Fuel economy star turn for 2010

All-round appeal: Holden wanted a product for those passionate about the HSV, but also for people who aren't car enthusiasts. Photo / Supplied

Crawling towards Penrose in near-gridlock, the thought occurs that Holden could not have orchestrated a better introduction to its revised Commodore range.

Fuel economy is top of the company's 2010 agenda for upgrading New Zealand's best-selling large car and few road conditions do more to waste petroleum products than the stop-start of congested urban driving.

Holden has invested heavily to reduce the Commodore family's fuel consumption and has managed to cut the appetite by up to a litre per 100km.

Compared with the outgoing models, improvements range from 9 per cent to 12 per cent.

At the higher end, the SV6 Sportwagon and Calais Sportwagon now consume 10.3 litres per 100km overall, while the Omega and Berlina consume 9.3 litres per 100km.

Holden says the 9.3 figure is better than some four-cylinder cars and means a motorist travelling 20,000km could save $423.80 at a current indicative price of $1.63 a litre.

High-mileage fleet drivers could do significantly better.

However, prices of the V6 models are up by between $500 and $900 and start at $48,490 for the Omega.

At the heart of the savings are two V6 engines fitted with Spark Ignition Direct Injection.

The technology works by injecting fuel directly into the combustion chamber, allowing a higher compression ratio of 11.7:1 and precise fuel distribution.

Direct injection helps reduce cold-start emissions by about a quarter.

CO2 emissions range from 221g/ km for the Omega and Berlina to 245g/km for some of the 3.6-litre cars.

And once the engine is warmed, idling drops to 550rpm from 600rpm before, helping to ease consumption in those stop-start commutes.

The engines are a revised version of the familiar 3.6 litre and a new 3.0 litre, said to be the most fuel-efficient Commodore motor in more than 20 years.

A new six-speed automatic transmission is bolted to the engines.
The transmission provides reduced engine load at cruising speeds and a lower engine speed, improving fuel economy while reducing wear and noise.

The 190kW 3.0 LF1 engine powers the Omega and Berlina sedans and Omega Sportwagon. The 210kW (up from 195kW) 3.6 LLT powers the premium Commodore range including the SV6, Calais and Calais V-Series, as well as the SV6 Ute and the long-wheelbase Statesman.

Weight reductions, low rolling resistance tyres on vehicles with 16 or 17-inch rims and other upgrades have contributed to the savings.

Direct injection technology is a major step forward, says Holden New Zealand chief executive Simon Carr. "New Zealand families aren't getting any smaller, distances aren't getting any closer, but customer expectations of fuel efficiency and environmental impacts are changing fast."

Meanwhile, the Commodore-based Ute now has front, side and curtain airbags as standard.

And don't stop keeping an eye open for plain-wrapper police Commodores.

The company has won a contract to supply the police for six more years at a rate of about 20 to 30 vehicles a month.


HSV goes for looks, power and a small efficiency gain
There's no sign of the petrol-saving direct-injection system in the upgraded Holden Special Vehicles HSV) range, most details of which were announced within 24 hours of the revised Commodores.

However, the performance arm is claiming modest fuel consumption improvements of up to 4.5 per cent. A key goal of the programme was better fuel consumption.

The ClubSport R8 automatic has the best gain in efficiency, with combined average fuel consumption of 13.9 litres per 100km.

But most HSV enthusiasts are likely to be more interested in the GTS
engine, which has been tweaked to produce 325kW. Other models keep the 317kW version of the 6.2-litre LS3 V8. Styling changes provide more differentiation than ever from the Commodores on which the range is
based.

``We needed a new identity that would both excite the passionate HSV buyer and equally one that could be picked out by the non-car-enthusiast,' a spokesman said.

Among the changes are LED daytime running lights across the range, reminiscent of Audi. HSV chief engineer Joel Stoddart said these not only looked good but improved visibility and therefore safety.

Apart from extra power, the top E2 GTS has a high-flow intermediate exhaust system with special mufflers, recalibrated magnetic ride control with firmer springs and 8.5-inch wide front wheels.

All models get a "competition mode" for the standard electronic stability control, which is designed to allow a more "enthusiastic" driving style while maintaining safety back-up from the stability control, traction control and anti-lock braking.

Extended cruise control adds a speed-limiter and prevents E2s from exceeding a set cruise control speed when, say, driving downhill.