Bay Harbour: April 10, 2019

PAGE 22 Wednesday April 10 2019
BAY HARBOUR
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Black Commodore at home on racetrack
Motoring
Ross Kiddie
I’M RELUCTANT to turn down
any invitation that involves laps
on a racetrack.
So when Holden New Zealand
asked me if I would like to spend
a morning at Pukekohe Raceway
with other media, and former
race car driver Greg Murphy
in attendance, I jumped at the
opportunity.
The cars we were to drive were
variations of the new ZB-series
Commodore, both four-cylinder
and V6 models, coinciding with
the first anniversary of its launch
here.
To mark the occasion, Holden
has also issued a limited release
Black Edition variant. It has a
special collection of aesthetic
adornments available in just 40
units throughout April, and is
a no-cost option on the sport
liftback models 2-litre and 3.6-
litre V6.
Notably, the pack includes
black facia inserts, black grille
surrounds, black grille wings,
black window surrounds and
Black Edition badging.
The new Commodore lands
here with three engine variations.
There are two four-cylinder
2-litre models, one petrol and
one diesel, and the V6 which
has four-wheel-drive. The
four-cylinder units are both
turbocharged and drive through
the front wheels only.
While the drivelines are vastly
different to what Commodore
owners have previously enjoyed,
there are both wagon and liftback
options along with varying grade
levels. There are 12 models in the
line-up, this evaluation focuses
on the V6 RS-V liftback.
The new European-sourced
Commodore is everything big car
owners will relate to, it is quiet,
comfortable and in V6 form
it is very powerful, although it
took me a while to get my head
around the fact that it is fourwheel-drive
and the engine sits
transversely under the bonnet,
in contrast to its Aussie-built
predecessors which all had
longitudinal configurations.
Developing 235kW and
381Nm, the engine is strong
and delivers with a nice sound,
it isn’t overbearing, but you can
tell it is an angry, feisty unit
which likes to work hard. Of
course, being a large capacity V6
it doesn’t have to hunt towards
the high end of the rev band, it is
hooked to a conventional ninespeed
automatic transmission
HOLDEN COMMODORE BLACK EDITION: Four-wheel-drive
enhances grip for road or track.
that works to keep the revs low,
changing early so that fuel use
is minimised. On that subject,
Holden claim an 8.9l/100km
(32mpg) combined cycle average
for the V6.
The driveline is wonderful, it
is silky smooth in all areas and
provides that large car power
that we have come to expect
from Commodore. At open road
speed, movement is hushed and it
glides over road ripples balanced
and poised.
A lot of the latter is due to
the all-drive system, the new
Commodore feels controlled
and tight in the chassis. Saying
that, the suspension is absorbent,
the spring and damper rates are
biased towards moderate and
the in-cabin ride is glorious. It
also cruises beautifully on the
highway, it has poise, balance and
a high level of comfort.
When pushed into the quick
corners on the Pukekohe track,
surety within the floorpan
provides confidence, there is a
lot of feedback from what the
tyres are doing in relation to
the track surface, and sitting on
high quality sport specification
Continental rubber (245/45 x
18in) there is a lot of natural
grip and directional stability on
offer. And with ‘Murph’ guiding
journalists to the best lines and
apexes, the Commodore does
reflect sporty performance.
A lot of that also has to do
with the development work
Holden Australia did with the
Commodore for the down under
market.
Of course, it is also about
replicating the large car profile we
are used to as buyers, and it does
that brilliantly. Not only is there
a huge area to spread around
inside, there is alsogenerous load
space.
In RS-V specification, the
V6 liftback sits at $58,990. For
• Price – Holden
Commodore RS-V liftback,
$58,990
• Dimensions – Length,
4897mm; width, 1863mm;
height, 1455mm
• Configuration – V6,
four-wheel-drive, 3649cc,
235kW, 381Nm, nine-speed
automatic
• Performance –
0-100km/h, 7.8sec
• Fuel usage – 8.9l/100km
that money it comes with a
high degree of specification,
major items include full leather
trim with heated seats, MyLink
infotainment network, head-up
display, paddle-shift transmission
selectors and satellite navigation.
Of course, the new generation
Commodore also qualifies for
a five-star Australasian New
Car Assessment Program safety
rating.
Even though it is different in
many areas, General Motors
has done well to make the new
Commodore feel like what a
buyer would expect from the
nameplate. I’d go as far as to
say it has done that well, it feels
very Commodore-like and it
is a pleasurable drive for all
occupants.
For anyone contemplating a
Commodore purchase and likes
what the Black Edition has to
offer, you had better be quick. It’s
not likely to be a model that will
sit around on showroom floors.