Holden Commodore 2010 News

... now it means buying cars from almost anywhere else. Sales figures for January released by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reveal that Australian-made vehicles were a poor fourth in terms of buyer preference.While we have long favoured imports from Japan, last month more buyers bought cars from Korea and Thailand in preference to those made manufactured in Melbourne and Adelaide. In fifth position, German imports recorded one of their best-ever sales months.  With the tariff having been reduced from 10 to five per cent, importers are sharpening their prices, posing a still more acute threat to the locals.Last month 26,311 vehicles from Japan sold in Australia; 13,130 from Korea; 10,777 from Thailand; 9741 locally made and 6066 from Germany.  While not the worst-ever numerical return in a month for Australian-made, fourth is an ordinary result for the local industry which the federal Government assists to the tune of $6.2 billion.While Holden can claim the Commodore was January's best-selling model on 3241 and Ford can point to an improved performance from the Falcon compared with January 2009, both models are hugely reliant on bargain sales to fleets rather than more profitable private sales.  Moreover, Holden's other bestsellers -- such as the Cruze, Barina and the Captiva -- are made in South Korea and re-badged for local buyers.Toyota, which makes the Camry sedan in Melbourne, was on top in the January monthly market with 14,564 vehicle sales, ahead of Holden with 10,468 and Ford on 6730. Mazda, was the fourth most popular car maker on 6658. Hyundai, with 6208, was fifth.Although they were several thousand behind the locals, sales of German imports are only going north, with a 78 per cent increase on January, 2009.  While the prestige brand Audi recorded a record 1328 sales, the impetus was due largely to manufacture of the Carsguide Car of the Year-winning Volkswagen Golf moving from South Africa to Germany, where its derivative Tiguan soft-roader is also made.COUNTRY OF ORIGINVehicle sales figures for January26,311 ... Japan13,130 ... Korea10,777 ... Thailand9,741 ..... Australia6,066 ..... Germany 

Most makes and models did better than a year earlier, as customers snapped up everything from cheap Korean imports to value-priced local family cars.  Long-term price leader Hyundai did best of the best, lifting its sales by 67.7 per cent to hit an all-time high for the Korean carmaker.Hyundai has been in Australia since 1986 but has never had a better January, thanks partly to its $13,990 Getz but also the successful i30 and iLoad van.  The locally-made Ford Falcon, Holden Commodore and Toyota Camry-Aurion went up by 15.4 per cent, with the Falcon doing much better as sales lifted from 1630 to 2318.Only two of the top-10 brands went backwards, with Mitsubishi falling 50 sales short of its 2009 result and dropping to seventh in the rankings and Honda sliding all the way to ninth after losing more than 2000 sales for the month.  The overall sales improvement for January was 11.6 per cent over a year earlier, according to official VFacts sales numbers released yesterday, a hopeful reflection of the local economic recovery from the global financial crisis.The monthly total was also helped by carryover deliveries from the showroom rush in December, when business buyers raced to take advantage of the Federal government's investment allowance.The Holden Commodore was Australia's favourite car again in January with Toyota on top overall, followed by Holden, Ford, Mazda and Hyundai.  "This is a strong result. New-car affordability is better than ever and has been further enhanced by the tariff cut on many imported vehicles,” the chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, Andrew McKellar, said yesterday.“New car buyers have effectively been handed a ‘tax cut’ and many brands have moved quickly to reduce prices or increase vehicle specifications."AUSTRALIA'S FAVOURITE CARSJanuary, 20101. Holden Commodore 32412. Mazda3 32233. Toyota HiLux 29974. Toytoa Corolla 27115. Ford Falcon 23186. Holden Cruze 22187. Hyundai i30 21168. Hyundai Getz 17179. Mitsubishi Lancer 158810. Toyota Yaris 1562* Source: VFacts

More than one in three cars is stolen during the morning in New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia, according to the data from car insurance company Budget Direct.The exception is Victoria, where 30 per cent of cars are stolen during midweek evenings.  Budget Direct spokesperson Richelle Ward says it is surprising to see how many vehicles were stolen in broad daylight."One might think thieves would prefer to operate through the night, which is simply not the case," Ward says.  The data shows that thieves also like the cold weather with most thefts occurring in the winter months around the nation, except for Queensland where summer is the most popular with thieves.Tasmania's crime peak is in September which accounts for almost one in three car thefts. The same month accounts for 25 per cent of thefts in South Australia, while Western Australia’s peak month is April with 20 per cent of thefts.Throughout the nation the most popular vehicle for thieves is the Holden Commodore which has also been the top seller for the past decade and most vehicles are stolen on a Monday.However, in Western Australia, the Ford Falcon is twice as popular among thieves as the second biggest target, the Toyota Camry.  Budget Direct data also show almost half of all accidents across the nation occur between noon and 6pm on a Friday.  Ward says the accident data indicates a trend for drivers to switch off after a long week's work.

The locally-bred family fighter is also getting backing from Detroit despite the latest uncertainty over the future of the rival Ford Falcon in motown.  There are no details of the car that follows the VE Commodore, which is itself set for a major lifecycle tweak in 2010, but designers are already talking positively about the program."I think that's already in development. In terms of styling we are working on something," says Ondrej Koromhaz, one of the lead designers at Holden and the man responsible for the all-new Barina being previewed at the Detroit Motor Show this week.  "We want to find a clever solution. That's what we're working on right now."Koromhaz is a transplanted Czech with 12 years on the General Motors' payroll, including time in Korea and China, but has just returned to Australia.  He is vague about his latest job following the Barina program but is clearly close to the next Commodore. And he also has Holden history, as his concept for the VE Commodore finished as runner-up to the design by Mike Simcoe - who now heads external design for all GM cars in North America - which eventually went into production.Koromhaz admits Holden has challenges with the design but says they are no different to Ford.  "We have the same problem, the same challenge. We want to protect the size and proportions," he says.  "I'm hoping we can complete it and protect it and move it on. It will be ... where it has always been.""We are still seeing the Commodore as an Australian family car. (But) I don't think we're going to the same extreme (on a reported front- drive switch) that Ford has."But Simcoe, who is tapped into the top management levels in Detroit, rules out any switch from traditional rear-wheel drive.  "Holden Commodore going front-wheel drive is not on the books right now. For the foreseeable future that I know about," says Simcoe.

Actually, they will be hearing from Lowndes as he takes a new career direction that will expand his family following way beyond his own children Chilli and Levi.Lowndes is the newest cast member for the hit children's series, Roary The Racing Car.  He voices the newest character, Conrod, in three episodes that will screen on the ABC from the end of this month. And he is hopeful of a bigger role if Conrod is popular with youngsters in the 100-plus countries where the show is played."This is fantastic. It's something very different for me," says Lowndes.  "Conrod is an Australian racing driver who heads to Silverhatch to visit some friends. Then he has a few races."He's a nice guy. Everyone accepts him except Roary, but in the end they become friends. He is very competitive and loves to win."  So, just like Lowndes, then?  "Yeah, pretty much. Actually, he's so much like me it's unbelievable," Lowndes laughs.The idea for Conrod was hatched last year at the Australian Grand Prix, when the Roary producers were looking for an Australia character.  "Luckily I did pretty well that weekend and they saw me up on the podium. It started from that."Lowndes had a test chat for the team and was signed for his guest- starring role, which was recorded in Queensland on a special link to London.  "They had someone there reading my part and then I had to fill in. It was a bit of a learning curve for me, that's for sure," he says."They knew what they wanted, and wanted an ocker style which is not really me. But we got it right and did it in one day."  Roary is a pre-schooler series with animated cars as the characters, a bit like Thomas the Tank Engine. It's already into its second series and 80-something Sir Stirling Moss, possibly the world's most famous racing driver, is the narrator.Conrod is an Aussie muscle car, although there is no way to decide if he is a Ford or Holden. For Lowndes, who recently backflipped from a  Ford Falcon to a Holden Commodore for the 2010 V8 Supercar series, that's good."He looks tough. Almost like a drag racing car. The engine is hanging out of the bonnet and he's big and bold.  Is he a Ford or Holden? Well, there is a round emblem on his nose."Lowndes comes to Roary as a confirmed fan of The Wiggles, and admits he once had Captain Feathersword — one of the Wiggles characters — as his hero.  "Not now, it has to be Conrod. I had heard of Roary and now it's personal," he says.Lowndes is hoping the three episodes are a hit, not just in Australia, to keep him in the show.  "This character is me. And not just my voice. I'm hoping if it works well then we'll be doing more."Conrod stars in three episodes of Roary the Racing Car which screen on the ABC on January 29, February 1 and 2.

PAUL Morris got an inside look at the opposition when he turned some hot laps last week in a Falcon from Stone Brothers Racing. The Commodore team boss was asked if he wanted to try the car during an end-of-season ride day, as his 2009 driver Tim Slade also got his first run in the Falcon he will race in 2009.BROOKE Tatnell bounced back from a very ordinary 14th place for a sprintcar win at his home track in Sydney last weekend. Engine tuning work restored his Krikke Motorsport sprinter to full power for a local series event, following the previous weeks' World Series contest, and he was able to run at the front in a race where Garry Brazier ran off the track and Robbie Farr flipped to make things easier for the WSS pace-setter.YOUNGSTER Daniel Erickson is looking for a new way to graduate to the Star Mazda series in the USA after losing the backing from the Australian Motor Sport Foundation that helped him race Formula Ford in Britain this year. Erickson is bitterly disappointed about losing the AMSF support but is looking forward and not back for the next step in his career.ANDREW Thompson will join Fabian Coulthard in a two-car Bundaberg Red Racing operation in 2009 as part of the Walkinshaw Motorsport attack on next year's V8 Supercar championship. Thompson, one of the most promising youngsters of recent years, takes the place of David Reynolds, who could be moving back to Porsche racing with a European program for 2010.A super-quick Audi R8 GT3 will add extra variety to the Australian GT Championship in 2010. The 2008 series champion, Mark Eddy, has decided to switch from a Lamborghini Gallardo to the German racer and will have the first R8 GT3 in the country, while his Gallardo will be campaigned next year by Perth driver Ross Zampatti.MARK Webber celebrated the end of his 2009 season with two honours at the annual Autosport awards in London. He picked up the Innes Ireland award for courage and sportsmanship and the Bruce McLaren Trophy for the best-performing Commonwealth driver of the season. David Brabham and Daniel Ricciardo both received Autosport awards for their successes through '09.DRAG racing fans in Melbourne have not given up on plans for a new venue in the city, despite a series of setbacks in recent years. Anyone who wants to support the move should go to www.motorvatemelbourne.com

Car companies are about to be put to the test in the Global Green Challenge and Carsguide is going along for the ride. There are two key buzz words in today's world of clean, green motoring: more and less.Car buyers, pricked by an environmental consciousness, are driving demand for better efficiency to reduce the impact on their wallet and less emissions to reduce the impact on the environment.And there's an added caveat to this quest for green sustainability: it has to be affordable without robbing the family car of performance or driveability.Welcome to the challenge facing car designers as they chase motoring's holy grail — producing a workable, green friendly car for the future. A bookmark of just where the industry is at will be on display at the end of the month when the Eco Challenge for production cars, run in conjunction with this year's Global Green Challenge, sets out from Darwin on October 24 and heads south to Adelaide.It will be real-world 3000 kilometre reality check, albeit most of the driving will be on highways, to show buyers what more-for-less cars are available now, or the near future.This week car companies have been jostling as they line up for the starting grid — some have still to fully show their hand but organisers say 21 cars are expected to contest the Eco Challenge while a further 38 dedicated solar-powered cars will also follow the same route the following day in their own race.This year's production car field is an eclectic mix.Hyundai Hyundai is using the Global Challenge to launch its 2010 Santa Fe wagon, promising more power and reduced fuel consumption which will attract caravan owners looking for an alternative to heavier 4WDs.Hyundai's Team R has entered two Santa Fes, one of which will be driven by CarsGuide. The wagon gets Hyundai's new R turbo diesel and a new six-speed manual transmission along with a recalibrated suspension and steering package for our tougher road conditions. A six-speed automatic will be optional. The Santa Fe goes on sale at the end of the year.Skoda Skoda will use the event to showcase its new flagship, the Superb saloon. Skoda says the 2-litre direct injection turbo diesel is capable of 5.4l/100km on the highway, meaning you can marry luxury with economy.Suzuki will use the event to showcase the ability of the tiny Alto, which the carmaker claims can travel 100 kilometres on just 3.5 litres of precious fuel on the highway. Tests in India have already shown it can do better at 3l/100km.The car is being kept on the road by a team of apprentice automotive engineers from the Melbourne's Kangan Batman TAFE college.Holden Holden and Ford will be fighting each other in the Challenge. Holden had been tipped to show of a Commodore, which like Saab, can run on 85 per cent ethanol, or a diesel, but the General will instead showcase its recently launched 3-litre Omega Sportwagon, fitted with the new SIDI (Spark Ignition Direct Injection) engine and six-speed automatic transmission.Holden won't reveal what fuel economy goal it is aiming for but it maintains the SIDI is now the most fuel efficient Aussie-built six-cylinder in the market. Holden says the engine, rated at 9.3l/10km is 13 per cent more fuel efficient than the previous motor at 10.7l/10km.Ford Ford will come out fighting with an XR6 Turbo and a Fiesta Econetic which will be launched in November and has the potential to run at 3.7l/100km. Again, Ford won’t talk about economy goals.BMW BMW is another keeping its cards close to its chest until closer to race. It will have a fleet of three diesel Mini Ds, one of which is will be driven by former Le Mans winner Vern Schuppan. The 1.6-litre Mini diesel is capable of 3.9l/100km combined and 3.5l/100km on the highway.Tesla While all eyes will be on the known brands, one entry which will likely steal the limelight will be the all electric Tesla roadster — the world's first production all-electric car which is being entered by broadband company Internode.The company's managing director Simon Hackett imported the first car to Australia recently.Kia Kia has entered two LPG electric hybrid Fortes, which have a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine mated to a small electric motor and lithium-polymer batteries — a first for a mass-production small automatic car. Kia says it can return 5.6l/100km.Based on the Cerato, the Kia Forte has the potential to make it to the Australian market next year for less than $30,000. Based on the Cerato The Forte was launched in South Korea in August and displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last month.NON-PRODUCTION AND EXPERIMENTAL CARS Independent team Deep Green Research has come to the party with an electric Honda.Students from South Australia's Annesley College have built a petrol/electric hybrid Holden Viva. The all-girl Annesley team has taken part in previous solar challenges but this is the first time they have entered the production car class. The students will be driving the car on the 3000km journey.Research and development company Intex is entering a four-cylinder petrol Ford Spectron Van with a retrofit hybrid system that converts the drivetrain to a plug-in hybrid electric.Absent This year Toyota is a notable non-starter after impressing in 2007 with its Prius.And there has been a late scratching with Volvo confirming it was withdrawn its two C30 DRIVe hatchbacks because they are stuck on a ship from Europe, a victim of stormy weather in the Atlantic. Volvo had high expectations for the 1.6-litre diesel which sips a claimed 3.8l/100km. The eco hatch will now be launched in Australia early next year. 

Originally for solar vehicles only, the 3000km trial from Darwin to Adelaide now runs a parallel Eco Challenge. Carmakers are falling over themselves to include their latest models as fuel consumption and emissions become more important to consumers. Holden is the latest carmaker to put a car on the grid for the event. It will run a direct injection 3.0-litre V6 Commodore Omega Sportwagon on the 3000km drive from Darwin to Adelaide. Holden chairman and managing director Alan Batey says the decision to field a Sportwagon will serve as a practical demonstration of the car's fuel-saving capabilities. "Our strategy of providing customers with better fuel efficiency today, and next-generation fuel advances for tomorrow is driving everything we do," he says. Arch-rival Ford is running a Falcon XR6 and its yet-to-be-released Econetic Fiesta hatch, which promises real-world economy of 3.7 litres/100km. Ford Australia chief, Marin Burela, says it is not a publicity stunt. "We wouldn't be entering unless we had something to say," he says. It will be the first time this particular Fiesta will be seen on Australian roads as it does not arrive in showrooms until November. Apart from Ford and Holden, Hyundai, Kia, Peugeot, Mini, Skoda, Suzuki and Volvo are all participating. The world's first production fully-electric sports car, the Tesla, is also entered. The Eco Challenge is aimed at giving carmakers with conventional and alternative-engines an opportunity to showcase their advances in economy and low-emission technologies. A spokesman for the Global Green Challenge, Mike Drewer, says there are about 20 practical family cars taking part. "There is a greater emphasis on alternative fuel-efficient cars coming on to the market," he says. However, Drewer says the Eco Challenge part of the revamped Global Green Challenge will not take anything away from the 44 pure solar cars participating. "It's important for the solar cars to showcase new technologies," Drewer says. Since the South Australian Motor Sport Board took over the World Solar Challenge last year it has rebranded it and broadened its appeal. "There has been a push to get available relevant technology," Drewer says. Burela welcomes the Eco Challenge's broader take on new technology. "The have shifted as the market as shifted as fuel economy is more important." The Eco Challenge covers a series of set stages with overnight stops at Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, Coober Pedy, and Port Augusta. The event kicks off from Darwin on October 24, ending in Adelaide on October 31.

And it signals that Holden and Ford's new battle ground will be at the bowser. GM-Holden yesterday fired a salvo across Ford's bows by launching what it describes as the most fuel-efficient Australian-built six cylinder car available. It has unveiled two new hi-tech six-cylinder engines for the Commodore range just a week after Ford said it would build a four-cylinder Falcon. GM-Holden chairman, Mark Reuss, said Holden was going to ‘out-engineer’ its rivals with cutting-edge technology. "Dropping cylinders would be the last resort," he said. The new direct-injection 3.0-litre and 3.6-litre V6 engines will hit showrooms next month in the face-lifted Commodore and Statesman range. Not only is Australia's best-selling family sedan now cheaper to run, it emits less harmful greenhouse gases, Reuss said. "We've been listening to what the customer wants," he said. "We've invested in changing what matters most to motorists, increasing fuel efficiency, improving refinement and developing performance." The new petrol engines will be joined by a more economical LPG Commodore engine. Reuss said the new 3.0-litre Commodore was so efficient, families could drive from Melbourne to Sydney, a distance of 870km, on one tank of fuel. "We know because we've done it," Reuss said. "The car we drove actually got 7.5l/100km in actual real-world driving, that's right in there with our four cylinder entries in the smaller car market." Owners will also be able to save $325 in annual fuel costs too, he said. Reuss said the Commodore's direct-injection technology was a big step forward for the local car industry and Australian manufacturing and was applauded by the Industry Minister, Senator Kim Carr. "We are defining our own future, creating our own luck," Reuss said. "It places a more refined Commodore amongst four cylinder competitors while delivering the space and flexibility which Australian car buyers clearly want." Both V6s adopt what Holden calls spark ignition direct injection, to deliver up to 13 per cent better economy and up to 14 per cent lower CO2 emissions, combined with a new six-speed automatic transmission. The new Omega 3.0-litre gets 9.3 litres/100km, more than 13 per cent better than the existing model's 10.7 litres/100km. This engine also produces 600kg less CO2 emissions than the existing engine. Apart from lower fuel consumption, power is up. The 3.0-litre develops 190kW, up from 175kW of the previous engine, while the 3.6-litre develops 210kW, up from 195kW. Holden's popular dual-fuel LPG range will retain the 3.6-litre AlloyTec V6 but it has been reworked for better economy and lower CO2 emissions. Apart from powering local Commodores, GM-Holden plans to export the engines to several other GM plants globally, including Mexico where it is expected to go into a new Cadillac off-roader. New Holden Global V6 direct-injection engines 3.0 and 3.6-litre double overhead cam alloy V6. Uses 91RON ULP, Euro IV+ emissions rating Power: 3.0 - 190kW @ 6700rpm 3.6 - 210kW @ 6400rpm Torque: 3.0 - 290Nm @ 2900rpm 3.6 - 350Nm @ 2900rpm Fuel economy (l/100km)/emissions: 9.3/221g/km - 10.3/245g/km. Between 9 and 13 per cent fuel consumption improvement, 9-14 per cent emissions improvement. Superceded V6 3.6-litre double overhead cam, variable inlet camshaft, 24-valve alloy V6 (High Feature in top-spec models). Power: 175kW @ 6500rpm HF 195kW @ 6500rpm Torque: 325Nm @ 2400rpm HF 340Nm @ 2600rpm (ECE, Nm) Fuel economy (l/100km)/emissions: 10.6/252g/km -11.6/274g/km  

The Chevrolet Camaro might be built and sold in the USA, but it was designed, developed, tested and approved down under as a spin-off from the VE Commodore. It is named this week among the 31 finalists for the World COTY (see gallery above for full shortlist), and will be judged by a global panel of 60 motoring journalists before the winner is named at the New York Auto Show in April next year.The finalists carry badges from Audi to Toyota and are as diverse as the latest green-power Honda Insight and Toyota Prius to the super luxury Porsche Panamera."The list came from the manufacturers, who sent us their eligible cars for the year. There may be one or two more yet, because a couple of companies might have some extra models before the end of the year," says WCOTY co-chairman, Peter Lyon. "For example, there is the Mercedes SLS Gullwing. We don't know yet when it will go on sale."Apart from the World COTY contest, the same judging panel also decides the World Performance Car of the Year (see gallery), World Green Car of the Year and World Car Design of the year.So far there are 18 potential winners in the performance category, from the Aston Martin V12 Vantage to the Renault Clio 3 Renault Sport. Judging on all fronts now advances to the semi-finals, three cars in each case, which will be named at the Geneva Motor Show at the start of March. Then it is over to the judges to drive, assess and vote."This year we have 60 judges altogether. We've capped at that number, after adding a couple of new judges this year," says Lyon. "Originally we had about 44 judges. But 60 is the basic number of the North American, European and Japanese COTY awards and that seemed like the right number.""We've got judges now for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. We've basically covered 25 or 26 countries, from Australia to Russia and everywhere between."Lyon says the basics of the award have not changed for the sixth judging and he makes no apologies for the list of contenders. "The German and Japanese cars are romping it in again. It's basically a reflection of the quality of car manufacturing today. The Japanese and Germans are making the best cars in the world, full stop," he says."But we think, of all the Car of the Year awards, this is the most natural. There is no pressure on any of the judges. They just vote for the best cars as they see them in their countries."