March 1st 2009 05:41

The Australian debut of the all-new Holden Cruze headlines Holden’s presence at the 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show.

The stunning new small car range will be among no fewer than 25 vehicles on the stand, representing Holden’s broad vehicle offering covering a range of segments, prices and alternative fuel solutions.

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss said the motor show stand highlighted how Holden was moving with the changing needs and desires of motorists.

"This show is about more than cars; it’s about responding to change and offering realistic, high value solutions for Australian car buyers,” Reuss said.

“We understand these tough market conditions call for an innovative approach to diversifying our product range.

“ Cruze is among the products on our stand which highlight the product diversity and quality of Australia’s own car company.”

Cruze

Cruze will enter Australia’s small car segment when it goes on sale in the second quarter of 2009, offering motorists space, safety, value and large car comfort.

Powered by a 1.8 litre 4 cylinder petrol or optional 2.0 litre turbo charged diesel, Cruze will offer the choice of a five speed manual transmission or six speed automatic transmission with Active Select.

With a sporty design, exceptional fit and finish and one of the most advanced interiors in the small car market, Cruze will set the benchmark for Holden’s future small car strategy.

Special Edition Commodore International – Sedan and Sportwagon

Commencing production mid March 2009, the Special Edition Commodore International pack will feature an impressive level of standard features.

Providing two value offers for retail customers, the Special Edition International Commodore Sedan and Sportwagon have both been awarded a maximum five star safety rating by ANCAP.

Unique product features include 18” alloy wheels, foglamps, a 6-disc CD changer, leather appointed seat trim and steering wheel, bluetooth for compatible mobile phones and rear park assist on sedan.

The Commodore International sedan can be fitted dual fuel LPG, expanding Holden’s range of LPG compatible vehicles and adding yet another model to the Holden EcoLine range.

The automatic VE Commodore International sedan has a Recommended Retail Price (RRP) of $33,990 Driveaway. At just a $2,000 premium, the Sportwagon variant will have a RRP of $35,990 Driveaway.

VE Range

A number of VE models will join the Special Edition International pack including the Commodore Omega sedan which has been awarded a maximum five star safety rating from ANCAP.

The result reflects the introduction of a steering column shroud energy absorber across the VE sedan range that helps to reduce driver knee injuries, and a passenger seat belt reminder on the Omega sedan, introduced in October 2008.

These improvements are in addition to the front passenger side impact airbags and curtain airbags that were made standard across the range last year.

The popular Sportwagon line-up will also be on display offering comfort, safety and styling, combined with sedan-like ride and handling.

Since it was launched in July 2008, Sportwagon has sold more vehicles than any SUV in the market, ensuring Commodore remained the bestselling vehicle in Australia for the 13 th consecutive year.

VE Ute offers more features, more useable interior space, greater storage flexibility and more performance than any of its Holden predecessors.

The Holden stand features an Omega Ute fitted with dual fuel LPG and demonstrates how the new LPG system is cleanly integrated into the Ute’s tub liner.

Captiva

Two versions of the popular Captiva are on the stand demonstrating why this vehicle has become one of Australia’s best selling SUVs.

The 2WD Captiva SX diesel, which combines the five-seat space of a medium SUV with segment-leading fuel economy (7.2 litres per 100 kms manual, 8.5 litres per 100 kms automatic), and the AWD Captiva LX.

Both vehicles feature Traction Control, Active Rollover Protection, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and curtain airbags as standard.

Colorado

The powerful Colorado 4x4 light truck delivers high levels of performance and load carrying capability with the turbo diesel engine delivering a three tonne braked towing capacity.

Offered in a wide range of body styles, engine types and specifications the Colorado delivers durability, power and features.

Epica

GM Holden is showcasing the value-packed mid-size Epica sedan, available as a fuel efficient four-cylinder turbo diesel engine with a six-speed automatic transmission with Active Select, Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and six airbags standard across the range.

The introduction of significant safety features such as ESC and six airbags as standard across the range compliment an already comprehensive list of safety features which includes ABS, Traction Control and Electronic Brake Force Distribution.

Small car range

Joining the all-new Cruze will be a selection of Holden’s small car range, including the upgraded 3-door Barina which recently received a four star ANCAP safety result.

The result reflects structural improvements and the addition of front side impact airbags as standard across the updated Barina hatchback range introduced in August 2008.

Barina is joined by the fuel efficient Astra CDTi Wagon, the sporty Astra SRi Turbo 3-door, the stylish Astra CD hatch and the stunning Astra TwinTop.

EcoLine

A range of vehicles on Holden’s stand are part of the Holden EcoLine range, highlighting the company’s broad use of alternative fuel or fuel saving technologies.

The Holden EcoLine range offers consumers affordable solutions to tackle rising fuel costs.

An LPG Commodore sedan and Ute are showcased alongside the fuel saving technology of Active Fuel Management (AFM).

AFM enables an eight cylinder vehicle to automatically operate on four cylinders in certain driving conditions and is standard on all automatic V8 models in the Holden range.

GM Holden is the first local manufacturer to develop this technology which in certain driving conditions can deliver fuel savings of up to one litre per 100 kilometres, with potential for even better results at constant cruising speeds.

Diesel vehicles including the 2WD Captiva SUV which boasts segment leading fuel efficiency and the mid-size Epica will also be on display.

Holden Vehicle Display – Melbourne International Motor Show 2009:

* JG Cruze CDX
* JG Cruze CDX
* JG Cruze CDX
* AH Astra CD 5-Door with ‘Style Pack’
* AH Astra CDTi Wagon
* AH Astra SRi Turbo 3-Door
* AH Astra TwinTop
* TK Barina 3-Door
* TK Barina sedan with optional pack
* EP Epica CDXi Diesel - Holden EcoLine
* VE Commodore SV6
* VE Commodore SS V-series (AFM) - Holden EcoLine
* VE Sportwagon International
* VE Sportwagon Calais V-Series (AFM) - Holden EcoLine
* WM Caprice (AFM) - Holden EcoLine
* CG Captiva SX 2WD Diesel - Holden EcoLine
* CG Captiva LX AWD
* VE Commodore Omega
* VE Commodore International LPG - Holden EcoLine
* VE Ute Omega LPG - Holden EcoLine
* VE Ute SV6
* VE Ute SS V-Series (AFM) - Holden EcoLine
* RC Colorado LT-R 4x4 Crew Cab Turbo Diesel
* RC Colorado LX 4x4 Crew Cab Turbo Diesel
* RC Colorado LX 4x4 Crew Cab Turbo Diesel

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Posted By: Craig Hill - Category: Australian Cars, Sedans, Holden, Melbourne International

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Monaro From HAL

February 25th 2009 13:59

A dazzling blue Monaro was rushed to Victoria to star at the 2009 Melbourne Motor Show.

The hand-built supercar is the latest extreme machine to join the show lineup, which also includes wicked Sucker Punch Sallys motorcycles from the USA.

But the Monaro is a car with a difference, right down to its name: The Monaro from HAL.

Every panel on the car has been tweaked and it is fitted with a 427 Corvette engine and a full custom interior. And there is the one-off blue paintwork.

The car is a joint venture between one-time supercar hero Paul Halstead, who was the Australia importer for DeTomaso cars and created the locally-built Giacattolo, and Autotek chief Bob Roman.

Between them they have more than 50 years experience in engineering and fast cars which is reflected in their super-special Monaro.

"It's a one-off. We took a brand-new Monaro and did something very special," Roman says.

"It has been totally stripped and then re-sculpted to Paul Halstead's vision."

The car was built in Castlemaine and finished this week in time for a first public appearance at the motor show. It will also be the key to a reader contest in next week's edition of the Carsguide.

But, even more, it reflects the depth of Australian motoring expertise and that is something Halstead and Roman will be pushing with a new joint venture between Autotek and ADAPS to provide automotive engineers and project managers to the industry.

It's a new contract plan which is in its infancy but which can be used for cars like the Monaro, and more.

"Concept cars are the traffic magnets and the heart-and-soul of every motor show," Roman says.

"We think creating a car like the Monaro from HAL is a great way to get people thinking about the talent that is available to the Australian motor industry. We are moving to the next level of services to the industry.

"We want to occupy our own place. Show we're at the cutting edge."

The result is a car with wild flared guards, a deep jutting nose and an aero diffuser under the rear bumper. It also has a full custom interior and an upgraded Corvette-style mechanical package.

"It's street legal but race ready," Roman says.

"And it's all steel. There is no plastic or fibreglass, the car is completely real."

Roman says the car cost around $250,000 to build but it is a cheap investment in the future of a new company.

"The vehicle itself is basically to show the skills of both companies, on a special project. We could do the same thing on a concept car, or skilled labour in any level of the automotive business."

The Monaro from HAL is actually the latest in a string of wild one-off cars created by Roman, from a Hillier Falcon coupe to the gullwing Raptor ute and a Commodore ute known simply as `The Beast'.

But there is more to come from the Autotek-ADAPS, in time for the next Melbourne Motor Show in 2011.

"We're working on something even more radical. It is a rear-mid engined supercar. But that's something for the future," Roman says.

The Melbourne Motor Show opens at 5pm on Friday, February 27 at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.

It runs from 10am-10pm each day until Sunday, March 8.

The final day of the show is Monday, March 9 when it is open from 10am-6pm.

The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show with video wrap...

Herald Sun

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Posted By: Paladin - Category: Australian Cars, Concept, Holden, Melbourne International

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HDT Commodore VE Version

January 15th 2009 07:42

The car that put Peter Brock on the fast track to showroom success is back.

The original VC Commodore he developed for the Holden Dealer Team has been re-created as a VE Commodore thanks to some of his biggest fans.

Peter Champion, one of Brock's closest friends and the owner of more than 20 of his famous racing cars, began the VC retro project and it has picked up pace with help from Patterson Cheney Holden in Melbourne.

The first VC-retro-VE Commodores is nearly complete and Champion is expected to appoint dealers in other states soon as production of the cars and HDT parts shifts into gear.

The car is expected to be priced from $65,000, although there is no final pricing yet on parts including body kits, exhausts, suspension and brakes.

"We are behind the project with Peter Champion. He spent a lot of money developing the body kit and I though he was onto something. It pulled the sentimental heart strings for me," says Nick Batzialas, the new-car manager at Patterson Cheney in Vermont.

"I thought a lot of people would like a car like this. They have grown up knowing the original car and wanted something like it."

The car has the same look as Brock's VC original thanks to the body kit, HDT striping and Irmsche-look 19-inch wheels.

But Batzialas knew he needed more and went to Autotechnique in Victoria to find it.

"We needed a package that was fun to drive. So Autotechnique did the suspension and performance work," he says.

"They have come up with a package that puts a smile on your dial, even under 100km/h. It just feels like a muscle car."

The work runs from a free-flowing exhaust to improved suspension and, with help from Harrop Engineering, there will be more HDT-badged performance gear in future.

There is only one VC-retro-VC Commodore so far, but Batzialas believes there will be strong demand.

"We have just completed our first car. It's just been released. We've already got someone who wants the car, once it's completed with an interior upgrade," he says.

"We've only just got the ball rolling. But we've got a lot of interest.

"We are thinking the car is going to be $65,000 driveway.

"I think I could sell four or five cars a month. But it's going to be built on demand. And we're not planning on exceeding 500 cars, which is the same as the original homologation for the VC."

The VC retro is based on a current SS-V Commodore sedan and Batzialas says initial problems with GM Holden have been overcome without worrying about a conflict with Holden Special Vehicles.

"It was a bit tickly, but we've steered around it," he says.

"We have been given the Victorian distribution and Peter Champion is negotiating with other states. We've got a proud history at Patterson Cheney with hot Holdens and we helped give Brocky his start.

"We're also coming up with a line of HDT products, so people can buy the brakes, the suspension or whatever. That's something Holden dealers haven't had, because a lot of people don't want the full HSV package."

Herald Sun

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Posted By: Paladin - Category: Australian Cars, Holden

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Holden Statesman AFM

January 7th 2009 07:46

There are not many bigger passenger cars than the Holden Statesman, so when you advise it has fuel-saving technology, eyebrows are raised. There's no EcoLine Active Fuel Management badge on this pilot-build Statesman but one of the digital displays within the instruments is telling me it's switching between four and eight cylinders.

Holden says it can save at least one litre per 100km on fuel consumption - more if there's a lot of open-road cruising; the feature will be introduced as standard on all auto-V8 Commodore models from next month.

My right foot will test that theory – a fuel economy world-record-holder I am not.

The 270kW/530Nm V8 Statesman at launch laid claim to a 14.4l/100km combined fuel use figure, which with some mid-life tweaking was down to 13.9, with 330g/km CO2 emissions - there's no official emissions figure yet but the fuel consumption claim drops to 12.9l/100km.

The V8 engines Holden have been using in the latter stages of VZ and into VE were capable of running the Active Fuel Management system.

Interestingly, the V8 remains in eight-cylinder mode at idle, but drops to four on part throttle cruising, even around town.

The change is largely imperceptible, overshadowed in this particular car by a grumpy, sporadic, part-throttle 2nd-3rd up-change that is not typical of other cog-swaps.

A 160km loop up the freeway saw the trip computer's metro-average of 16.2 (at 34km/h average speed) drop to 15.5l/100km.

The flat-road highway work only requires a fraction of the engine's output to overcome wind resistance, drag and maintain momentum.

Instead, a return trip via the hills roads - more corners, less flat bits and lower speeds - did no harm to the numbers, with the trip computer offering 15.1l/100km and the average speed was up to 40km/h.

Not quite hybrid or diesel levels of frugality, but try getting four adults and appropriate luggage from A to B with the same level of comfort and space.

As the rest alert reminder piped up on the information screen, the comfort of the seats was apparent - two hours without a stop and no numb bum or lower back complaints.

The Statesman is not quite the old codger of the Holden range but it's certainly set up to appeal to those empty-nesters who like comfort over cornering.

The five-metre pollie favourite still steers nicely but the suspension and the rubber is most certainly set up for comfort, moving around more on its underpinnings.

Once settled it corners but the lean is certainly more than the Caprice - a comfortable ride is the trade-off and it soaks bumps up without any issues.

The AFM system comes only with the six-speed automatic and there's also a drop in power and torque - down 10kW to 260kW of power and torque has been reduced from 530 to 517Nm.

It cruises quietly and even under full throttle there's only the distant sound of V8 thunder.

In terms of cabin space and metal for the money, there are not too many passenger cars under $200,000 that will provide similarly cavernous cabins.

At a little over 5.1 metres long and 1.9 metres wide, the Statesman is a mammoth vehicle, with a 3009mm-wheelbase and a commanding road presence.

The rear seat space is considerable - particularly legroom - so you'd have to get long-wheelbase examples of a Mercedes-Benz S500, Audi A8 4.2 or BMW 750i to match the grunt and the space.

The boot is quite sizeable and easily copes with a Christmas day load of presents, strollers and the like - it isn't overly deep but the length is considerable.

Of course, the Europeans have the local beaten for fuel economy - even with the AFM - but the $200,000-plus imports are also chock fuel of gear and features.

There's no standard satnav, xenon headlights, memory for the power-adjustable driver's seat, TV or DVD player or some of the other high-end features of ze Germans in the Holden.

The Statesman does get parking radar front and rear, stability control, 17in alloy wheels, dual front, side and full-length curtain airbags.

Given the size of the cabin the ventilation to the rear is a little lack-lustre, and the aircon takes a while to cool the large passenger space.

Perhaps the climate control with added grunt that is used in the Middle East export versions needs to be employed in its home market as well.

For those who still yearn for space, comfort and the ample torque of a (slightly less thirsty) V8, the long-wheelbase Holden range is a worthy addition to your garage.

Price: from $65,990.
Engine: six-litre 16-valve OHV Active Fuel Management alloy V8.
Transmission: six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive.
Power: 260kW @ 5700rpm.
Torque: 517Nm @ 4400rpm.
Fuel consumption: 12.9litres/100km

The Advertiser

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Posted By: Paladin - Category: Australian Cars, Holden

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