New VE Commodore breaks cover! (UPDATED!)

[GT Pro]

Holden has finally revealed the look of its new $1 billion Commodore at a media launch in Melbourne.

"Here it is, finally. The Holden VE Commodore.
The launch of Holden's most significant new model in its 57 year history has arrived. For Holden the VE Commodore is the culmination of five years' work and the result of more than $1 billion invested in research and development.
Holden has pinned its hopes on this car. If successful it will form the basis of sedans, wagons, utes and coupes not only in Australia but on every continent on the planet – except Antarctica.
Closer to home the VE Commodore will fight hard to regain Commodore's long-held position as the best-selling new car – stolen in recent months by the Toyota Corolla.
It will also signal the opening shots in the next chapter of the ongoing Holden versus Ford fight. Bar-rooms across the country must be quaking in anticipation...
The VE will also underpin the next generation of high performance models from HSV, Australia's oldest hot-shop. Talk of 7.0-litre V8s and 400kW with Porsche-pounding performance has been heard...
Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney introduced the new model by saying “History counts for little, buying Australian counts for little. In this day and age cars must success on their merit, not their ancestry.”
Mooney said this was a Commodore people “really want to buy”.
“The level of differentiation between each model is more significant than ever before.”
And, with the words “allow me to introduce Holden’s 2006 Commodore range” Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney ushered the all-new Commodore down a catwalk for its first public parade.
The luxury Calais in new sporty V-Series guise was the first to be revealed, showing a much cleaner design that has elements of Audi design themes in a much bigger body.
Then came the “king of the jungle” the Commodore SS V-Series, with massive 19-inch wheels (20-inch wheels are an option) and a 270kW/530Nm 6.0-litre V8 engine.
The final installment – itself a surprise – was the flagship of the Holden line-up, the long wheelbase Caprice, which is expected to sell for around $80,000, although Holden isn’t talking pricing for now.
All three models were V8s, with four exhaust pipes hanging out the back.
The much-hyped VE looks noticeably larger than the VZ Commodore it will replace when it arrives in showrooms in August.
Even the regular cars have a long wheelbase, but the overall design is cleaner, classier and more upmarket; word on the street is that price rises are inevitable for Australia’s best-selling car.
Holden only revealed V8 models, each with four exhausts hanging out the back.
Fuel consumption of the next big Australian car has been heavily discussed, with some suggesting the heavier body could make it thirsty. Holden is not talking about consumption for now, but as fuel prices approach $1.50 a litre it’s a big question fleet managers (the biggest buyers of the Commodore) want answered.
Holden also confirmed the Executive and Acclaim nameplates would be dropped, replaced by a single entry-level model called the Omega." -DRIVE.AU

VE SS V Unveiling Video

http://media.drive.com.au/?source=int20391r&ie=0&rid=20395&player=wm6&rate=164&sy=drive&category=&flash=0&t=54TCMM

VE Caprice Unveiling Video

http://media.drive.com.au/?source=i...&rate=164&sy=drive&category=&t=54TCMM&flash=0

VE Calais V Unveiling Video

http://media.drive.com.au/?source=int20395r&ie=0&rid=20394&player=wm6&rate=164&sy=drive&category=&t=54TCMM&flash=0

Engine Line-up:


V6


Capacity: 3.6-litre V6

Power: 180kW at 6000rpm (up 8kW on old model)

Torque: 330Nm at 2600rpm (up 10Nm on old model)

Transmission: four-speed automatic

Available in: Omega, Berlina

High-performance V6


Capacity: 3.6-litre V6

Power: 195kW at 6500rpm (up 5kW on old model)

Torque: 340Nm at 2600rpm (up 5Nm on old model)

Transmission: five-speed automatic or six-speed automatic

Available in: Calais, Calais-V, SV6

V8


Capacity: 6.0-litre V8

Power: 270kW at 5700rpm (up 10kW on old model)

Torque: 530Nm at 4400rpm (up 20Nm on old model)

Transmission: Six-speed manual or six-speed automatic

Available in: Berlina, Calais, Calais-V, SS, SS-V



​

Holden Commodore VE SS V

Caprice:

 

[YSSMAN]

Yay GM!!!

Right on the money!!!

Now get to the driving folks, I want to hear about how good our upcomming Zeta/VE cars will be in the US!!!

 

[GT Pro]

Hey YSSMAN, I think we should all get together and shout a toast to Holden, It looks bloody fantastic!

 

[Jay]

Looks as I expected, too bad those are only small section photos of the Caprice.

 

[YSSMAN]

I completely agree. This is exactly what we need in the US, something that is good to look at and drive. I'm begining to wonder how much the car will be altered for the various US brands, given the different "faces" Chevrolet and Pontiac both have. My guess is as good as yours, but the Caprice looks great, and should work out well as a Buick.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Oh my dog! I love it! The colour of the Commodore looks very nice too. I can't wait to see what the VE Model V8 Supercars will look like.

 

[YSSMAN]

So they will be doing an LS7-powered version then, according to the story. Hmmm, sounds nice. The thought of that makes me feel all tingly inside, and further increases the possibility of a true GTO "Judge" comming back in the US.

Now I'm crossing my fingers we get the L76 here in the US as well...

 

[Jay]

I was doing some reading up on the VE recently and it turns out the car will weigh roughly 130-150kg (330lb's) more than the VZ, I highly doubted Motor Trend (I think) when I first heard the car would weigh so much but it seems like they were right.

My biggest concern besides the large mass is weather the ESP and any other electronic nanny's that are planned for it can be 'fully' shutoff when you take it on a track or when you want to play around?

Holden also confirmed the Executive and Acclaim nameplates would be dropped, replaced by a single entry-level model called the Omega." [/I]-DRIVE.AU

Haha we drop the Omega platform but gain the Omega name.

 

[GT Pro]

Haha we drop the Omega platform but gain the Omega name.

Yer lol, it just confuses me these days but then again, it is Holden.

That front-end though goes so well with the colour, it's gorgeous.
I still can't wait till they start to relase some serious high-performance versions.

 

[Onikaze]

Ooh, me likey.

A GM with the front wheels pushed way up towards the front...Vroom!

 

[Casio]

If the standard SS is putting out 270kw. The HSV versions have to putting out 300+.

I'd put good money on an LS7 powered HSV GTS.

EDIT: One thing I don't like. I hope it's not in production. This hideous red dash....

The Calais one is much nicer....

 

[Jay]

EDIT: One thing I don't like. I hope it's not in production. This hideous red dash....

I bet it will (has) reach(ed) production, every new SS model they find something new to colour match.


The interior looks much nicer than the VY/VZ in my opinion, especially the dash (in black), I hated the VY/VZ silver plastic panels, looked cheap.

 

[GT Pro]

"Holden marketing manager Phillip Brook talks sales and pricing, and coupes, utes and wagons with drive.com.au's GLENN BUTLER."

​

What's your reaction to the launch?
We're very excited, pretty much like everyone I think. It's pretty difficult for us because we've been living with the VE Commodore for a few years now. But today is the first time it's gone outside [the company] and the reaction has been fantastic. We are quietly confident the car is going to do well.
Will it reclaim the number one spot from the Toyota Corolla?
I think that was a temporary glitch in June because we were in runout mode. We really scaled back our VZs to make sure we had a clean runout, so stock is incredibly tight. We stopped building VZ about a week ago, though we are still doing wagon, ute, Crewman and Adventra.
So when do we see the new ute and the wagon?
(pauses) Down the track. We're not talking about that at the minute.
Okay, let me ask this, then: Are you going to do another ute?
We will do another ute.
And a wagon?
That is the plan.
(Drive understands a new sports wagon was signed off a few months ago and will be launched in March 2008. The ute will be here sooner, late 2007.)
There is some speculation over Adventra continuing?
We've got [the new] Captiva [mid-size all-terrain wagon] coming through and we'll be talking about that over the next couple of months. And we will just keep reviewing how Adventra goes, but it's found a bit of a niche doing 250-300 a month with little stress or strain. And it's profitable. But it does add a bit of complexity to the plant and once you've got two lines [VZ & VE] coming through it becomes more difficult.

Has the very public prototype testing of VE Commodore in recent months been a new form of pre-launch marketing or publicity?
I think up until now there has been over 250 prototypes testing in Victoria and other states. And yes it certainly hasn't hurt. The best part, though, is it gives Holden a chance for us to drive the car in real world conditions, and that is invaluable.
What prompted the V-Series?
Oh, the Calais-V and the SS-V? What brought that on was special editions. We tested the water with the SS-Z which went gangbusters on sedan and ute, and we wanted to harness that full-time. The V-Series is all about features and equipment at this stage, not mechanical changes, but who knows down the track. I guess there also the scope to extend the model range, too.
Are you expecting a response from Ford with the V-Series?
It's not something that we are all that concerned about. But it may happen.
What's the price of the Commodore range?
We'll be talking about that before too long. You'll know shortly.
What's the official on sale date?
We start building en masse in the next week or two – [Holden plans to built 620 VE cars a day and total plant capacity of all models is 145,000] - then around about the first week of August is when we will start shipping cars to dealers.
Where's the coupe? Is it being looked at?
In this business you've got to look at every options, so never say no but there are no plans at this stage.
This car has been designed and engineered to take all-wheel drive. Do you have plans?
Not at this stage. There's not a huge market for it in Australia.
Why drop Executive and Acclaim nameplates?
Basically they are getting a little too close together and we needed to streamline things and freshen things up. Resale value is something we're always conscious about, but it's not so much about that. It's more about the blurred lines between Executive and Acclaim.
Are you expecting to sell a richer mix of models?
We're targeting a richer mix but ultimately the market will determine that. Certainly that will happen early on, like most new car launches.
http://www.drive.com.au/Editorial/ArticleIndex.aspx?categoryID=55

 

[GT Pro]

VE Commodore: Under the bonnet

"With two different tunes of the V6 engine and a V8, Holden’s VE Commodore is more powerful than ever."

​

Holden’s VE Commodore is the most powerful Commodore ever.

Performance models come with a 6.0-litre V8 engine that delivers 270kW of power at 6500rpm, representing a 10kW improvement on the outgoing V8-powered VZ Commodores.
Torque, or pulling power, is also improved with the new model, boosting to 530Nm at 4400rpm.
Unlike in the recent past, Holden is initially offering just one variant of the 6.0-litre V8 across the Commodore range. It will be optional on the Berlina, Calais and Calais-V and standard in the SS and SS-V.
“The new 6.0-litre V8 will stamp its authority with peak power and torque of 270kW and 530Nm which will really deliver the performance Holden buyers know and love,” says Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney.
“We will introduce a new six-speed automatic transmission for V8 models, sharing it with GM’s premium cars such as Cadillacs and the Chevrolet Corvette.”
Holden has also eeked more power out of the locally-produced 3.6-litre V6.
The volume-selling engine that’s fitted to the entry-level Omega and Berlina makes 180kW of power, an 8kW increase over the old VZ car. Torque, too, has increased from 325Nm to 330Nm.
Then there’s the high-performance V6 engine that comes in the Calais, Calais-V and SV6.
It now delivers 195kW at 6500rpm and 340Nm at 2600rpm.
But the big question is how much fuel the new Commodore range will use.
Fleet buyers (who account for the majority of large car sales) are desperate to learn how much fuel the new VE Commodore will use.
The bigger body is around 100kg heavier than the VZ model, suggesting the new car could be thirstier, if only slightly.
Holden isn’t saying much about the all-important fuel consumption figures. In fact the company says it is still working on reducing the fuel consumption with minor engineering tweaks.
“We are still working on the final numbers, we are still working on calibrations,” says Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney. “The peak horsepower and peak horsepower have nothing to do with the fuel economy calculations.”
“At this point of time in the program we are talking about tenths of litres per 100 kilometres. You try to get every optimised bit you can at this point.” -DRIVE.AU


NOTE: ENGINE FIGURES AND VIDEO NOW ABOVE.

 

[Danny]

Looks nice

 

[GM]

That Holden looks pretty damn nice 👍 .....

 

[ls2_297]

honesty, we have not seen anything yet. Just wait until the HSV models are released!!

 

[YSSMAN]

Simply put, the news gets better and better. American websites lit up with the news, as we are expecting some kick-ass models to come here as the Impala and Grand Prix "G8", etc.

...This is an exciting time for GM, and this may also be the way they knock on the Accord and Camry's door for best-selling car in America...

 

[Tornado]

They spent $1 billion and all they came up with is a RWD Protege?
Anyways, looks quite good, I must say. However...

...This is an exciting time for GM, and this may also be the way they knock on the Accord and Camry's door for best-selling car in America...

This will not happen. Period. As amazing as it is that GM now has a new sporty RWD sedan, if they do not shape up the quality of the actual car then that will be another billion down the hole. And even if whatever they sell the Commodore in the U.S. as is a better car than the Accord (let's ignore the Camry for a minute, because the new, current gen. model sucks) in every way, there is still that stigma that will torpedo sales and just be fought against throughout the entire cars life. And I'm not being unfair against the car. I'm being realistic. The fact of the matter is that this car needs to be good just to make people buy the next version of it.

 

[YSSMAN]

Well, I may be over-hyping the potential US market cars, but I think they may stand a better chase against the Accord in the US.

...It will come down to pricing and options matched with build quality by comparison to that of the Honda. Hell, there may even be an updated Accord ready for the market by then, who knows?

Atleast we know it will be better (FAR BETTER) than the Charger and 300.

 

[red70mach1]

The Impala SS is is unofficially back to its roots!!!!

 

[Tornado]

Well, I may be over-hyping the potential US market cars, but I think they may stand a better chase against the Accord in the US.
...It will come down to pricing and options matched with build quality by comparison to that of the Honda. Hell, there may even be an updated Accord ready for the market by then, who knows?

I know. I'm just saying that no matter how great the current car is, all it will do is determine how much the next version of it will sell. Then it might be possible for the (I assume) Zeta architexture cars to be sold in equal numbers to the Accord (the Camry is really hurting it's image with it's useless "sporty" marketing, and the recent nosedive in Toyota build quality isn't helping matters, so it may well be far behind the Accord next gen).

 

[McLaren]

Another car that'll never hit our shores anytime soon.
Shame, as I really did enjoy driving Holdens in Australia.

 

[Jay]

That was a quick trip to Australia, I thought you would be here longer.

 

[McLaren]

That was a quick trip to Australia, I thought you would be here longer.

I was only there for a week sadly, and I saw absolutely no Skylines.

 

[Jay]

*sorry offtopic*

I was only there for a week sadly, and I saw absolutely no Skylines.

Heh, See Australians we are not full of Skylines, if you came to Adelaide I could have shown you mine.

Anyway what did you think of Australia on your quick visit? (you can be honest)


*On topic*

I will be going past the Holden factory later this week, hopefully I see some VE's.

 

[YSSMAN]

(more off-topic stuff)

...My family is attempting to decide if we want to go to the UK or AUS for our next big vacation, and I'm having a tough time deciding. Thus far, I'm leaning twards the UK, but with the outrageous price of the GBP versus the USD, the trip to AUS might work out better given the strength of the USD versus the AUSD.

(Quasi-On-Topic)

Do they offer tours of the production facilties for Holden and Ford in AUS? I'd like to see where some of our American cars will be built...

 

[GT Pro]

The day I've been waiting for since the first shotsof the VE were released.

HSVs to raise muscle car bar

With bigger, more powerful engines, the VE-based HSVs will raise the performance bar when they are unveiled on August 21.

​

'Holden Special Vehicles will unveil its range of hot V8 sport sedans to the media on August 21, confident it has successfully separated its VE Commodore-based range from the donor car.
That’s despite Holden expanding the top-end of its model lineup with the SS-V and Calais-V, both boasting a 270kW version of Holden’s Gen IV 6.0-litre V8 – the most powerful production engine in Holden’s history.
It appears HSV has continued the drive up-market commenced with Z Series when it split its models into sports and luxury streams.
And the E Series, as it will be known, will also further upgrade HSV’s strategy of attacking European performance marques beyond the $100,000 barrier.
“We and Holden have never sat more comfortably,” said HSV chairman John Crennan. “Our product by way of differentiation and appeal is in an entirely different area that is going to tackle head-on the imported snob brands.
“We and Holden are working closer than ever before … we have the balance absolutely spot-on.”
The E Series lineup will comprise ClubSport, Senator, Senator Signature, GTS and long wheelbase Grange. The ClubSport R8 is deleted from the range. Expect at least some models to employ’s GM’s Magneride suspension system as used on Corvette.
Expect power to go well beyond 300kW. Transmission choices will include the new GM six-speed auto that will also be employed in the top-spec VEs.' DRIVE.COM

 

[Jay]

(Quasi-On-Topic)

Do they offer tours of the production facilties for Holden and Ford in AUS? I'd like to see where some of our American cars will be built...

I know Holden does offer tours yes, I would say Ford do too but not 100% certain of that.

Expect power to go well beyond 300kW. Transmission choices will include the new GM six-speed auto that will also be employed in the top-spec VEs.' DRIVE.COM

Good news,

I have been expecting HSV to go beyond the 300kw barrier for ages now, as factory production models just edge closer and closer.

I do think HSV going beyond the $100,000 barrier is pushing it a bit, unless the car is really special.

 

[Casio]

I have been expecting HSV to go beyond the 300kw barrier for ages now, as factory production models just edge closer and closer.

Actually. I read somewhere that on how Ford get there power figures, the 297kw Holdens are actually 305kw. I'm sure someone can provide a more technical insight.

I do think HSV going beyond the $100,000 barrier is pushing it a bit, unless the car is really special.

I agree. No one is going to pay $100,000+ for a Clubsport. The only way I can see it happening is with an LS7 powered GTS.

I went on the HSV tour. It's really interesting 👍