Holden VE Commodore Omega SIDI
Road Test
Price Guide (recommended price before dealer and statutory charges): $39,990
Crash rating: Five star ANCAP
Fuel: 91 RON petrol
Claimed fuel economy (L/100km): 9.3
CO2 emissions (g/km): 221
Also consider: Ford Falcon XT, Toyota Aurion ATX, Skoda Superb, Nissan Maxima
Overall rating: 3.0/5.0
Engines and Drivetrain: 3.5/5.0
Price, Packaging and Practicality: 3.5/5.0
Safety: 3.5/5.0
Behind the wheel: 3.5/5.0
X-factor: 2.5/5.0
About our ratings
The last time a Commodore had a 3.0-litre engine under the bonnet, Hypercolour T-shirts were all the rage and 'happy pants' were selling like hotcakes at K-Mart.
Fashion trends (thankfully) come and go, and once again Holden has dropped a 3.0-litre powerplant in the Commodore -- but this one is not an inline six and hasn't been donated by Nissan. The new Commodore engine is a V6 that displaces 3.0-litres and is built in Melbourne, but thanks to direct injection and a few other tricks, power levels haven't been wound back compared to the outgoing 3.6 and fuel economy has been improved.
Too good to be true? Not at all.
With the decision to switch to direct injection ( SIDI Spark Ignition Direct Injection in Holden speak), the Commodore range now has two V6 engine offerings, the 3.0-litre SIDI engine for entry-level, high efficiency models and the 3.6-litre SIDI engine for sports and luxury models.
Road testing the entry-level Commodore Omega is very much a case of evaluating the powertrain changes, because apart from the engine and gearbox revisions there's not a lot of new stuff.
The exterior design remains the same, save for new badging, twin exhausts and wheel design, as does the interior. Subtle design updates would have been appreciated in this model to better signify the mechanical changes, but as Holden's then managing director stated, customer feedback revealed a desire for improved fuel efficiency… Thus the budget was spent on engineering a more efficient powertrain.
"People are telling us they want lower operating costs while keeping the flexibility of the Commodore's size -- so that is exactly what we are offering," said Holden boss Mark Reuss at the unveiling of the changes in August.
The SIDI engines use direct-injection technology to deliver a more efficient fuel burn. There are improvements to refinement and this delivers a more sophisticated on road feel, plus the Commodore feels more responsive as well.
Like the previous VE Commodore, the steering is nice and direct (if a little light) and the suspension an good compromise of ride and handling qualities. The brakes are decent in normal use and like most Australian-made large cars driving the vehicle is effortless. Parking it can be a little more trying because of its almost five metre length, but on the whole it's an easy car to live with day in and day out.
However, the first major difference you'll notice is when you flex your right foot. Even in the poverty pack Omega model the engine tone is dramatically different. And very pleasing.
Gone is the thrashy, rather breathless feel of the previous 3.6-litre engine when revved above 4000rpm. It has been replaced by smooth revving characteristics and an eagerness that belies its 20 per cent capacity reduction.
The engine acoustics are far more impressive than the previous Alloytec. Wind out second gear and you'll be rewarded with a satisfying but unobtrusive thrum that is especially sweet [Ed: dare we say European] around 5000rpm.
The bent six-cylinder mill has a strong top end, banging out 190kW at 6700rpm, yet delivers its 290Nm of torque fairly low in the rev range -- 2900rpm. That’s down from 330Nm in the old VE but the car doesn't feel underpowered. In fact, in most conditions the opposite’s the case – the 3.0-litre engine motivating the car's considerable mass (1696kg) with more willingness than previously.
This is probably partly due to the adoption of six-speed transmissions on all models (except LPG variants), which improves the Commodore Omega's flexibility. Increasing the number of ratios from four to six aids acceleration but also improves the Commodore's cruising range thanks to a taller sixth gear (0.67 sixth ratio with a 3.27 final drive ratio -- was 0.70 and 3.27).
With a tiptronic sports mode (essentially a manual override mode) the new GM-built 6L50E six-speed is a lot of fun to use if you decide to increase the tempo. Along with low rolling resistance tyres and minor weight savings, the gearbox also contributes to the Commodore Omega's improved fuel economy.
Priced at $39,990 (lower for special edition models being hawked around at the moment), the new SIDI engine and six-speed gearbox could be viewed as adding $700 to the sticker price (not including government or delivery charges) compared to the previous Omega. This is money well spent considering the improvements in engineering sophistication and overall refinement.
The claimed average fuel consumption figure drops from 10.6L/100km to 9.3L/100km, fuelled with low grade 91 RON unleaded petrol. The official statistics state that extra urban (highway) consumption is 7.3L/100km and urban (city) consumption is 12.7L/100km.
The fuel tank is generously sized at 73 litres and, like consumption, carbon dioxide emissions have fallen from 252 to 221 grams per kilometre.
When we picked up the entry-level Commodore it was showing 13.2L/100km on the trip computer and after a week's worth of driving to and from work, including a Saturday cruise down the highway from Melbourne to Anglesea and back, that figure had dropped to 10.1L/100km which is very impressive.
The engine will tick over at 1750rpm in sixth gear cruising at 100km/h on the freeway, and together with its smooth ride not much intrudes into the cabin calm. Holden boasts that 3.0-litre Commodores can travel from Melbourne to Sydney on "less than one tank of fuel". We didn't get a chance to test that claim, but that's a distance of roughly 900km.
In addition to the introduction of direct fuel-injection, fuel economy has been improved via a higher efficiency alternator, a 50rpm lower idle speed, plus a deceleration fuel cut system that initiates more rapidly when coasting. The gearbox will also upshift earlier to reduce engine revs, all of which offer small gains that, combined, help reduce the Commodore's fuel usage.
The controls are logically laid out -- the steering wheel controls are especially intuitive -- and though the centre console and dash do look a little tired, having been in use since the VE launched in the third quarter of 2006, everything works the way you'd expect it to.
We still don't like the centre-mounted electric window controls and the handbrake is still a little iffy (the plastics don't always line up) but for the most part the VE Commodore's well thought-out interior and good ergonomics continue to please. Most drivers won't have to consult the driver's manual to get maximum functionality from the vehicle.
The Omega features cloth seats, air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors. We also tested the mid-grade Berlina model, which retails for $42,790, and features the same powertrain and feels much the same on the road.
The $2800 premium over the Omega buys you 17-inch alloy wheels and front fog lamps which give it a stronger visual style. Inside it adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, 6-disc CD audio system and also rear parking proximity sensors, which make a big difference in tight carparks.
Like all Australian large cars there's scads of room for all five occupants and the seats feature cloth upholstery and soft cushioning. There's also a cavernous 496 litre boot, deep enough to fit plenty of camping gear or several body boards.
Safety systems haven't been neglected either, as the Commodore Omega comes standard with six airbags covering front and rear passengers, electronic stability control, ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution and child seat anchorages. It feels like a solid car too, and with a reinforced safety cell the car was given a five-star safety rating by ANCAP.
Though Holden hasn't given the 2010 model VE Commodore a new look, it certainly has a new feel. Both the engine and gearbox have been dramatically improved delivering a more refined on-road experience -- and this makes it a better car to drive by far.
Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at www.carsales.mobi.