Holden tackles green car market

Automotive giant Holden has launched an assault on the green car market with the release of two new fuel efficient V6 engines.

The new generation engines are cheaper and cleaner to run and will be standard across the Commodore's six cylinder range from September.

Holden says it is the first car maker in Australia to combine Spark Ignition Direct Injection (SIDI) technology in locally manufactured cars.

Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss said the development would satisfy consumer demand for family cars that were cheaper to run without compromising on size and power.

"People are telling us they want lower operating costs while keeping the flexibility of the Commodore's size -- so that's exactly what we are offering," he said.

"Direct injection technology is a major step forward for the Australian car industry. It places a more refined Commodore amongst four cylinder competitors while delivering the space and flexibility which Australian car makers clearly want."

The new engines will be rolled out across the three-litre and 3.6-litre models and are billed as the most significant development in the Commodore's history, at a time when the automotive industry has taken a battering.

The new three-litre Commodore Omega will use 9.3 litres of petrol per 100km, an efficiency boost of up to 13 per cent and enough to travel from Melbourne-Sydney on one tank of fuel.

Based on travelling 20,000km a year, it would save consumers A$325 a year in fuel and 600kg in carbon emissions, Holden says.

Mr Reuss said the new engine would make the Omega more efficient than some four cylinder cars, cementing the future of the Commodore V6.

The engines are manufactured in Port Melbourne, while the vehicles are manufactured in Elizabeth, South Australia.

- AAP