Holden: A new frugal Omega

The Commodore is a big, brash beast but with fuel injection is more frugal than before. Photo / Jacqui Madelin

I should hold off writing about Holden's entry-level Commodore Omega. For soon I'll drive from Auckland to Christchurch in one, arguably a better long-term test than negotiating my home roads for just a few hundred kilometres, though that at least replicates real life.

But my Christchurch drive will be an economy run, and though we'll aim for everyday conditions - air con and radio in use, averaging a brisk 80km/h, no doubt bickering with the passenger and getting distracted by the scenery - we'll be treading lightly on the throttle. I'm told envisaging a rotten egg atop it is the way to go.

Such abstemious behaviour will show us how frugal the engine can be on New Zealand roads, but let's get real, it's not how you normally drive.

So my recent stint with the car was spent partly in devil-may-care mode, and only occasionally with economy in mind.

That meant initially using the auto transmission in sport protocol or manually shifting, making the most of the 3.0-litre engine to clamber over the steep hills that make up my daily commute.

The Commodore is a big, brash beast, especially in this red paint. The cabin is simply, if unimaginatively, laid out, the seats comfy enough and the boot roomy - although finish back there is a little basic.

This generation is the best of the breed in handling terms, with a hint of the rear-drive derring-do so ably illustrated by its more powerful siblings. It's also the most frugal thanks to fuel injection for the otherwise ageing engine architecture. Holden claims 9.3l/100km - and hopes to better that on our eco-drive by a decent margin.

However, my time with the car netted a 9.5l/100km average, which included a couple of hours of light-throttle highway driving, scuppered by my hilly commute spent partly in sports mode.

But forgetting fuel, I rather like big, rear-drive sedans. I like their driving persona, though in world terms they're increasingly rare beasts in the mass market, replaced by smaller cars, or the likes of the front-drive Toyota Aurion I've just collected.

That boasts a bigger engine, a nudge more power and a roomier boot for a smidge less money. But it lacks the Commodore's character, and actually drinks more petrol, at least according to company claims.

HOLDEN OMEGA

We like
Rear drive persona, supercar link however slim, more frugal than expected

We don't like
Handbrake that pinches fingers, still thirsty round town

Powertrain
3.0-litre V6, 190kW at 6700rpm, 290Nm at 2900rpm, six-speed auto drives rear wheels

Performance
0-100km/h not available, 9.3l/100km (claim)

Safety
ABS, stability and traction control, six airbags

What it's got
16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, multi-function wheel and trip, climate control air, auto headlights

Vital stats
4894mm long, 496-litre boot, 73-litre tank