Holden Commodore
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| Holden Commodore | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Manufacturer | Holden |
| Parent company | General Motors |
| Production | 13 November 1978–present |
| Assembly | Elizabeth, South Australia, Australia Petone, New Zealand |
| Class | Mid size Full-size |
| Body style | 4-door sedan 4-door station wagon |
The Holden Commodore is a car built by the Holden division of General Motors (GM) in Australia. From 1989, it formed the basis of a luxury sedan range called the Holden Statesman and Caprice, and from 2001, it formed the basis of the Monaro sports coupé. In 2004, Holden released both four-wheel drive and four-door coupe utility versions, called the Adventra and Crewman respectively. The Commodore is exported to several other countries, where it is often rebadged with other GM brand names.
Since the original VB Commodore of 1978, some fourteen succeeding variants have been released; of which four have been completely new models. The Commodore range saw the addition of the station wagon body style in 1979 and a utility variant in 1990. The Commodore has seen rivals from both Mitsubishi Motors, and Toyota, but has one dominant rival, the Ford Falcon. For ten years (1978-1988) the medium sized Commodore was not classified as a direct rival to the larger Ford Falcon. The introduction of the VN Commodore in 1988 saw the Commodore become a direct textbook rival to the Falcon, due to the substantial increase in size. The Commodore is also exported heavily overseas to markets such as the New Zealand and the Middle East.
Contents |
[edit] First generation (1978–1988)
[edit] VB Commodore
The VB Commodore was launched in October 1978, with the station wagon being released on 6 August 1979 only lasted 17 months, the shortest reign of any Commodore. The VB Commodore was the successor of the Holden HZ Kingswood and preceded the VC Commodore in March 1980. In that time, however, VB Commodore sold 95,906 units and in 1979, its first full year on sale, the VB became Australia's number one selling car.
The VB Commodore was loosely based on the 1977 Opel Rekord E bodyshell but with the front grafted on from the Opel Senator to accommodate the larger Holden six-cylinder and V8 engines. Overall, the body was strengthened substantially to withstand the harsh conditions of the Australian environment.
The Commodore represented a major shift in thinking for Holden since it was significantly smaller than the previous family car, the Holden Kingswood, in response to the 1973 oil crisis and the need to produce more fuel-efficient cars. However, the larger models still continued to be sold alongside the Commodore until the VC model. The VB was available in three specification levels: Commodore, SL, and SL/E. The station wagon variant, released soon after the sedan featured a large cargo area and an easy access one-piece lift-up tailgate. The station wagon was available on base VB Commodore and VB Commodore SL only.
Also in 1979, the VB won the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year award, with the car being praised in the media for its value for money and sophistication for its time.
[edit] VC Commodore
The VC Commodore brought with it only minor cosmetic changes from the original 1978 VB Commodore. The engines were upgraded to 'blue' specification (denoted by the colour of the engine block) which meant a 12-port cylinder head on the 6-cylinder engine, and electronic ignition on all engines. The VC was the first to be used with HDT projects with Peter Brock. A revised suspension setup was incorporated; a small amount of exterior changes featured and cruise control was only available as an option.
As a reaction to the 1979 fuel crisis, Holden also produced the Commodore Four, which sold in only modest numbers in the domestic market. This model used Holden's 1.9 litre Starfire engine (a four-cylinder version of the 2.85 litre inline-6 engine) from the defunct Holden Sunbird, which was also used in the Australian Toyota Corona at the time. The Commodore Four was loathed by many people for the lack of power, but remained popular in some export markets and was sold to the end of the VN series, but by then featuring the Family II 2.0 litre engine (same engine used in the Holden Camira) in the late 1980s. The base model was now badged as Commodore L.
[edit] VH Commodore
The VH Commodore was an evolution of the previous VC model, released in October 1981.
The appearance was mildly facelifted with a new horizontal-slat grille to give a lower, wider look, and for interest of aerodynamics. New taillight clusters were also utilized on sedan models. The engines were carried over but revisions were made to the 1.9 and 2.85 litre engines to improve fuel economy. Gains of 12.5% and 14% respectively were made to the city cycle fuel economy figures.
The 2.0 litre petrol and 2.3 litre diesel versions were only available in the Opel Rekord versions, sold in Europe.
Mechanical specifications were as before, except for an additional 5-speed manual transmission which was an option only on the 1.9 litre 4-cylinder and 2.85 litre 6-cylinder versions.
At the same time a reshuffle was made to the range. The SL was now the base model, the SL/X was the mid-range and SL/E was top-of-the-line specification variant, as before. The SL/E also came available with cruise control and a trip computer as standard for the first time, the trip computer was also an option on SL/X and measured average speed and fuel consumption. Wagons were available in SL and SL/X variants. The SL was roughly equivalent to the European Opel Rekord 2.0 DeLuxe or Vauxhall Carlton 2000 L (which were similar in design and engineering to the Commodore).
In 1982 the SS sports model was released, a model that has been a Commodore mainstay ever since. Offered with Holden's 4.2 litre V8 as standard, three up spec versions of SS, known as 'Stage 1', 'Stage 2' and 'Stage 3', which featured Holden's 5.0 litre V8 were produced by the late Peter Brock's HDT factory. To this day, Brock modified VH SS Commodores are considered highly sought after.
In 1983 an 'Executive' pack of the base Commodore was offered primarily to fleet buyers, although this was not badged as an Executive. Special editions of Commodore released around Christmas 1981, 1982 and 1983 were badged 'Vacationer'.
With the effects of the 1979 energy crisis ending, buyers gravitated towards the larger Ford Falcon rival, rather than the mid-size Commodore. Thus for the first time, the Holden Commodore lost its position as Australia's bestselling car.
[edit] VK Commodore
The VK Commodore was introduced in 1984, and was mostly a restyled VH Commodore. It was the first Commodore to have plastic bumpers and featured a six-window glasshouse (using the Opel Senator bodyshell) as opposed to the four-window design on previous Commodores.
Engine choices were a 5.0 litre (later 4.9 litre V8 when Group A rules entered Australian motorsport in 1985) and a 3.3 litre inline 'black' I6 (essentially a 'blue' 6 with more power and black coloured), the latter of which was available with either a carburettor or fuel injection. Other engine sizes were discontinued in Australia but the 1.9 litre Starfire model continued to be exported to New Zealand.
The VK also introduced new names for the trim levels, such as Executive (an SL with air conditioning and automatic transmission), Berlina (replacing SL/X) and Calais (replacing SL/E). The limited edition Vacationer name plate was continued from the VH well into the 90's models.
[edit] VL Commodore
The VL Commodore represented a substantial makeover of the VK, and would be the last of the "compact" Commodores. The engineers sought to soften the lines of the VL, rounding off the panels and introducing a small tail spoiler built into the boot lid. One major innovation was the use of semi-retracting headlight covers on the Calais model, the first for a production Holden (although they never released GTR-X which featured fully retractable headlights.
A comprehensive makeover for the VK was completely dropped in favour of an imported Nissan 3.0 litre straight six unit. General Motors had opted for the engine switch with the introduction of unleaded fuel in Australian cars. GM also sourced a Jatco electronic four-speed automatic, although those opting for a manual received a slightly modified Nissan 5-speed unit used in the R31 Skylines around the same time.
The imported engines included features such as an Electronic Combustion Control System (ECCS), a ram-tuned intake manifold. Six months into its release a turbocharged version of the Nissan straight-6 was released, the RB30ET. The Garrett turbo unit was fitted inside a water-cooled housing to ensure longevity. The engine received new pistons which lowered the compression ratio from 9.0:1 to 7.8:1, while an updated camshaft was used to reduce overlap. The output of the new turbocharged engine was rated at 150 kilowatt, up from the 114 kilowatt output of the standard RB30E.
The 5.0 litre V8 was released in October 1986, it still featured the familiar Rochester four-barrel carburettor, not EFI. This V8 5.0 litre boasted both more power and torque than its predecessor, now at 122 kilowatt (at 4400 rpm) with 323 Nm of torque. Modern modification improvements have seen 180 kilowatt and up. GM had fitted the trusty V8 with larger valves carried over from the previous Group A engine.
The allure of the Commodore was quickly established particularly when the top speed was 200 km/h and then extended to 220 km/h with the addition of the Garret turbo. In addition stopping power for the turbo models was upgraded to larger brakes and Girlock finned alloy front callipers (Used on the Chevrolet Corvette).
Today the factory turbocharged models of the VL Commodore are fast becoming a collectors' item, particularly the Calais models.
The VL suffered from some common build quality problems, most of all the poor windscreen sealing led to almost all cars having rust develop under the front and/or rear screens. The bodywork was not of the best quality, and some of the interior fittings were a little on the cheap side.
The VL 6-cylinder also had a common problem with the cooling system, being known to easily crack heads (a problem not displayed on the Nissan Skyline with which it shares the RB30 engine). This is rumoured to be caused by the radiator being placed lower down in the Commodore potentially causing the head to overheat if the appropriate cooling system fluid level was not maintained.
The total build No. for the VLs was 151,801.
[edit] Second generation (1988–1997)
[edit] VN Commodore
The VN Commodore and subsequent versions took their bodywork from the slightly larger Opel Senator. The VN Commodore, released in 1988, was similarly based on the Opel Omega, but this time, the previous Commodore floor plan was widened and stretched. The Commodore could now match the rival Ford Falcon for size, and for the first time was available as a ute, which was given the model designation VG. The VN Commodore was available in Executive, S, SS, Berlina and Calais specification levels, although a more basic SL model (opt. code A9K) was apparently offered to government and fleet buyers, it was not officially listed as part of the Commodore range. The similarly based VQ Statesman / Caprice, were built on an even longer wheelbase which were shared with the wagon and utility models.
Changes in the relative values of the Australian dollar, the yen, and the US dollar made it impractical to continue with the well-regarded Nissan engine of the VL Commodore. Instead, Holden manufactured their own 90 degree V6 based on an old Buick design from the US, although initially it was imported. The 5.0 litre V8 remained optional and received a power boost to 165 kilowatt. Both these engines used multi point GM EFI and the V6 using 3 coil-packs for ignition. Although not known for its smoothness or quietness, the V6 was nevertheless praised for its performance at the time. Holden initially admitted to fitting the engine wrong in the VN, a problem which had been corrected in the VP Commodore. A fuel-injected, 2.0 litre engined VN Commodore Four was offered for some export markets including New Zealand and Singapore, which were sold as the Holden Berlina sharing an engine with the Opel Vectra A. Accompanying the changes to engines, the 4-speed Jatco automatic transmission was replaced by the GM TH700 and the Borg-Warner T-5 5-speed manual gearbox (highly sought after mainly by young males with either V6 or V8 engines)
Later in the VN life cycle, during November 1990, Holden quietly introduced a revised V6 engine. Internally the new version became known as the EV6. A number of changes were made with the main aim at reducing the harshness and high torque characteristics at low rpm which had commonly led to a loss of traction under full throttle, particularly in the wet. Some of the changes included a new cast exhaust manifold, new camshaft sprocket profile and timing chain, improved air and fuel distribution to combustion chamber, recalibrated ignition and injector firing within the engine management computer, wider conrod bearings and revised throttle uptake. The automatic transmission was also recalibrated to match the new engines torque characteristics. These revisions helped reduce initial torque levels whilst also improving the noise and vibration levels of the V6 engine. Power was also revised upwards another 2kW to 127kW however as a result of the lower initial torque, acceleration was found to be slightly slower.
Under the Hawke government's Button car plan, which saw a reduction in the number of models manufactured locally, and the introduction of model sharing, the VN Commodore was rebadged as the Toyota Lexcen, named after the late America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen. Subsequently the Toyota Corolla and Camry were, similarly, badged as the Holden Nova and Holden Apollo.
The VN was the last Commodore to be assembled in New Zealand, after GM closed its plant in Petone and switched to importing cars from Australia, duty-free. A total of 215,180 Holden VN Commodores were manufactured during the model's 3 year lifespan, including the 5 millionth Holden.
The VN Commodore was awarded the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year for 1988, the second model to receive this award.
[edit] VP Commodore
The VP Commodore update of 1991 featured mainly cosmetic changes; the same revised 3.8 litre V6 and 5.0 litre V8 from the VN Commodore was carried cover. Semi-trailing arm IRS became standard on high-end luxury and performance models (Calais & SS models) and an optional extra on lower-end models, in lieu of the live rear axle , drastically improving ride and handling. The 2.0 litre I4 was discontinued. ABS was also introduced in the VP range as an option on Calais and SS for Series I, and on most models with IRS for Series II. The VP model also featured additional sound proofing along the firewall to reduce noise levels compared to the VN but in turn adding additional weight. Production of the VP series totalled 111,770.
[edit] VR Commodore
The VR Commodore of July 1993 came with an updated, sleeker and more modern design, as well as safety enhancements such as ABS brakes. From the side, the biggest change was the use of a round rear wheelarch, instead of a squared-off shape used on the previous two commodores. The VR Calais included a driver's side airbag, being a first for an Australian car, although ABS brakes and IRS were only available with an automatic transmission. The rear-end treatment saw raised tail lights, which were apparently implemented for safety reasons. A new electronic version of the TH700 automatic transmission was introduced, known as the GM 4L60-E. The VR utilised the latest revision of the Buick 3.8 litre V6 which featured roller bearings in the valve rocker pivot and an increased compression ratio over the earlier Buick V6 engines used in the VN and VP models. These changes combined to deliver an increase in power to 130 kilowatt and an improvement in NVH levels.
With this model release, the Commodore 'Acclaim' specification level, this was basically a safety pack that was aimed at families and was situated one notch above the Executive in the car’s specification level hierarchy. The Acclaim featured ABS brakes, IRS, drivers-side airbag and cruise control as standard.
The VR Commodore was awarded the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year for 1993, the third Commodore model, after the VB and VN, to receive this award.
[edit] VS Commodore
The VS Commodore, released in 1995, was the next commodore model following the VR. Whilst externally identical to the VR, barring badging and oval side indicators in the series 2 (clear oval indicators series III Vs ute), the VS included the new ECOTEC, "Emissions and Consumption Optimisation through TEChnology", engine in the standard V6 versions (L36) and the L67 motor for factory supercharged V6's. The 5.0 litre V8 versions of the VS retained the VR's engine setup. The new ECOTEC engine was not at its core the standard Buick V6 found in the VR. They started off with a totally new engine and only retained the dimensions of bore and stroke. The ECOTEC had 13% more power over the VR and 5% better fuel economy. The compression ratio was further increased from 9.0:1 on the VR to 9.4:1 on the VS. Also cross bolted mains are used in the ECOTEC with the same crank retained from the VR. The block was decked 1" and also the ECOTEC featured shorter, lighter rods with tin plated pistons and a floating pin design. The head design was revised greatly from the VR with the ECOTEC now features symmetrical ports with larger intake and exhaust valves. The end result was an engine that put out 147 kilowatt, a 17 kilowatt improvement on the VR, however the 0-100 km time of the new ECOTEC VS was only better than the VR's by 0.2 of a second.
This model was also sold as the Opel Calais in Singapore and Malaysia. It was a Holden Calais body with a Statesman front end and a 2.6 litre inline-6.[1]
The VS Commodore was the last of which to be sold as Toyota Lexcens, a result of Holden and Toyota ending their model-sharing scheme.
[edit] Third generation (1997–2006)
[edit] VT Commodore
The VT Commodore, released in 1997, was based on the Opel Omega, and saw a coupe version, the Monaro, which resurrected a famous Holden brand name from the 1960s and 1970s. The VT heralded the fitment of the semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension as standard across the range. However, when carried over, the European design was simplified with the removal of the toe control link. This resulted in the suspension maintaining proper camber and toe whilst the vehicle was at ride height however, as a result of the modification, allowed distortions to the camber angle and toe throughout the remaining rear suspension arc (range). This commonly occurred during heavy towing or when travelling over undulated surfaces, leading to excessive rear tyre wear. Various aftermarket camber kits became available to correct the problem with camber however toe control has yet to be corrected. The only VT model to utilise the toe control link in the independent rear suspension was HSV's Clubsport GTS.
The 1999 VT Series II update brought with it a new 5.7 litre LS1 V8 sourced from the US to replace the venerable Holden 5.0 litre V8. Throughout its time in the Commodore, the LS1 would receive incremental power upgrades from 220 kilowatt to 250 kilowatt, before finally being replaced by the L76. Side airbags also became an option for the Acclaim and higher models, a first for Holden. Cosmetically, the Series II VT replaced amber side indicator lenses with clear lenses (which carried over to the VX) and clear indicator lenses on tail lights for all models, which was previously only available on the Series I Calais. The Series II Calais also introduced a chrome strip on the boot garnish. The new Monaro was available in the US as the Pontiac GTO and was sold in the UK with Vauxhall badges. The last Monaro rolled off the production lines in December 2005, production cancelled due to sluggish US demand for the Pontiac and due to a poor exchange rate favouring the Australian dollar (Pontiac GTO production continued until June, 2006).
The VT Commodore was awarded, for the fourth time, the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year for 1997 and remains the best selling Holden Commodore to date.[citation needed]
[edit] VX Commodore
The VX Commodore which was released in October 2000 and ceased production in September 2002 introduced further mechanical upgrades with the V6 receiving changes to the engine management computer to bring power up to 152 kilowatt, while VX Series II added a new rear cross member, revised rear control arm assemblies with new style bushing and toe-control links to the semi-trailing arm rear suspension to better maintain the toe settings during suspension movements and improve baseline camber, resulting in more predictable handling, noticeably over uneven surfaces, but more importantly improved tire wear.
The VX Commodore was available in several models. These are the Executive, Equipe, Acclaim, Calais, S, and the SS. All the models in the VX range were sedans, but the Executive, Acclaim and Berlina models were also available in wagon form.
The front suspension has been modified slightly, with lower control arm pivot points raised by 4 mm and a ball joint has replaced a rubber bushing on the stabiliser to strut link. Visually the VX was changed slightly, the interior remained much the same, the exterior gained slightly different headlights (nicknamed by motoring magazines 'teardrop' headlights) and the VT rear light bar was replaced with seperate left-right body mounted light assemblies.
ABS brakes (Bosch 5.3) are now standard on all models, as is a CD player and steering wheel audio system controls. Traction control is now available with the manual transmission.
[edit] VY Commodore
The VY Commodore was produced between September 2002 and August 2004. In August 2003 a Series II of the VY series was released.
The VY Commodore was much more refined than the previous model in many aspects including the body structure, powertrain and chassis dynamics delivering appreciable improvements in performance, ride, handling, safety and build quality.
The VY Commodore was available in several models. These are the Executive, Acclaim, Berlina, Calais, S, SV8, and the SS. All the models in the VY range were sedans, but the Executive, Acclaim and Berlina models were also available in wagon form. Also the similar VY Holden Calais was available, but only as a sedan.
The front and rear of the body has been completely restyled, with new front grille and headlights, and taillights. As with the exterior the interior has been also been heavily upgraded. Interior upgrade includes a new instrument panel, centre console and steering wheel, and new design transmission shifter and handbrake. There is also a new mobile phone power outlet under the centre console. The new instrument cluster features a large multi-function digital display (single or triple-window, depending on model), which displays information such as radio station display, PRND32L1 gear selected indicator, trip computer with stopwatch function, service reminders and a help facility.
Standard features now include "twilight sentinel" (on some models) automatic headlamp control, headlamps off programmable time delay, high feature Blaupunkt audio systems, road-speed sensitive intermittent wipers and passenger airbags.
[edit] VZ Commodore
The VZ Commodore which was released in August, 2004 debuted a new generation of 175 and 190 kilowatt 3.6 litre 'Alloytec' V6 engines (derived from the GM HFV6), versions of which also power the Alfa Romeo 159 and the 2006 Saab 9-3 Aero; these DOHC engines are new designs, and have carried on through to the VE Holden Commodore series which was released in August 2006.
A new 5L40E 5-speed automatic transmission sourced from GM was introduced on sports and luxury V6 variants. The sports SV6 variant is also available with a new Aisin AY6 6-speed manual transmission. In January 2006, Holden introduced the new L76 6.0 L V8 to its range. The V8 has been slightly detuned, with both Displacement on Demand and variable valve timing removed compared to the US version. From August 2006 Holden discontinued the VZ Holden Commodore sedan range in way for the new VE Holden Commodore sedan. The same is to happen to the station wagon variant of the VZ Holden Commodore sometime during 2007.
The 3.6 litre Alloytec engines are more powerful, responsive and fuel-efficient than the outgoing pushrod ohv ECOTEC V6. Tests have shown that there has been no marginal improvement in driveability, the exhaust note sounding very similar to the old pushrod ECOTEC. Matched to all-new and upgraded transmissions they deliver noticeable increases in all-round driving refinement. Selected models bring advanced active safety features that electronically assist the driver to maintain vehicle control in emergency situations.
The VZ Commodore was available in several model variations. These are the Executive, Acclaim, Berlina, Calais, SV6, SV8 and the SS. All the models in the VZ range were available in sedan form, but the Executive, Acclaim and Berlina models are also available as station wagons.
[edit] Fourth generation (2006–present)
[edit] VE Commodore
The Holden VE Commodore was officially presented at a media launch in Melbourne on July 16, 2006, which was viewable live on the internet.[2] With a sales debut on August 14, 2006, it is the first Commodore to be entirely designed and engineered in Australia.[3] All previous generations from the original VB Commodore had been based on European sourced platforms from Opel that had been enlarged and adapted for the local market. With Opel deciding to discontinue the Opel Omega in 2003, Holden had no choice but to go with a clean-sheet approach.[4]
Engines and transmissions are for the most part carry-overs from the previous VZ model, with the exception of a new 6-speed automatic transmission offered as an option on selected trim levels.[5]
Holden released the VE Commodore to the New Zealand market in September 2006.[6] This was followed by the achievement of the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year award on January 23, 2007.[7] Prior to the release of the VE model, Holden confirmed that station wagon and utility body styles of the VE would not be launched for some time. Holden will instead manufacture two generations of Commodores alongside one another until the VE variants are released.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Holden VS Calias sold in Malaysia and Singapore as the Opel Calais. Red Book. Retrieved on 2007-03-25.
- ^ Holden VE Commodore internet launch. caradvice.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-03-12.
- ^ Holden VE Commodore release. drive.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-03-09.
- ^ Holden's adoption of a clean-sheet Commodore. cardesignnews.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-27.
- ^ Holden VE Commodore carry-over components. theage.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Holden VE Commodore New Zealand launch. holden.co.nz. Retrieved on 2006-11-30.
- ^ Holden VE Commodore Wheels COTY. wheelsmag.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Holden VE Commodore body styles. caradvice.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
[edit] External links
[edit] Official websites
[edit] Unofficial websites
- Holden Model History - Holden Commodore
- The Commodore Info Page - Holden Commodore
- The Unofficial Holden Commodore Archive
- Unique Cars and Parts: Holden Heritage
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