Holden VF Commodore: Under the bonnet
There are only mild engine revisions but the new VF will have a lighter body set to create the most efficient Commodore ever.
Don't expect major updates to the engines and transmissions of the new VF Commodore that was revealed today.
That means the same selection of engines - a 3.0-litre V6, 3.6-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 - albeit with minor tweaks.
Insiders have told Drive that most of the work for the VF Commodore focused on major design changes as well as the introduction of more technology and features designed at making the car more relevant to buyers who have overlooked it for smaller cars and SUVs.
Over the past five years Holden has injected significant environmentally-focussed technology into the Commodore, including cylinder deactivation on some V8 models and the ability to run the engine on E85 fuel, which is a blend of up to 85 per cent ethanol.
But significant work in light-weighting the vehicle - including an aluminium bonnet and boot as well as some aluminium components underneath - will improve performance and reduce fuel use of the VF Commodore.
It's understood at least 50kg has been shed from the VF Commodore.
At the same time the aerodynamic efficiency has been improved vastly, with the outgoing VE model's drag coefficient of 0.33 believed to have dropped by at least 10 per cent to 0.30 or lower.
Fuel consumption is believed to have dropped by at least 10 per cent, suggesting the new VF Commodore will use about 8.0 litres of fuel per 100km.
However, Holden has resisted the urge to fit a more efficient four-cylinder engine despite a clear trend to downsizing and fewer cylinders in cars around the world; that makes the Commodore one of a handful of volume passenger cars in the world without the option of a four-cylinder.
Holden was burnt with an underwhelming four-cylinder option early in the Commodore's life - almost 35 years ago - with poor performance and relatively high fuel use. The rival Ford Falcon now had a turbocharged four-cylinder engine option but sales have been slow, with most buyers gravitating to the traditional six-cylinder.
Holden has also ruled out a diesel engine, citing the engineering and customer expense as prohibitive for a car sold on value.
That means the entry-level engine will continue as the underwhelming 3.0-litre V6, said to feel better with the other improvements.
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