Daewoo T2X and S3X four-wheel-drive concepts.And the project was co-ordinated from the United States by GM's global design chief, Ed Welburn.But it is Kingsbury and Crittenden who know the most about the car and what it means."A car's proportions are the biggest factor in its appearance, so all the early work concentrated on this area. Correct proportions are vital, they can make a car look fast even when it's standing still," Kingsbury says."The intention was to give the concept a fresh, exciting and aggressive combination of surfacing and graphics. All the lines on the car accelerate rearward of the front door, to give the car more speed, and keep the visual weight in the correct position."The work on the interior was matched to that concept.Crittendon notes, "We opted for raw dark surfaces by using unpolished metal or matte carbon fibre inserts. By doing this, we kept a little secretive about the material, and called this design principle the 'stealth them'."

Petrol-electric cars would become an everyday sight here by 2015, Dr Andreas Truckenbrodt said, with Australia likely to follow American buying patterns rather than European. However, Dr Truckenbrodt, who was here to review the two-year trial of fuel cell buses in Perth, reversed years of predictions by DaimlerChrysler by saying hydrogen power would be limited to niche vehicles."Your repertoire of vehicle sizes and driving styles is closer to North America than Europe," he said. "Europe will be overwhelmingly diesel, but the open question is Japan."Forecasts pointed to the US vehicle market being 65 per cent petrol, 25 per cent hybrid and 10 per cent diesel in 2015, he said.Europe would remain at 50 per cent diesel with hybrids taking a smaller bite from the sales of petrol cars.DaimlerChrysler, BMW and General Motors are jointly developing a new type of hybrid transmission that promises greater efficiency than existing designs.The "dual mode" system would appear in US showrooms next year in large SUVs from Chevrolet and Dodge. Later versions would be offered in Chrysler and Mercedes-Benz passenger cars. The system could be engineered for front or rear-drive, Dr Truckenbrodt said.GM's version has been designed to fit in the casing of the long-serving four-speed automatic used in the VE Commodore - a significant step in making a hybrid version of the car feasible. This year Holden received $48 million from the federal Government to investigate building a petrol-electric version of its large sedan.Dr Truckenbrodt, DaimlerChrysler's executive director on the $1.3 billion Detroit-based project, said hybrids were one of many options the company was examining in response to oil shortages and greenhouse concerns. "It's becoming clear there is no single solution which will be the silver bullet," he said.Previously, DaimlerChrysler had predicted offering hydrogen fuel-cell powered Mercedes-Benz cars by 2010 but Dr Truckenbrodt said the problems of hydrogen storage and infrastructure had proved more difficult than designing viable fuel cell engines."This is not a problem just for DaimlerChrysler but for the whole industry," he said.He predicted fuel cell vehicles would be confined to small niches such as urban buses and delivery vans. "It is not the case that the next 20 years will see the replacement of the internal combustion engine," he said.With petrol and diesel engines here to stay, hybrid technology was the best way of increasing their efficiency and lowering emissions. But future hybrids had to show more improvement in fuel consumption than early designs had done, he said. Trendsetters had bought the first generation of hybrids as environmental statements, but mainstream buyers would consider them only if they significantly cut fuel bills while retaining the feel of a conventional vehicle."More and more customers are buying hybrids because they want to see the payoff," he said. "We're confident the dual mode system will have less distance between its certification (fuel consumption) numbers and real world numbers."DaimlerChrysler would apply the new hybrid system to diesel engines, but Dr Truckenbrodt said combining technologies would make the vehicles very expensive.

Show organisers have changed the format this year to expand the offerings that they see as competing with a range of cultural activities offered around Sydney."The Australian Motor Show is the second largest event in New South Wales after the Easter Show," said spokesman Mark Mathot. "We’ve really had to think about how we can maintain a large scale event that appeals to revheads, families, and people from all walks of life," he said.More than $1.5 million has been spent on marketing and promotion of the new show, which is up 15 per cent on last year’s budget. Last year’s pioneering success of webcasting the show will continue again, with eight hours of live car releases shown via the new website at www.australianmotorshow.com. The website is also selling show tickets for the first time, and offering quicker entry to those who prepurchase online.There will also be video interviews with industry commentators, car executives and designers available on the internet.The Great OutdoorsThe show is also expanding outside the Darling Harbour Exhibition Hall due to more car makers wanting greater space for the show. Forty three individual brands have confirmed attendance, plus a small area dedicated to retail accessories.Outdoor activities will range from events around Darling Harbour and the CBD."Family Day" is set for November 14 and will feature Australian Idol finalists on a stage sponsored by Mazda. Printed balloons, jugglers, face painting and Geoff Giraffe will also be there with giveaways for young ones.A 4WD track has also been set up outdoors, and Toyota and VW have booked extensive outdoor stands to show certain types of vehicles such as 4WDs and Kombis.Sydney Model Autosports will host model car races of miniature Lamborghini’s, Ferrari’s, Porsche’s and more at lunchtimes in Martin Place.New stuffA new addition inside the Exhibition Hall is the Australian Scooter Federation. The ASF is holding a rally with a demonstration of member’s scooter on a large area in Hall 6. Shannons Unique Vintage cars will also be in Hall 6, plus the Edag concept car and Western Sydney international dragway exhibits.The usual half-a-dozen or so new car launches, concept cars, and prototype production vehicles will feature at the show, although car makers are being tightlipped about those until the day for maximum impact.Key among the new offerings is a week-long fashion parade – designed specifically to entice more women to the show.The motor industry has long had an association with fashion as leading designers often assist with car interiors and vehicle launches. Mercedes also sponsors Australian Fashion Week, recently held in Sydney.The second week of the motor show will feature two fashion parades each day at 6.30pm and 7pm from Monday to Friday. "There will be one designer per car maker for the five day parade," said event organiser Carlene Clarke. "Brands have aligned with designers that they think create fashion which best reflects the values offered with their cars," Clarke said.Audi has hooked up with Herringbone. Lexus has Carla Zampatti. Saab and Nicola Fenetti will be an item. Alfa Romeo and Roberto Pierucci are together, and VW will be joined by Zimmermann.Big issuesAmidst the razzle dazzle of new metal and fashion parades, there will be one clear theme emerging from the makers showcasing their newest cars: Fuel technology.It’s the first opportunity that car makers have had to seriously offer cleaner fuel variants, according to Peter Sturrock, CEO of Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI)."Australia this year got an upgrade to a higher standard of diesel fuel that is more aligned with Japan and Europe."There is significant interest in engine technology and the types of fuel that new cars can now offer and you’ll see cleaner fuel cars being demonstrated by Peugeot, Alfa Romeo, Volvo, Audi, Mazda, Honda, Saab and many others. The cars will have a much more advanced engines, with better performance in terms of driveability, power, speed and fuel consumption – but also with much cleaner emissions," Sturrock said."It’s the first time these cars will have been shown in Australia. LPG, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, hybrid petrol-electric…you name it and you will see the largest range of fuel types being brought to market this year."The show is critical to showcasing these new fuel technologies to show people what each brand is bringing to the Australian market," Sturrock said.Hybrid petrol-electrics have had only modest success in the past five years, but Sturrock said this year’s show will see brands heavily promote these cars."We’ve seen rapid growth from Toyota, Lexus and Honda with these types of cars," he said. "The hybrids use petrol to accelerate the car, but rely on an electric charge generated by the car’s speed to produce braking. That way you only use half the fuel and that’s something Australians are thinking about a lot at the moment."Sturrock said he still didn’t know what the "hero car" would be at the show, but said this year’s show was particularly important for three new local cars: Holden’s VE Commodore, Toyota’s Camry, plus the six-cylinder Toyota Aurion that is scheduled for release in October."These three cars make this show significant because of the export opportunities," Sturrock said."Toyota and Holden are aggressively looking to expand their exports to the Middle East, Asia, South Africa and South America, and this show forms part of the strategy for some of those initiatives."

He did not win the Sandown 500, or even get close to the front on Sunday afternoon, but it took him only one lap on Saturday to convince everyone in the touring-car business that he is something special.Briscoe had never seen Sandown until last week. He had never raced a V8 Supercar. He hadn't even driven a front-engined race car.But the one-time test driver with the Toyota Formula One team, who also starred in Indy Racing League open-wheel racing in the US, was quickest in qualifying with a single-lap run that beat even Craig Lowndes and Garth Tander. He then backed it up with a time that was good enough for fifth on the starting grid in his Holden Racing Team Commodore.He shocked drivers and team bosses with his speed and maturity."I have never seen a bloke adapt to one of these cars so quickly," HRT team manager Rob Starr says.Briscoe knew he would have a battle when veteran co-driver Jim Richards bumped with Andrew Jones' Commodore at the start of the race, but he was running quickly until he had a heavy hit with the Triple Eight Falcon of Richard Lyons and eventually came home 22nd after pitstop repairs.He is now looking forward to Bathurst and is already planning a return raid next year for the V8 Supercar enduros."To be involved with HRT is something I want to hang on to, tight," Briscoe says.HRT boss Mark Skaife says of Briscoe: "He is part of the Red Team".But no one is expecting Briscoe to join the V8 Supercar series next year. He is still chasing his open-wheel dream in the US and is about to lead the Australian effort in the A1 Grand Prix series, after taking third for the Alan Jones team in China in his first run in the country-based contest."I did the last two A1 rounds this year and had a great time. At the moment I'm going to try to do as many as I can," Briscoe says."It's fantastic racing and very different to be racing for your country. I don't think it leads anywhere, but it is what it is."I enjoy the cars and I enjoy the racing. I think it's some of the most exciting racing around."A1 has ensured Briscoe has had a very varied year. He has guest-starred in American sports cars, the IRL and now V8 Supercars. He has had top-three results in sports cars and IRL to prove to the US racing teams that he still has plenty to give."It hasn't been frustrating to be jumping around, but not having a championship to go for means something has been missing this year," he says."But it's been good for me as a driver, getting me set for anything."Even so, and at only 24, Briscoe has nothing firm for next year beyond A1 and his two starts with Team Red."I still have Formula One ambitions, but it depends . . . I think I said when I was 21 or 22 that I was ready for F1, but I probably wasn't. I have a lot more experience now," he says."I feel better and better. Faster and smarter with the racing."Briscoe says he will not turn to the oval-based IRL series unless it is with a top team with the engineering brains needed for success and safety, but is also ruling out any full-time move to V8 Supercars in the immediate future."I am still committed to open-wheel racing in the US," he says. "I'm not disinterested, that's for sure. I definitely want to continue in V8 Supercars for the enduros. I think it's one of, if not the top, touring-car series in the world."But what about becoming a full-time V8 Supercar racer next year?"Probably not. I'm still young. I still want to succeed overseas before I come back home," he says.

Car sales overall fell 5.2 per cent in August compared with the same month last year, with large cars recording the biggest slump, followed by declines for medium and large sports utility vehicles.About 5000 Commodores were sold, 2600 of which were the new VE model, which went on sale on August 14.The demand helped Holden reclaim the top sales spot from the Toyota Corolla, however Toyota's new model Camry outsold the Commodore, shifting about 2700 units in the month.Both new versions went on sale halfway through the month.Despite the success, sales of large cars continue to languish, with last month's 27 per cent fall year-on-year leaving the sector accounting for just 14 per cent of all vehicle sales, down from 17.5 per cent last year.Holden spokesman Jason Laird was cautious about the VE figures. "It's a promising start but too early to be drawing any sort of conclusion," he said, adding that sales were "pointing in the right direction"."Dealers are filling their inventories and we're getting close to our production rate of 620 a day," Mr Laird said.There were 3700 Ford Falcons sold, down from 5800 last August, a fall of 20 per cent. Just over 1000 Mitsubishi 380s were sold, less than the company's prediction of 1500 a month when it changed the price in April.But the new four-cylinder Toyota Camry has started strongly, with its 3023 sales in August representing a 45 per cent increase on August last year."The enthusiastic reception for the Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry is a great encouragement to the local automotive industry," Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Peter Sturrock said.The FCAI's official figures showed 81,661 new cars were sold last month, compared with 86,177 in August last year.Sales were down 3.4 per cent so far this year, with 642,383 vehicles sold. The FCAI said the market remained on track for 980,000 sales this year.The VE Commodore began recouping its $1 billion investment by reclaiming top spot after two consecutive wins by the Toyota Corolla.Despite the new model, 630 fewer Commodores were sold than in August last year and Toyota remained the top-selling maker - with its 18,585 August sales giving it a 21.8 per cent market share, ahead of Holden on 11,819 and Ford on 10,323.The figures came as it was suggested a decision on the future of Adelaide car-maker Mitsubishi could come as early as next month.John Camillo, South Australian secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union, said Mitsubishi's Japanese parent company told its Australian subsidiary last October as it launched its make-or-break 380 model that it had 12 months to break even."Therefore, in October and November this year my understanding is that Mitsubishi Japan will have to make some sort of announcement," Mr Camillo said. "It really depends now on Mitsubishi Japan, whether they continue or don't."

In its VFACTS report today, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) said 81,661 new vehicles were sold last month compared with 86,177 sold in the corresponding month last year.That took demand for the year to 642,383 vehicles, a fall of 3.4 per cent.Toyota was clearly the top selling company in August with 18,585 vehicles ahead of Holden (11,819) and Ford (10,323).The Holden Commodore was Australia's top selling car with 4,986 sold during August.High fuel costs and rising interests have discouraged people from buying new cars, according to FCAI."After four years of record growth the FCAI had been forecasting a slight decline of total sales in 2006 and the downturn is only a little greater than our initial prediction," said the FCAI's Chief Executive, Peter Sturrock.Mr Sturrock said the industry is set to sell about 970,000 vehicles by year's end, which is down 10,000 compared to forecasts at the start of the year.Last year 988,269 vehicles were sold in Australia. Peter Sturrock said the August results were notable for the strong debuts of two new locally manufactured models."The enthusiastic reception for the Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry is a great encouragement to the local automotive industry," said Mr Sturrock.Sales of the smallest cars in the market continued to grow in August – the Light car segment registering a 31.4 per cent rise over the same month in 2005 – but the Small car segment was down slightly (1.3 per cent)."As the interest rate rises take effect it is not only the fuel economy of a vehicle that buyers are considering but also the monthly repayment that would be required," said Peter Sturrock.The Light Truck market was down last month by 8.9 per cent but within that the Pick-up/Cab-Chassis 4x4 segment rose by 7.0 per cent.The Sports Utility Vehicle market fell by 10.8 per cent in August and year-to-date is now down 7.4 per cent."Fuel economy is clearly the issue affecting SUV sales and it is notable that within that market the sales of Small SUVs are less affected," said Peter Sturrock.Toyota was Australia's bestselling vehicle brand in August with a 22.8 per cent share of the market, ahead of Holden (14.5 per cent) and Ford (12.6 per cent).FAST FACTS – Year-to-dateTotal sales: Jan-Aug 2006: 642,383 (down 22, 513 or 3.4 per cent to 2005)The Passenger Market: Jan-Aug 2006: 396,276 (down 11,280 or 2.8 per cent compared to 2005)Light car sales up 14,346 (22.7 per cent)Small cars sales up, 4,317 (3 per cent)People mover sales up 46 (0.4 per cent)Large car sales down 26,461 (22.7 per cent)Medium car sales down 2,100 (3.6 per cent)Sports car sales down 1,216(10.2 per cent)Upper Large car sales down 212 (4.7 per cent)Sports Utility Vehicle Market: 114,267 (down 9,144 or 7.4 per cent compared to 2005)SUV Luxury sales up 1,073 (10.1 per cent)SUV Medium sales down, 6,731 (14.2 per cent)SUV Large sales down 3,102 (22.9 per cent)SUV Compact sales down 384 (0.7 per cent).Light Truck Market: 111,699 (down 2,328 (2 per cent)Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4X4 sales up 3,210 (7.6 per cent)Light bus sales up 584 (46.6 per cent)Pick-up/Cab Chassis 4X2 sales down 5,143 (9.5 per cent)Van sales down 939 (6.3 per cent)2.5 Tonne truck sales down 40 (3.5 per cent)Heavy Truck Market: 20,141 (up 239 or 1.2 per cent compared to 2005)

The previous Falcon beat the old Commodore in our last sanctioned big Aussie car battle, but the Holden has since been rejuvenated at a cost of $1 billion. It has been in serious training for five years.The BF Falcon was boosted with mechanical upgrades late last year, but it is much the same as the 2002 BA model.It will be given a styling tweak and some other adjustments in October, before a new model hits in 2008.We let the cars do battle in an extensive test on challenging Victorian roads, dirt tracks and highways.We picked the most popular family models, the $39,175 Falcon Futura and the $40,240 Berlina.ON THE ROADWITH $1 billion spent on developing the Commodore, you would think the VE Holden would easily beat the ageing Falcon. If you did, you are wrong. This fight goes all the way to the last round.ENGINE AND TRANSMISSIONTHE Falcon is the winner when it comes to punch. Torque is the key. It shouldn't be a surprise, given the Ford has 53Nm more on tap.The last Commodore didn't need as much grunt because it was lighter. Now it is 11kg heavier than the Ford and you feel it.The Berlina isn't a slug, but the engine does have to work a lot harder.Going uphill, the Berlina's four-speed transmission has to drop down one or two gears more than the Ford equivalent, meaning the engine revs higher to maintain momentum.That said, the Holden engineers have done a great job improving the refinement of the Alloytec V6.It was pretty rough when it was introduced in the VZ model, with nasty noises and vibrations, but it is much smoother now.At idle, the Holden engine is so quiet that sometimes we are not sure if the engine is turned on.The Ford is not as smooth at idle. It vibrates a bit more, especially when switching the airconditioning on or off.The Futura's engine does emit a rortier engine note, which adds to the sporty feel.Its automatic transmission works better than the Berlina's, with smoother changes, but the difference is not huge.Like almost all new cars, the Futura's automatic has a manual shift mode, but the Berlina misses out.FUEL CONSUMPTIONYOU might expect the Futura to be thirstier than the Berlina because of its performance edge, but that's not the case.In fact, the Ford is lighter on fuel than the Holden. We are probably harder on the cars during the test than most owners would be, but we drive both cars in exactly the same way.The Berlina uses an average of 10.9 litres over 100km and the Falcon uses an average of 9.8 litres/100km.Based on those figures, an average driver would spend an extra $6 a week to run the Holden at current fuel prices.RIDE COMFORTTHE Berlina is the winner when it comes to ride comfort.It is set softer than the Falcon and is nicer to ride in on smooth roads and most city streets. The Berlina's suspension might be too soft for some. It can float a bit when running over big bumps on broken country roads.The Falcon set-up is firmer. It is still fairly comfortable, but not as nice as the Berlina. It is more lively and you feel more of the bumps.The comfort level in the Berlina is aided by a quiet interior. We can feel the serenity.The Futura is a pretty quiet car, with BF upgrades reducing noise levels, but the Berlina is quieter.Intrusive tyre noise experienced on the Commodore launch early this month, particularly in sporty models, was not evident during the test.HANDLING BOTH cars have excellent road-holding ability. The Futura and Berlina both hang on well on dry tarmac, wet tarmac and slippery gravel.Both have the advantage of traction control, but the Holden has the added safety of electronic stability control.The Futura gives the driver more feel when pushing hard, both through the suspension and the steering, which is more solid than the Berlina. The VE Holden's steering is much lighter than the previous model, which was not good. The new system is very light on centre, but loads up as you turn.It takes a while to get used to, but the lighter system is much less taxing when you are negotiating tight turns in places like car parks.The Holden's driving position is much better than the Ford's and it is easier to get comfortable behind the wheel.You feel as if you are sitting lower in the Berlina, but you still have good visibility.The door line is higher and the driver feels more secure.In the Futura, you feel you are sitting up higher.INSIDE APART from a rotten slab of plastic stuck on the dashboard that we think is supposed to imitate woodgrain, the Berlina's interior is very good.A lot of time and effort has been spent creating a functional and attractive layout.The buttons are all visible to the driver, unlike the pokey buttons for things such as the fuel cap release that are hidden behind the Futura's steering wheel.The Berlina's sound system, which copies Ford's piano-key buttons, has a lot of bass and a cool green-coloured screen.Dual-zone climate control in the Holden is a welcome feature, as is the Bluetooth that beams your phone calls through the car speakers, as long as you have the right phone.We don't like the Berlina's handbrake, which is part of the centre console. It looks cheap and is clumsy to use.The leather-wrapped steering wheel in the Berlina is a nice touch and the cloth trim looks fine, but we are not convinced the cloth fabric will endure the rigours of family travel.The familiar Futura interior is starting to look dated.Its plush felt seat trim is nice, but the dashboard is fairly plain and the centre control screen has been surpassed by the Berlina.The plastic steering wheel doesn't match the Berlina's and the instrument panel doesn't look as classy.Still, most of the controls are well laid out, especially the climate-control dials and radio controls.The cruise control of both cars works well, but we prefer the steering wheel-mounted Ford system, rather than the stalk system of the Holden.OUTSIDE THERE is no competition when it comes to exterior styling. The Berlina looks so much better than the Futura, which is a now a plain Jane.With its flared wheel arches, coupe-like roof line and 17-inch wheels, the Holden wins the fashion battle.PRACTICALITY APART from a silly decision to not include a split-fold rear seat, Holden has done well with practicality.Things such as door bins for the rear-seat passengers, doors that open wider than the Futura's and a huge, flat-bottomed boot all add up.Both cars offer lots of rear legroom and headroom, but the Berlina is easier to get in and out of.Holden fitted the test car with the optional full-size spare tyre ($250), despite arguing that punctures are a thing of the past. We suggest owners do the same. The full-size spare takes up no more room in the boot.THE VERDICTThis is close as both cars are world-class.If you want to tow, the Futura is the car to have. It is also the car we would pick for a fun run on a twisty road.The Berlina's fuel-drinking problem is a concern and could put off quite a few potential buyers.For us, the Holden is the better car for everyday driving. It needs more torque, but is more refined, quieter, is more comfortable to ride in on most roads and looks to be a prestige car.There is more useable boot space, the driving position is better and it has electronic stability control as standard.The Berlina wins this fight - just - but we would jump either way depending on which brand offered the best discount.

PETROL prices are driving people crazy. And unless you drive something as small as a Hyundai Getz, you're probably looking for a way to cut the cost of motoring.LPG is an obvious temptation, particularly with the Federal Government deciding to contribute $2000 to the cost of converting a second-hand car.But there are plenty of things to consider before you take the plunge and sign up for the rebate.Most important is the time it will take to recover the cost of the conversion. For most people it will be years.But some issues are even more basic - can your car run on LPG?When Holden released the dual-fuel package for the VZ Commodore with the Alloytec V6, it included an upgraded engine capable of handling LPG. Holden insists it is essential to ensure you get adequate life out of the engine.If you take a regular VZ Commodore with the standard Alloytec V6, you risk a costly cylinder head after a year or two.Reports from the LPG industry suggest that you fit LPG to a VZ Commodore at your own peril.The experience to date is that the Alloytec heads will need rebuilding within 50,000km of fitting the system, and the cost of the rebuild will more than eat up the savings made at the pump.And it's not just the Commodore. There are many other cars that simply aren't suitable for LPG, so it's important to do your homework before you make the commitment to switch.HOW MUCH WILL I SAVE?LPG is typically about one-third of the price of regular unleaded petrol.Though that looks great, it's not a measure of the savings you will potentially make if you switch to LPG.LPG isn't as efficient as petrol, because it has a lower calorific value. In simple terms, that means you need to burn more LPG to release the same energy as you would using petrol.In practice, it usually means you use about 20 per cent more LPG than you would when running on petrol.So a simple way of calculating the saving on LPG is to determine the cost of driving 1000km on petrol and the same distance on gas.If your car does 12 litres/100km on petrol it will require 120 litres to drive 1000km. With unleaded petrol at $1.45 a litre, it will cost $174.To drive the same distance on LPG needs 144 litres, and if LPG costs 45 cents a litre the trip will cost $65.That's a saving of $109 for every 1000km driven, which has to be factored against the cost of installing the LPG system.A good-quality LPG installation typically costs $3000 to $3500. To recover that outlay on the basis of $109 every 1000km, you would need to drive 27,500 to 32,100km.So if you do 20,000km a year it will take 16 to 19 months to recoup the cost of installation and start to make real savings.Of course, the government's $2000 rebate changes the picture significantly.Subtracting the rebate from the cost of conversion means you need to recover $1000 to $1500. That means driving 9200km to 13,800km, which should be comfortably done within a year.CAN MY CAR BE CONVERTED?IN THEORY it is possible to convert every car to run on LPG, but that doesn't mean it is viable.LPG is a dry fuel with none of the lubricating properties of petrol. Without this lubrication the valves and valve seats wear at a much faster rate, which can cause the engine to run roughly and even misfire.The only solution then is to rebuild the cylinder head, or heads in the case of a V6 or V8, which can be a costly business.It's the reason carmakers fit hardened valves and valve seats when they develop an LPG-compatible engine.All engines suffer from valve recession, so the question that needs to be answered when considering switching to LPG is how much faster the rate of recession is on the engine.The best way to answer that question is to talk to an LPG specialist who should have experience converting cars like yours.But don't just take their word for it. Ask them for references and talk to other owners about their experience with the same car as yours.Traditionally the demand for LPG systems has come from owners of large cars with sixes or V8s. Rarely has it come from owners wanting to convert small four-cylinder cars.As a result there hasn't been any need to develop kits for these makes and models.But with the recent petrol price rises there has not only been a much greater demand to convert the usual makes and models but there is also interest in converting other cars.The problem for anyone wanting to convert a car that historically hasn't been converted, is that it's unlikely there will be a kit available.And there is little or no chance that anyone will develop one while the demand is limited.LPG Australia has a useful web site listing the makes and models for which dual-fuel kits are available.Go to www.lpgaustralia.com.au for more information.WILL MY WARRANTY BE AFFECTED?LPG systems supplied by carmakers on new cars - the Mitsubishi 380, Falcon and Commodore -- are covered by the usual new-car warranty from the factory. But non-factory systems fitted by the trade are not covered by the carmaker.In fact, any modification you make to your car will affect the new-car warranty in one way or another.In the case of converting it to LPG, you will void the warranty with respect to the engine, and any modifications made to install the LPG tank and other equipment associated with the system will also affect the manufacturer's cover.The manufacturer of the system normally covers the equipment they supply as part of the system, and the installer should cover the work done in their workshop.Before committing to have a system fitted to your car, you need to clarify the cover provided by the system supplier and the installer.It is possible to buy a warranty that will cover the engine. OAMPS insurance has several warranty options providing cover for up to three years or 60,000km but, of course, this adds to the cost of conversion and the time it will take to recoup the cost at the pump.WHAT IMPACT WILL IT HAVE ON MY CAR?IT IS normal to expect a slight loss in performance when running on LPG compared with petrol, though the latest sequential gas injection systems minimise the loss.An engine will run a little more roughly on LPG. It won't idle as smoothly and will take a little longer to start. With the new SGI systems the engine starts on petrol before switching to LPG so the starting time is the same.In addition, there is usually a loss of room in the boot to accommodate the LPG tank - or inside the tail in the case of a wagon - because the spare wheel will have to be relocated to make way for the tank.

The release of the two new models of the top-selling cars has seen them manage comparable figures to the outgoing models and in Holden's case, even slight improvements in some models.It has been toughest to achieve improvments in automatic gearbox cars.The four-cylinder Camry boasts better economy figures than the six-cylinder Commodore (9.9 litres per 100km compared to the Holden's 10.9 litres per 100km) when comparing base model automatics.However the new, larger and heavier Camry is thirstier than other popular four-cylinder family cars such as the Honda Accord Euro (9.2 litres per 100km), the Hyundai Sonata (8.8), the Mazda6 (8.9) and the Subaru Liberty (9.1).The new Commodore and the current model Falcon are the thirstiest but the figures achieved by the LPG Falcon show that if you really don't want to pay high fuel prices, it is the way to go.That is particularly relevant now as LPG prices in Sydney this week were about one-third of the average price of unleaded petrol. However, you will need to refuel the LPG car more often than its petrol equivalent.Holden released the VE Commodore's fuel consumption figures on Monday while the new Camry figures (8.9L/100km for manuals and 9.9L/100km for autos) were released on Tuesday. Holden's executive engineering director Tony Hyde says: "We finished our testing late last week, the Omega is 10.9 litres per 100km, 0.1 of a litre better than the VZ."It's not all glory and roses but it's still a pretty good story, the V6 with the five-speed auto was 11.4 and is now 11.3, except for the Calais V -- the one usage of that engine where the figure is slightly up," he says.The fuel consumption figures for the base model are equal to the Ford Falcon equivalent, and slightly higher than the Mitsubishi 380 which has a consumption rate of 10.8 litres per 100km.Hyde says the variable-valve V6 and the V8 with manual gearboxes had also experienced a small reduction in thirst."The premium HF V6 with the manual gearbox was 11.4, it's now 11, the V8 manual was 14.6, down to 14.4," he says.He says the addition of a six-speed automatic gearbox might have been expected to reduce fuel thirst but the new transmission -- shared with the Cadillac and the Corvette -- had increased fuel consumption."The one that has gone the other way is the V8 with the six-speed automatic -- logically you'd think it would not -- it's gone from 14 to 14.3," he says. "The six-speed's ratios don't seem to suit the cycle, so we'll be looking for real world figures -- we're confident of getting some pretty good numbers from it."The lead-time for developing a new car means reacting to rising fuel costs in the past 12 months was largely impossible, according to the Holden engineering boss."We can't react inside a year, no way, the engine calibrations and the emissions work that needs to be done," he says.Hyde says fuel economy was now very important. "The biggest issue now is fuel consumption, more so than power outputs."We would improve fuel consumption figures by making the car lighter, but it's not that easy. We can't just leave bits off."He says Holden hopes to trim weight for the next Commodore model, though the lure of a diesel is strong.Holden has been testing its hybrid VX Calais model fitted with a 3-litre in-line turbo-diesel from BMW.This car is a pointer to the future, though GM has no deal with sourcing engines from BMW. The primary problem is the expensive price of the BMW engine.Diesels available include 3-litre V6s from GM-associate Isuzu which are used in European-specced Renault Vel Satis and Espace, the Fiat-Lancia Thesis and Saab 9-5.Even Fiat's 2.4-litre, in-line five-cylinder turbo-diesel is plausible, especially given Holden provides the Fiat Group with a derivative of the Commodore V6 engine.However, more likely is a GM-designed and built mid-capacity turbo-diesel believed to be under development.Fuel savings will be available in September with the release of a 175kW dual-fuel LPG base model. One thing ruled out for Commodore is turbocharging: "no turbos", Hyde says emphatically.Holden powertrain manager Simon Cassin says Holden is looking at methods for creating more efficient engines.That includes the ability to turn off four cylinders on the V8 engine to save fuel, as in the US version, which is also used on the Chrysler 300C V8.He says ethanol fuel was being studied. The maximum ethanol content of fuel regarded as being safe for a Holden engine is 10 per cent.The first road tests of the new Commodore start in Melbourne next week.

The cars are about to become 21st-century rivals because they provide a clear choice on fuel economy -- the traditional six-cylinder Holden against the downsizing potential of a four-cylinder car that still has space for a big boot and five adults.In the past no one in the Commodore camp would have considered a wimpy Camry, but the new Toyota is much better-looking and much more refined. And it is a four cylinder.It finally steps away from the refrigerator-type Camrys of the past: they kept things cool but were dull and looked best in white -- with pretty good looks and an overall package that is more than just basic transport.Toyota is clearly impressed with itself, and with the car, despite the arrival of the VE and the $1 billion commitment by Holden."The vehicle is right for its time. You could build a case that it's the flagship of the Australian motor industry," Toyota Australia head of sales and marketing Dave Buttner says.The Camry has cost $160 million, but another $450 million has been spent at the Toyota Australia factory, which is now capable of building 140,000 cars a year and could eventually be expanded to take on a third model line to supplement the Camry and Camry-based Aurion.The change to the new model has been one of the easiest in company history, because there were no prototype cars and the layout of the factory was set using a virtual-reality program in Japan that can simulate the working practices of computerised production-line workers.Automation has now been increased from 52 per cent to 72 per cent. However, as at Holden, no one at Toyota is giving the exact local-content figure for the car as companies increase their cost-driven sourcing of imported parts.Remarkably enough, the very first Camry was created by Toyota after the original fuel shock of the 1970s and it has always concentrated very tightly on the original brief.It is, and has been, the most important single model in the company's line-up and is built and sold around the world.Production has now topped 10 million cars in more than 100 countries, including Australia and Middle Eastern countries, to which more than half the cars built at Toyota Australia's Altona factory are exported.The all-new Camry, sixth of its breed, is slightly bigger but looks a lot more impressive on the road with wheels that have been pushed to the corners in a move that also creates more space inside the body.It is priced from $28,000 and the model range now runs to six cars, from the Altise to the Sportivo and the new Grande.Every one has a 2.4-litre engine and even the starter car gets a 5kW power boost with five-speed manual and automatic gearboxes, anti-skid brakes and twin airbags.The Grande goes all the way with leather seats, satellite navigation, stability and traction control, rain-sensing wipers and a moon roof.Weight is up across the range, as it is in most new cars, but Toyota says performance and fuel economy will not be affected. The official consumption figures are 8.9-9.9 litres/100km, tested to the Australian standard."Camry is the cornerstone. Camry has been very good for Toyota Australia," Buttner says.The Camry is a localised car, not a true Aussie model, but there has been input on everything from styling direction to the seats and suspension tuning.Local work on the Sportivo, including its body kit and suspension tuning, has already been transplanted into a new sports Camry on sale in the US."Australia was represented at every key decision-making stage," Buttner says. "It's a global car with continuous Australian input."The proof, he says, comes in the form of rear heater ducts that run under the front seats and the suspension tuning, a key Australian input now being used in Thailand.Among other benefits for local buyers are a quieter cabin, less road noise, improved airconditioning and well calibrated electronic stability control.The final tweaking was completed by local engineers only after an intensive confirmation drive.The timing of the new Camry could not have been better and Toyota Australia is certain to push the economy advantage it holds over the VE -- as well as over the Ford Falcon and the Mitsubishi 380.And, if fuel prices do eventually retreat, it will still have the Camry-based V6 Aurion from September.Toyota Australia believes the real breakthrough for the Camry is against prestige Japanese fours and appears confident it will finally be able to compete against the costlier and more exclusive Honda Accord Euro, Subaru Liberty and Mazda6.Defectors from big Aussie sixes will be welcome, but they were not the prime target when the car was being planned.