Finally, after months of circulating spy shots and drip feeds, Holden has officially released its all new large, rear-wheel-drive Commodore sedan to the public.
For the first time in the car’s history, the long-wheelbase version was displayed simultaneously with the standard-wheelbase model, in the form of the Statesman and Caprice.
After spending a reported one billion Aussie dollars to build the car from scratch, there was a lot of pressure resting on the shoulders of the Australian design team. The Zeta platform on which the new Commodore is built will form the basis of a host of new General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] products including a new Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet Camaro.
Further, scheduled for early August is a test drive of the sports edition, the Commodore SS-V, for consideration by GM board members for the next Pontiac Grand Prix. We’re looking at a 6.0-liter V-8 developing 360 horsepower and mated to a 6-speed manual or automatic.
The model range starts with a new entry level labelled the Omega and tops out with the luxury and sporty Calais-V. Models running the base 3.6-liter V-6 will have an output of 241 hp whereas up-spec models will have a 261-hp version. The big-banger in the range is the aforementioned V-8. Transmissions include a 4-speed automatic for lower Omega and Berlina grades, a 6-speed manual for sport versions plus 5- and 6-speed automatics, the latter of which is shared with the Cadillac STS-V and the Chevrolet Corvette.
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