High-tech All-new Commodore Ready To Take Australia By Storm - Page 2

Mainforcepatrol · 18-02-2018, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

To be fair, at the time the world was reeling from the oil price shocks they'd recently endured, and economy was high on the list of priorities.

But at least all the early V8 commodores got full instruments (6 gauges - speed,tach, fuel, temp, oil press, volts)- even in 1978 - even base models.
The mid-level 6s got the same except for the tach being swapped out for the vac. gauge, but by VK all models had the full compliment, with the exception of the base model 6s having the vac gauge. A far cry from competitors who had very little in the lower spec models of the era.

Even under moderate acceleration it was in the red zone.

Then we had the Starfire four cylinder in response to the oil price shocks.

commodorenutt · 18-02-2018, 08:39 PM

Yes, the power of a 1.6L with the economy of a 3.3L
(despite being 4 of the 6 cylinders from a 2.85L)

Ashdaw · 19-02-2018, 12:34 AM

Never cared for commodores and I guess I never will. No one in my family ever has had one and I really don't care for these America cars.

whitelion65 · 19-02-2018, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mercury Bullet

*cough....xe falcon.

...and I thought it was a fan!!!

csv8 · 19-02-2018, 09:58 AM

Peugot kills Commodore ZB.." Most notably, the Geneva-bound 508 shows a marked improvement down the rear, although it comes via four-door coupe styling. The thick C-pillar appears to have been replaced with a more slimline one, giving the new mid-sizer much more muscular rear haunches.

Some of the traditional 508 hallmarks remain, though, in the short boot with its integrated lip spoiler on the trailing edge.

The new 508 is also expected to have its interior overhauled to add the i-Cockpit digital dashboard similar to that introduced to the 3008 small SUV.
Spy images show the 508 could also adopt a toned-down version of the headlights previewed on the Instinct Concept, although it appears Peugeot plans on replacing the LEDs used on the concept with more traditional lenses.
Despite it quietly being withdrawn from the Australian market late last year, we can probably expect the new 508 to arrive here late this year in both sedan and wagon form, and powered by a 2.0-litre turbo diesel sending drive to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. This new generation could also reintroduce a diesel-electric hybrid model, but whether it will come to Australia is questionable given our lack of government support for the technology.
Last year, Holden’s owner General Motors sold its struggling Opel European car-making division to Peugeot’s owner, Groupe PSA. Groupe PSA has recently announced that it will need to accelerate its plans to move Peugeot, Renault and Opel models to common platforms and engines in response to concerns over meeting tough new emissions standards with Opel’s current mix of products. The move has also flagged that it will need to quit Insignia production early to make the switch.
It means GM will need to find a new source for Holden Commodore-badged vehicles within about five years."
https://www.wheelsmag.com.au/news/ev...es-early-debut

Smoke Pursuit · 19-02-2018, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 383hq

I had my first $1000+ service charge for a daily driver in a Mondeo

This will be the same, with similar euro design themes

I realised such service charges buys a man a lot of fuel.

I went back to Falcon and DIY servicing. Service costs of <$70-$100 and 20-30 minutes of my time. (OEM filters and synthetic oils bought ahead of need when on special).

No they won't.

Holden will do capped price servicing on them and it will be no where near that.

383hq · 19-02-2018, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smoke Pursuit

No they won't.

Holden will do capped price servicing on them and it will be no where near that.

It's great news for consumers that parts prices will be kept low by GM.
That was not my experience with the Mondeo (Capped price+ high cost of parts), so kudo's where its due -good on GM.

Having said that I'll still keep my falcon.

mick taylor · 20-02-2018, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Yes, the power of a 1.6L with the economy of a 3.3L
(despite being 4 of the 6 cylinders from a 2.85L)

The big 1.9L Starfire 4 was going to be the best thing out back in the day the whey they marked it, you would of thought it was going to save the world, but in reality a 4sp got no better fuel economy than the 4sp 2.85L 6 cyl if you took it easy, maybe if you sat on 80km/h on the highway it may of been a little better. 1.9L with the auto may of been much like the 3.3L auto, but around town the big 1.9L must of been better then the 6 cyl.

Anyone remember the fuel economy that that VC Starfire got on the around Australia trip and if you guest the correct economy you could win it, I think it was around the 30mpg mark.

4cyl in the commodore nowadays make much more power and better fuel economy, that you can't see it in the same way.
I would say that the new 4 cyl commodore is for city town drivers car mainly just transport A to B boring crap that Joh blow is ok with.

All cars should have temp, volts, fuel, oil pressure gauges standard and a tacho, I don't know about the 300KM/H speedos only because nowadays this crap about you are 1 KM/H over crap we have to endure, like how can you see a extra 1 km/h with a 260 - 300km/h speedo, I remember the yanks had speedos only reading up to about 80mph in the 1980's.

Olbucko · 20-02-2018, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mick taylor

The big 1.9L Starfire 4 was going to be the best thing out back in the day the whey they marked it, you would of thought it was going to save the world, but in reality a 4sp got no better fuel economy than the 4sp 2.85L 6 cyl if you took it easy, maybe if you sat on 80km/h on the highway it may of been a little better. 1.9L with the auto may of been much like the 3.3L auto, but around town the big 1.9L must of been better then the 6 cyl.

4cyl in the commodore nowadays make much more power and better fuel economy, that you can't see it in the same way.
I would say that the new 4 cyl commodore is for city town drivers car mainly just transport A to B boring crap that Joh blow is ok with.

In the Falcon the 2L Eco boost 4 got better economy and better performance than the NA six, pity they didn't let people know about it.

commodorenutt · 20-02-2018, 12:50 PM

Turbos change the game dramatically by increasing the engine's efficiency.
N/A 4s will never cut it against N/A 6s from the same era.

But modern, high compression, direct-injected, spark ignition, petrol-burning turbo 4s are proving to be a good thing these days.
Before 2005 you would have been labelled a loony if you predicted how much power, torque & economy they get from them nowdays.

Junkyard-Dog · 20-02-2018, 01:28 PM

An Ecoboost Falcon would make a pretty good daily driver...

roddy1960 · 20-02-2018, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Olbucko

In the Falcon the 2L Eco boost 4 got better economy and better performance than the NA six, pity they didn't let people know about it.

Just on the economy thing for a N/a Barra 6.
I knew my 2008 FG XR6 was pretty economical but I decided on a 350 km trip late last year to do a proper check and re-set the trip computer and filled her to the brim as a double check . i also decide to drive the car completely normally without deliberately trying for fuel economy. That'd be boring and wouldn't tell me the real story. During the day I travelled through roadworks that required 2-3 minute idling at lights 3-4 times , normal highway driving including overtaking , a bit of stuff in the city as I made my way to and from my appointment and some B road driving here and there. That night my Ave fuel economy was sitting on exactly 8.0 l per 100km and next day as I re topped up the tank at the local servo , the numbers near as dammit confirmed the car figures on the ICC.
I get it that the Ecoboost Falcon was very under rated and should have sold better but the Barra was/is pretty economical if you don't drive like you stole it and torquey non turbo power gave/gives good performance for a range of tasks it was meant for.

On the Starfire 4 1.9 . When I was on my P's my mates old man bought a gold VC Commodore brand new with that donk . I had a Mk2 Escort . I remember traveling with Paul (my mate) one day in the quite new commodore to the footy and I laugh every time I think of what he said . "What was Dad bloody thinking . You need to change down two gears to cross the white line" Paul drove a HQ Kingswood then . Not impressed was he.
His dad traded it a bit later on for a Mitsubishi Magna. Oh , the starfire four days eh...

NeillNZ · 20-02-2018, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack91

Whats the go with the volts gauge? Am I OCD or inhaling too many fumes at work?

Looks CGI to me. An 'artist's impression' and not a photo of actual hardware.

Ben73 · 20-02-2018, 08:21 PM

Funny how the revcounter shows 'auto stop' and 'off' separately.
Wonder why they didn't just go with the @ symbol when the engine is off due to auto stop like they do in every other car.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jack91

Whats the go with the volts gauge? Am I OCD or inhaling too many fumes at work?

The oil temperature has a weird increments too I think. Also it shows both the oil temp and the water temp but they show different increments. Do you really need to see both at once?

Not the worst car, but it would have a much better reception if it wasn't called a Commodore.

Ashdaw · 23-02-2018, 01:54 PM

Holden is dead, according to this bloke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CJRY6UdOgQ

**DJR-351** · 23-02-2018, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ashdaw

Holden is dead, according to this bloke.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CJRY6UdOgQ

I can only deal with that clown for milliseconds, every-time i hear his voice i just want to

au350hp · 12-03-2018, 09:00 PM

Whilst Ford Aust is happy with the sales of Ranger, Mustang & Focus, I have read a few articles that point to major development of the Mondeo. I believe Ford is looking to compete with the new Commodore & other offerings from Korean makers Kia & Hyundai. Regardless of the performance figures that S/C & turbo bring to 4 & 6 cylinder motors, I would still rather a V8, even if its slower & less hi tech than the new 'performance' oriented cars.

PooDog · 13-03-2018, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roostercam

Whilst Ford Aust is happy with the sales of Ranger, Mustang & Focus, I have read a few articles that point to major development of the Mondeo. I believe Ford is looking to compete with the new Commodore & other offerings from Korean makers Kia & Hyundai. Regardless of the performance figures that S/C & turbo bring to 4 & 6 cylinder motors, I would still rather a V8, even if its slower & less hi tech than the new 'performance' oriented cars.

Me too , but theres not enough of us around anymore to justify it ....besides everyone wants SUV,s or utes

commodorenutt · 13-03-2018, 08:55 AM

It's funny when you hear people saying the ZB Commodore is going to die, and had poor sales of "just 700 odd" in February.

But Ford's only real competitor for it is the Mondeo, and what did they do? Something like 200 units/month is what they've managed lately. In 2016/2017 they barely broke 3000 units - an average of 250/month.

The ZB isn't my cup of tea, and I won't be buying one, but in a market against the Camry, Mondeo, Mazda 6, Nissan Altima, Hyundai Elantra/Sonata, Honda Accord, Subaru, and other Asian & Euro mid/large sedans, the front drive 4 or V6 format (with AWD) is certainly not out of place. Compare it against the market Holden are pitching it to. Apples & apples, not oranges (or Mustangs).

Trump · 13-03-2018, 09:05 AM

Having recently visited a Holden dealer (looked at a manual VF2 SS sedan) and seen the ZB in the flesh, the new "Commodore" will be the demise of the brand in Australia. When compared against its actual competition (Camry, Mondeo, Mazda6 et al), it is a very sub-par effort. So much so that the salesman I was talking to said to me whilst out of ear shot of his colleagues that they were done for once stocks of the VF2 were depleted.

If GM are serious about retaining market share in Australia, they need to look at factory RHD options for some of their hero cars. Ford realised that there is a market for a muscle car in RHD countries...

Syndrome · 13-03-2018, 04:57 PM

March Vfacts will be very interesting.

**DFB FGXR6** · 13-03-2018, 05:54 PM

https://www.drive.com.au/new-car-rev...mePageReviews7

This recent review on the Calais sedan I found interesting, in particular a few lines in the verdict.

While rival brands such as Toyota or Volkswagen offer cohesive ranges with a consistent approach to driving controls, Holden machines scraped together from around the world take a variety of approaches reflecting a piecemeal showroom.
It’s hard to assess the new Commodore as a stand-alone model free from historical baggage attached to the outgoing model and its role within the local car industry and Australian culture.
The previous-generation Calais and Calais V won plenty of fans at Drive with an endearing mix of interior comfort and on-road composure inviting you to drive from dusk until dawn.
That isn’t the case with the new model.
It’s a smaller, more tech-focused and fuel efficient model with an entirely different character to its predecessor.
No longer a unique-to-Australia proposition, the new Commodore is just another competent-if-uninspiring sedan.
Setting nostalgia aside, the test example Holden provided was not a great car.
Time will reveal whether this particular model was an outlier, and whether the new-generation ZB Commodore will be welcomed by Australian drivers.
Though the Insignia is one small step of progress for European Opel and Vauxhall customers, it represents a giant leap of faith for loyal Holden supporters.

Comments from the bolded text -

1.The lack of constancy across the Holden line up is something that grates me. On one hand you have the tacky Korean sourced models, then the American products with sub par interior presentation and then the Opel models that are of seemingly better quality making the other models in the showroom look cheap.

2. The historical baggage will be a big problem for Holden. If the they can no longer play the "aussie made" card and the product is only sub-par, people will shop elsewhere. Now as good as the Australian made Holden's were, they had their problems like any make. The "aussie built" thing gave them a lot grace to be honest. That no longer applies.

3. "The new Commodore is just another competent-if-uninspiring sedan."
I think that sums up the Commodore perfectly. Its a good car but not a great one, one that in the previous generation had several unique selling points - aussie made, RWD, big V8's, nostalgia......Its now just one of many similar products in its segment.

Having said all that, I don't have a hatred for the new Commodore. It presents like a very competent product that, like the Kia Stinger, has been so over reported on and hyped that it is being misread by the market. I'm also fascinated by how the sales numbers for it will be. Commodore in the last few years has been selling in 2,000 to 3,000 cars per month. Now if it doesn't sell in those numbers, where will those sales go is what interests me. Will those buyer who forgo a Commodore buy a similar style of vehicle, such as a Sonata or Passat. Or will they look to a SUV of similar cost. I have the same questions about the now imported Camry.

Bossxr8 · 14-03-2018, 02:06 PM

There's not much the commodore offers that you can't get in other similar mid size vehicles. Liberty has awd for example, Camry has a V6 option etc, whereas Mondeo, Camry, Passat and Mazda 6 are in a similar size, spec and price bracket.

The point of difference in terms of size, RWD, V8 and towing ability are gone. Can probably add manual transmission to that too as most of these mid size cars do not have a manual option.

au350hp · 15-03-2018, 02:06 AM

I must admit that I am very quick to dismiss new performance oriented cars these days, simply because there is so many of them and they all look virtually the same. Occasionally something really nice comes out, but the cost is prohibitive and often by the time they are reasonable value 2nd hand, their stuffed.

ebv8 · 15-03-2018, 08:25 AM

here is the car that would have saved holden they just didn't pull the trigger
the TT36 concept
smaller than a commodore but with the same look, RWD/AWD, i4, i4t, V6, V6TT, LS3, LSA. it would have been a cracker
there was also the SSX AWD hatch
could have been made along side the commodore and then overtaken it as long as it was a world car platform and made in LHD
download.jpg

lra · 15-03-2018, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebv8

here is the car that would have saved holden they just didn't pull the trigger the TT36 concept smaller than a commodore but with the same look, RWD/AWD, i4, i4t, V6, V6TT, LS3, LSA. it would have been a cracker
Attachment 98769

The 'they' in this case was not Holden, but the decision makers and bean counters in Detroit. Holden was definitely doomed after Peter Hanenburger was quietly sidelined into retirement.

whitelion65 · 15-03-2018, 08:40 AM

I saw my first one on the road this morning. Wasn't sure if it was an Astra or Commodore from front on!
I'm guessing I'll see a few more....

Sabantien · 15-03-2018, 10:54 AM

Facebook keeps throwing ads for it at me.
And they all have hundreds of comments rubbishing the car. With the odd positive comment.

They wanted to ditch the bogan tag, and they're definitely getting rid of the bogan customer with this vehicle, but no idea why they wouldn't have just killed off the name too.

I'm sure it's a nice enough car. Hell. The new mondeos are pretty great. (Ignoring anything related to power, but honestly, they'll be plenty powerful for most people. My corolla ascent was plenty powerful in all honesty, but I'd struggle going back to anything like that after the falcon)

That said, I'd likely be one of those people moving away from sedans too. 4wd next, even if I do move back to the city. Only because I want to see a lot more of the outback now that I'm living out here.

Bossxr8 · 15-03-2018, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebv8

here is the car that would have saved holden they just didn't pull the trigger
the TT36 concept
smaller than a commodore but with the same look, RWD/AWD, i4, i4t, V6, V6TT, LS3, LSA. it would have been a cracker
there was also the SSX AWD hatch
could have been made along side the commodore and then overtaken it as long as it was a world car platform and made in LHD
Attachment 98769

You do realise that concept car was just to gauge the publics reaction to the look of the VE don't you?

Bossxr8 · 15-03-2018, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sabantien

Facebook keeps throwing ads for it at me.
And they all have hundreds of comments rubbishing the car. With the odd positive comment.

They wanted to ditch the bogan tag, and they're definitely getting rid of the bogan customer with this vehicle, but no idea why they wouldn't have just killed off the name too.

I'm sure it's a nice enough car. Hell. The new mondeos are pretty great. (Ignoring anything related to power, but honestly, they'll be plenty powerful for most people. My corolla ascent was plenty powerful in all honesty, but I'd struggle going back to anything like that after the falcon)

That said, I'd likely be one of those people moving away from sedans too. 4wd next, even if I do move back to the city. Only because I want to see a lot more of the outback now that I'm living out here.

Bogans probably make up half of their buyers, not sure why they are trying to move away from that, when a lot of non-bogans avoid Holden because of the bogan stigma with the brand.

They would be better off switching to Chevrolet and leave the Holden badge in the past where it belongs.