First drives of the European version are going very well indeed.
The next-generation Holden Commodore has hit the roads in Europe, albeit with an Opel badge on the nose. Media drives for the Opel Insignia Grand Sport have recently concluded in Europe, with promising results. Plenty of compliments were bandied about for the Insignia’s road manners, particularly its balance between ride comfort and agility.
However, Holden is keen to point out that while the Opel Insignia is for Europe, its development has taken place under the watchful eyes of their engineers, and that the impending Commodore will bear a unique suspension setup to ensure that the new Holden saloon continues to live up to the Australian brands’ promise of delivering cars that are ‘great to drive.’
Brent Vivian, Holden’s executive director of engineering, had this to say: “We’ve been involved with the new Commodore’s development from the very beginning and have been working to tune to the specific tastes of Aussie buyers who like responsive steering and sporty suspension, yet composed ride quality when cruising. These are the hallmarks of Commodore and we are going to deliver again with the next-gen car.”
“The European press is just the start and our local development continues at pace. We recently put the Australian tuned V6 all-wheel-drive and 2.0-litre turbo Commodores to test on Victoria’s challenging alpine roads and both performed brilliantly. These cars really build on the strong ‘driver’s car’ feel Commodore is renowned for and when you add its peerless levels of refinement and impressive new technology, it’s clear we have a new Commodore buyers can look forward to driving,” he added.
Three drivetrains will eventually be offered in the Holden Commodore, two of which will bear unique tuning for our market. Those setups - the front-wheel drive 2.0-litre turbo and all-wheel drive V6 - will offer comparable performance to segment stalwarts, with 0-100km/h times within 7.0- to 7.5-seconds for the smaller engine. These two Oz-only options will also employ a nine-speed automatic gearbox, for ultimate agility and breadth of ability.
Due early 2018, the new Commodore will see the most radical change to the iconic nameplate. As testing, tuning, and development continues at the Lang Lang proving grounds, we wait with bated breath for the first-ever front-wheel drive Commodore. Lots of other firsts are planned for the new car, including new active driver assistance systems an new convenience systems in store for the new car.
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