Holden Commodore 2007 News

That is the day it will be unveiled in Melbourne. GM Holden is planning a massive blitz leading to the still-secret day when it will start sales and is planning a media tease program which will run for more than a month. It starts with the official reveal of the car, followed by styling briefs, intensive technical briefings and the first driving events towards the end of July. The program points to an on-sale date in August, trailing the all-new Toyota Camry but ahead of the V6-powered Aurion which Toyota plans to take up against the Commodore and Falcon for the first time. It will also put the VE into showrooms before GM Holden's make-or-break challenger to the Ford Territory, the Captiva. Testing of the VE is becoming more intense each day and cars are now being spotted almost every day in Melbourne. But Holden is still not saying anything about the VE. "You will know when you get to the 16th. There is no point in unwrapping your Christmas presents before you get to Christmas day," the spokesman for GM Holden, Jason Laird, says. "We know there is a lot of excitement around the VE and we're looking forward to getting on with showing people how good the car is,"

1. How are your Chinese lessons going and, as an ex-patriate Australian who started with Holden and also led Vauxhall in Britain, how are you finding the country and culture?"I am fine with Nihao (hello), Qing shuo man yidian (please speak a little bit slower) and Wo zhongwen bu hao (My chinese is not very good). "Chinese lessons are tough and progress is slow. However I will battle on. I do think it is important to make an effort to communicate in the language of the country in which you live."China itself is lots of fun and very diverse. Shanghai - where I am based - is a very modern metropolis moving ahead at an incredible speed. The people are friendly and the eastern culture with its thousands of years of history provides an unbelievable contrast from what I was accustomed to in the western suburbs of Melbourne."2. What are the biggest challenges for Kevin Wale, and General Motors, in China?"As the second-largest vehicle market in the world and the fastest growing market, our challenge is to carve out a leadership position in China."Winning in China is clearly an important objective, not only for General Motors but for most of the other major automotive companies in the world. China has quickly become one of the most competitive markets anywhere. We expect to see about 40 new competitive products reach the market this year alone."We know what we have to do, we have made a great start growing from less than 1 per cent of market share in 1997 to a market leadership position last year at just over 11 per cent share."The key to our success will continue to be, together with our partners, building a great local team in China while fully leveraging the best of our global and local resources - and we are making excellent progress in that area."3. Is this the toughest assignment you have had with GM since you started at Holden?"To be honest, they are all tough and you always work at your maximum capacity so there is not much more you can crank up."China has a different culture, different business and political structure and is much more heavily based on the nuances of relationships so it is tougher in that respect. On the other hand it is very exciting because we are right in the middle of the fastest growing market in the history of the auto world."It's an opportunity not likely to be repeated in my lifetime."4. How do you see the future for you company?"We are doing very well in China. We are a market leader, we're profitable, we have an excellent and growing distribution network right across China, we have a well-established manufacturing footprint with the ability to expand rapidly to meet future demand."We have China's foremost automotive engineering and design centre, which enables us to tailor our global products to the needs and wants of our customers, and the broadest range of products and services in the auto industry in China."We also have an outstanding partner in SAIC and the full commitment of General Motors to continue to grow in China with the market itself, so we think the future is pretty bright."5. What about the potential for the upcoming VE Commodore and Statesman in China?"We already have the Statesman in China, which is sold as the Buick Royaum, and we are working to increase sales as quickly as we can."With respect to the VE Commodore, we know it will be a fantastic car but we already have a similar-sized car which we design and build in China so its opportunities are limited. All the more for those lucky customers in Oz!"6. How long before we see Chinese cars in Australia, not necessarily from GM, and do you think they will be successful?"I don't think you will see any in the next few years. The China domestic market is huge and that is where most people are concentrating their attention."There are some Chinese exports to the Middle East, emerging markets in Asia Pacific and very small amounts to Europe at this stage. They will continue to test the market around the world but they are not yet ready to export in large numbers."However, if you look at the Japanese and Korean experience, it seems inevitable that Chinese-made vehicles will turn up at some stage and ultimately they will be competitive."

The cars involved in the trials are genuine production models built on the line at GM Holden's factory outside Adelaide. This car was caught last week on Melbourne's Westgate Freeway, running with a light disguise. They provide the best look yet at the shape and style of the VE Commodore, and some tantalising details - including 17-inch alloy wheels, bigger brakes, twin-lens headlamps and some sort of scoop on the front mudguards. The most intriguing feature is the huge twin-pipe exhaust system, which points to something special in the engine room, particularly as Holden insiders tell us not to assume the scoop car is the next SS with a V8. "When I first saw the car I thought it was something special. Then I realised it was the new Commodore. As soon as the driver saw me taking pictures he got off the road," photographer David Caird says. The VE has hit the road as the GM Holden development team ramps up its testing program. It has moved on from basic engineering trials to the real-world certification, endurance and proof-of-program work needed to ensure the VE is right for showrooms. Cars are likely to be spotted more frequently in and around Melbourne in coming weeks and months, with one report of a disguised test car in Carlton in the past week. "Yes, we are testing cars. We have been for some time," spokesman for GM Holden, Jason Laird, says. "They are advanced prototypes. They have come down the production line in Adelaide. They are non-saleable cars." Laird says he can't comment on the details of the on-road development program for the VE and admits the on-sale date for the VE has been set, but will not discuss it or rumours it might be earlier than the September forecast. "We'll tell you the launch dates when we are ready. They are obviously extremely commercially sensitive," he says. The pictures confirm the car is much more angular than the current Commodore, which has roots in the VT. But the rear-on view shows a surprisingly rounded roofline and guards that are significantly flared out over the wheels. The rear spoiler is also a significant change from the current car and sits on a taller boot which is cut right down to the bumper. Finally, the car picks up a fixed roof-mounted aerial - set well back for smooth airflow and low-wind noise - in place of the electric wind-up aerial in the front-left mudguard. The side-on shot shows the new-style painted doorhandles, curved rear edge of the back door and taping to create a fake extra window in the C-pillar. It's easy to speculate on details of the the engine. Holden is committed to the global V6 built at Fishermans Bend and turbocharged versions for Saab and Alfa Romeo could point to a new-age performance six in the VE.

It is safe and sure, this purple kilometre eater, as it sweeps past slower travellers. Now it settles back into a loafing run, swallowing up the lumps of highway. With the going down, out through Goondiwindi and down the Newell highway, onto the Oxley, into Dubbo for the night, there is the anticipation, the dreaming of The Great Race. It is some 1100km from the centre of Brisbane to the hallowed Mount Panorama at Bathurst, 210km west of Sydney. There are truck stops – with dining rooms for professional drivers and prints with campfire Indians dreaming of buffalo. There are wide open plains, stands of cypress pines and tidy country towns. There are the spring-green paddocks of Bathurst, dotted with sheep. And then there is the Mountain, home since 1963 to the greatest of Australian motor races and now the domain of Australia's V8 Supercars. It is the old argument, handed from father to son, Ford versus Holden. This is a solid 12-hour run from Brisbane without red flags and with a co-driver. It is a run through the heartland in a V8 Falcon and V8 Commodore, a run through places where these sedans can stretch out a bit. Out here a V8 tourer makes sense, for comfort, safety and fuel economy. The 5.4litre, Ford V8 returns 12.4litres per 100km going south. Holden's 5.7litre comes in at 11litres per 100km on the run back. The big V8s are strolling here, the Commodore running just over 1500rpm in sixth gear for 110km/h. The four-speed auto Ford is running closer to 2000rpm. Neither car is stressed, not even when the taps are opened to flow past slower-moving machinery. There is need to sweep past, with hard acceleration and some V8 authority, as a little Korean machine is tucked between an interstate trucker and caravaner struggling uphill at 90km/h, and all nose-to-tail. Maybe the Ford or the Holden, slip briefly into the illegal zone. This happens from time to time, for it is a far safer option than hanging out on the wrong side of the bitumen. Tell that to the judge. And tell it on the Mountain, this big lump of hill that rises out the central western plains of NSW. This is a sacred place and on October weekends an extra special place for rumbling and roaring V8 Holdens and Fords that share body shells and some other bits with these road-going SS and XR8 warriors. This year it was again Greg Murphy and Rick Kelly's KMart Commodore at the end of a long day, 161 turns up and over the mountain. Then the tribes disperse, back to all corners of the country. The return is a bit more of a drag, more traffic, more tired. The sandwich stops are quicker, less fun. Up and back the red SS Commodore attracts the most attention. This is the VZ with the fake air-intakes on the flanks. The XR8 is a more subtle purple and there is less detail work. It is bold in the bonnet, the power bulge standing tall and proud. That minimalist feel is carried through to the cabin. It's simple and workmanlike, yet comfortable and more spacious than the SS. The Holden cabin too works well. It is a bit busier and bolder in detail work, with shades of grey, silver and red instrument dials. The SS has more sporting ambience; the XR8 is more sombre in its approach. The Holden turns in a little sharper and the ride is a little edgier. Here with the six-speed manual there is the chance to run up and down the gearbox for maximum effect and best use of the 470Nm of torque for the best chance of getting away from trouble. It may be a little notchy but the six-speed manual is tops for touring. Drop back to fifth for the uphill climbs or a gentle pass, back to fourth for a quick and hard run around another convoy of trucks and trailers. Sixth helps with highway economy. The Ford XR8 is that bit smoother over this 1100km run to the top of the mountain. This is a more gentle tourer, the ride more compliant, the four-speed auto less work. Never be fooled, for when the lever is flicked to sport and revs lift, the 5.4 litre Ford rises to the occasion with a full-throated bellow. There's a little extra, and earlier, torque here over the Holden. And here the Ford recognises its connection to those Falcons running up Bathurst's mountain straight. Neither Ford nor Holden put a wheel wrong over the Brisbane-Bathurst haul. Both cabins are quiet and comfortable, packed with bits from six-stacker CD players to airconditioning and cup holders. Both run with good economy, stress free. Both these heroes can run hard to stay out of trouble on the wrong side of the road. These are fine road machines that pay homage to those mighty V8 Supercars and they still make sense on these long runs.