Mitsubishi 380 2006 News

The supercharged TMR 380, built to star at last year's Sydney Motor Show, is almost ready for the road, but still needs the green light from Adelaide. Mitsubishi Motors Australia is keen to push the TMR into production, but needs to ensure it can be certified and profitable before a final decision. Budgets also need to be approved from Japan. And the 380 project needs to be integrated into a bigger strategic plan to give Mitsubishi a full-scale special vehicles division, bringing it up to speed against Ford, GM Holden and, from later this year, Toyota. "We want to build the car. We are working on the plan to make it happen," Mitsubishi Motors Australia managing director Rob McEniry says. "I would like to have a decision by Easter. Originally, I wanted to have an announcement at the Melbourne Motor Show in March but we've run into a few snags. I would still rate it as better than a 50:50 chance — no, much better than 50:50. "That car, plus some other vehicles we would like to bring to the full range, adds an emotional value and an aspiration value to the brand. We've had that before, but only in very limited appeal with the Lancer Evo. "There has been no opportunity for people to step back to another car at Mitsubishi. If you look at Ford or Holden, they have the HSV and FPV cars, but you can also step back to an XR Falcon or SS Commodore. We also need to have that ability." The 380 show car was built by Team Mitsubishi Ralliart under the direction of rally team boss Alan Heaphy, with a Sprintex supercharged engine producing 230kW and a range of upgraded mechanical components, including the brakes taken from the Lancer Evo. It also has a bodykit, vented bonnet and lowered suspension. McEniry is aware of the overall need to move into special vehicles at Mitsubishi, not just a single car like the TMR 380. "This is an important part of trying to change the perception of the brand. We don't want to be a grey-cardigan company," he says. "We need to appeal to more than just fleet buyers, which has been the traditional situation at Mitsubishi. I think today we need to appeal to youth. "One of the reasons we brought out the Ralliart Colt and the Cabriolet was to appeal to a younger, broader and more emotionally based consumer group." McEniry's special-vehicle plan is still being assessed and includes such basics as whether it will be run by an outside company or from inside MMAL in Adelaide. But he is keen to get the TMR 380 moving and believes it should be in showrooms in the second half of the year. "Because it is off-the-shelf parts and we've continued to refine and develop those parts, it will probably be ready by the third or fourth quarter this year," he says. "It's not a signed-off project yet, but our plan is to move towards approving it and getting it into production as soon as we can."

It was the second full month of sales for Holden’s VE Commodore and while it remains the best selling car in the country, many of its traditional buyers continue to look at other car segments.Holden declined to say how many new Commodores it expected to sell, but the investment and general buzz of a new model meant expectations were high.Holden sold 5455 new VE Commodores over October, which represented 51 per cent of the large car sales, according to figures released from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries today.A spokesman said Holden was pleased but reserved judgement on how the car was being received by the public."We’re not declaring victory yet," a Holden spokesman said. "We’re waiting till the end of the year to see if the large car market has rebounded because of the introduction of a new car."Holden claimed that a recent decline in fuel prices had a positive effect on large car sales, but uncertainty still loomed."The open fear on fuel (costs) reflects on the consumer confidence in buying a large car, which is why November and December will be educative in that regard."A major Sydney-based Holden dealer said the retail market for Commodores was tough, but fleet sales were buoyant."I can’t get enough Omega and Calais for fleet, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I thought we’d sell more to private buyers,” he said. “I expected much more enquiries.”The large car segment was now down almost 20 per cent on year-to-date sales figures as car buyers looked at alternatives.Total car sales for the large car segment were 10,639, with Ford selling 2,945 Falcons (down from 3,642 for October 2005).Sales of the Mitsubishi 380 barely held from the same time last year, selling 944 cars this October compared to 951 last year.The under $25,000 light car segment surged a massive 21.5 per cent in year-to-date sales totalling 9,729. The Toyota Yaris dominated sales with 2,858 – nearly 30 per cent of the total market.The Toyota Camry dominated the under $55,000 medium car segment . More than 3,000 Camry’s were sold in a segment with total sales of 6,422 cars - a decline of 3.6 per cent year-to-date.Overall sales of new cars and trucks in Australia rose five per cent in October with almost 80,000 vehicles retailed for the month.The result took total sales for the year to 802,306, 2.8 per cent below the year-to-date figure at the same time in 2005.Toyota was the top selling company with 18,589 vehicles in October, well ahead of Holden on 12,779 and Ford on 8,691.Year-to-date Toyota was also well ahead with 175,953 vehicles compared to 122,144 for Holden.FAST FACTSTop selling carsHolden Commodore 5,455Toyota Corolla 3,722Toyota Camry 3,205Ford Falcon 2,945Toyota Yaris 2,858Mazda 3 2,585Hyundai Getz 1,594Ford Focus 1,584Holden Astra 1,575Toyota HiLux 4x4 1,457Top selling companies Toyota 18,589Holden 12,779Ford 8,691Mazda 4,769Nissan 4,436Honda 4,433Mitsubishi 4,354Hyundai 3,422Subaru 2,817Volkswagen 1,980

And the company has hinted it may end up in production, depending on customer reaction. The TMR 380 has been tricked up by Mitsubishi rally team Ralliart. They have plonked a 220kW supercharged engine under the bonnet and added a range of suspension improvements for better handling. Cosmetic improvements include fitting larger wheels and tyres and adding an edgy body kit that includes side skirts, grilles and a bonnet scoop. The interior is modified by the addition of some Lancer Evolution items. Adding the Sprintex supercharger to the normal 3.8-litre engine has Mitsubishi boasting 31 per cent more power and 29 per cent more torque. It is claiming the car will go from 0-100km/h in six seconds and 0-400m in 14 seconds. It has a five-speed manual gearbox. "The car is shown to test reaction with show-goers with a view to possible introduction in the future," a Mitsubishi spokesman says.

Read related storyPatrick Loved the yellow Hummer, I just want one !Grant The Subaru Tribeca seems an awesome car. Look at its list of standard features for $53000 - leaves an X5 or Territory for dead. OK, the front grille takes a bit of getting used to, power could be up a bit for its weight, but you do get all the usual Subie delights, 5 star safety and quality. Definitely worth a test drive on November 25!Mark Mercedes e280cdei definatly the bestDan The absolute standout was the new BMW 3 series coupe. Can't believe no one else has mentioned it. What a sexy car! Looks much better in the metal than in photos...David Rome The Mazda CX7 is very fresh and the new BT-50 ute looks the goods to take some salesMichael Volvo C70 What a Glamour!!the engineer Mitsubishi TRM 380- bring it on in AWD! Would sell double current! Should have been the original 380 GT.Audi R8 ;-)Captiva <8>-(French Body Art 8-)Bob Rona Gotta Be the Lexus RX 350 Sports Luxury!!Jay The Saab Aero X concept car looks extraordinary. I was pretty impressed with the XR5 Turbo Ford Focus - hopefully if they bring it out in diesel, there would be a lot more interest and salesDavid Lunn Mazda CX7John The Mitsui 380 supercharged - grabbed allot of attention (so did the girls in the red dresses); I also like the new Outlander V6 & Astra convertible (or at least my wife did).Lex Biggar Audi R8william yates dark 4 door mitsi I believe it's a Tommy Mac serise and also shannon's stand the rest well............Kim I must agree with Bob MX-S ROADSTER COUPE The best by far!Jim Until I hit the Mitsubishi stand the show was a let down for me. Thank you to the Mitsubishi Girls for making the show worthwhile.Julie Definetely the Honda Legend & the Audi RX8.aaron need this so i could have this to have it better then i wont be a laughting stockNick Definitely the Mitsubishi TRM 380 - because I might be able to afford it and it looks great. Can't wait to test drive it.David Lyons Peugeot 207Stephen HSV GTS is my current realistic dream carROBERT DAWSON MX-S ROADSTER COUPEKris Audi R8 looked absolutely brilliant, that will be a real winner when it lands here. The Audi TT also looked really neat.Other cars to impress were the Volvo C30 and Suzuki SX4 WRC prototype.wazza smith nonesasha The Convertible Ford Focus. I simply love it. The new Fairmont Ghia was nice too.I did not like the Camry V6 sorry Avalon, sorry again, Aurion.Now I have gone and twisted my tongue. Anyone know a good tongue doctor <8>-). .... At least I can still type.The Volvo C30 was nice too as was the Land Rover Discovery.The Holden Commodores looked pretty decent although the Captiva did not captivate.Its too tall and skinny. I saw one in a shopping centre car park right next to a Territory and boy did it look like it needed some widening.I was also quite impressed with the Audi R8.The Hummer reminded me too much of the war in Iraq (I am against senseless wars). I also thought the Citroens were cool.Sean Hickey HSV GTS a true sports car at third of the price.I enjoyed the show,love to dream but quite a few people could get a GTS

From baby beep-beep hatches through to luxury supercars, the millions of dollars worth of metal on display is guaranteed to thrill and delight. But there are always some that stand above the crowd. Our 10 show stars were:H3 HummerOnly a distant relative of the behemoth that raced through the Gulf in Desert Storm, but it still has the aura. The Hummer is known for its size - particularly its wide girth. However, in reality it's not much bigger than your average family SUV but - for better or worse - is designed to make you think in supersize.Ferrari 599 GTBAs slick and stylish as the Hummer is clunky. A beautiful piece of Italian design wrapped around F1 engineering. You may never own one but don't miss the chance to see it up close and personal.Audi R8With this race-bred beauty Audi steps up to the supercar plate and hits a home run. Refined over a year on the motor show circuit, the production model is one to desire.Mitsubishi TRM 380 ConceptPoints for bravery on this one. Some exterior flash, some shiny new rims and performance rubber, racing shocks and a Sprintex supercharger bolted to the 380. The result is a special that is definitely worth a look.Volvo C30What will be the baby of Volvo's fleet when it arrives in 2007 should once and for all put paid to any suggestion the Swedes can't style a car. The little coupe should be a must-have for cashed-up youngsters - and safe to boot.Saab Aero X conceptWith a nod to its aeronautical beginnings, the Saab design team has come up with an absolute cracker. The ethanol-powered performance car was named best concept at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. Bentley Continental GTCAnother from the dream end of the market. The drop-top Bentley is proof that large cars - very large cars - can still look stylish ... and there is no substitute for that special attention to detail for which Bentley is known.Suzuki SX4 WRC ConceptWith its war paint on, the car that is going to take a resurgent Suzuki back to world rallying is an absolutely awesome sight. Even better: try to imagine this corker in civvies and you will have a pretty good idea of just what a grand Swift GTi this would make.Honda Sports 4 ConceptA glimpse into Honda's future with regard to their sports lines - particularly the Accord. The four-seat coupe is both sleek and menacing.Aurion Sports ConceptClose to the TRD Aurion scheduled to be revealed as a production car in early 2007, the Aurion Sports Concept is still a front-driver. The sports concept promises a substantial lift of the base car's 200kW thanks to a force-fed engine lifting torque above 400Nm.And a couple of extras that deserve a special mention with our top 10 favourites:Mazda Kabura ConceptThose crazy Japanese. Named for the sound of a howling arrow, the Kabura is a three-seater with a token effort at a fourth behind the driver. Styling and packaging is guaranteed to turn heads but don't be too quick to dismiss it out of hand. Mazda don't do things by accident.Hyundai Arnejs ConceptKorean design has been taking giant steps and the Arnejs Concept is one of the most stylish studies to come out of the Hyundai studios. Unveiled in Paris last month, the Arnejs points clearly towards the Euro-hatch derivative of the company's new Elantra.

AMWU South Australian state secretary John Camillo said tonight he had been told a leaked draft document titled "Project Pheonix" was not a policy of the car maker. The report, outlining a secret plan for closing Mitsubishi's operations in Australia, was made public tonight on ABC Television's 7.30 Report. Mr Camillo said he first became aware of the leaked document when contacted by an ABC journalist several weeks ago, and this led him to contact senior management at Mitsubishi. "The senior executive of Mitsubishi made it quite clear to us that, while they've done quite a few projects, there is no decision to close the Mitsubishi operation," Mr Camillo said. The car maker has 1,600 workers at its assembly plant, in Tonsley Park, in Adelaide's South, and Mr Camillo said these workers had received recent assurances from the company that their jobs were sound. "If they (Mitsubishi) are dishonest, those workers will get to know that and the union will be extremely annoyed if that is the case," he said. "If they try to hide those things, sooner or later it comes out in the open ... and it only makes it very very hard for Mitsubishi in Australia if that is the case." Mr Camillo said he had called Mitsubishi tonight following the program and was awaiting a return call. The draft document, which was stamped confidential and dated September 6 this year, listed Mitsubishi Australia's chief executive Robert McEniry as the leader of Project Phoenix, the ABC reported. It set out three possible dates for closure: February or October 2007 or March 2008. It also said an announcement would be made just four months before the closure date, and the company would create the illusion of business as usual by continuing to place small orders for stock until one month before closure was announced. According to the ABC, the document said ceasing local production was "inevitable" as sales of its locally made 380 sedan had failed to meet expectations and that Mitsubishi would remain in Australia only as an importer of vehicles. The South Australian and federal governments would receive unofficial notice one month before the announcement, not the three to four months requested in case they leaked the closure plan to the media. The unions would receive "no informal pre-notice at all". Federal Treasurer Peter Costello tonight said the government had been in touch with Mitsubishi about the report and had been told the company had no plan to cease production. "I don't believe the contrary is true because Mitsubishi has given that information to the government," he told ABC TV. He said the car company's acceptance of the government's multibillion dollar package, which continues until 2015, indicated that Mitsubishi regarded itself as having a long-term future manufacturing in Australia. Mr Costello said he could not confirm the accuracy of the document, but the government would "very much" be concerned if the report was true. "I'd be concerned a, about the industry, b, about the workers and c, that we have been assured to the contrary," he said. "(But) you've got to be very careful with these things - it could be a false lead, it could be someone who's not in a position to make the decision." Mr Camillo said any speculation about the closure of Mitsubishi's Australian operations came as a major blow to workers' morale at the Adelaide assembly plant. "And it is alarming to see that part of that speculation is that there will be no consultation with the union if there is an announcement to close the Mitsubishi operation," he said. AAP

Mr Macfarlane said he spoke to Mitsubishi president and chief executive officer Rob McEniry yesterday and was told the company was not considering any such plan."He assured me that Mitsubishi was not considering a plan to close the plant in Adelaide," the minister said on ABC radio."That assurance has been given to me on several occasions as we have spoken to Mitsubishi over the past 12 months."Now that's cut and dried as far as I'm concerned."His comments follow a report on ABC television last night which said a leaked draft document titled "Project Phoenix" existed which detailed plans to close the Tonsley Park vehicle assembly operations.The draft document, which was stamped confidential and dated September 6 this year, listed Mitsubishi Australia's chief executive as the leader of Project Phoenix, the ABC reported.It set out three possible dates for closure: February or October 2007 or March 2008.It also said an announcement would be made just four months before the closure date, and the company would create the illusion of business as usual by continuing to place small orders for stock until one month before closure was announced.Mr Macfarlane said he could not say if the document existed."But what I can say is that Mitsubishi, as late as 5pm yesterday afternoon, confirmed with me that they were not considering a plan to close their plant in Adelaide," he said.Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) state secretary John Camillo said he had also been told this morning there were no plans to close the plant.But he said the company needed to reassure its workers that their jobs were safe.Those workers had been on an emotional rollercoaster in recent years over persistent rumours and reports the company would shut down, Mr Camillo said.Mr McEniry was unavailable for comment but is due to speak to motoring journalists at a media preview to the Sydney Motor Show tomorrow.Mitsubishi employs about 1600 workers at Tonsley Park which is its only local manufacturing plant following the closure of its engine production facility, also in Adelaide, last year.AAP

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."

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.