Holden Commodore SV6; Review

 

AS THE WORLD faces an ever dwindling fuel supply, we as a species are becoming a little nervous at the way petrol (and diesel) prices are constantly rising.

In recent weeks the Government has increased its revenue take from fuel by introducing a roading levy and a tax to support this country's commitment to the Kyoto protocol.

That on top of seemingly endless price rises that the oil companies are presenting us with, claiming demand from China and India are stretching resources.

Those who will be most anxious are the companies that sell large cars or those that sell cars with large engines, V8s in particular. Even current V8 owners must be hurting a little as premium petrol prices stretch towards $1.40 a litre. I know of one Commodore SS owner who is looking to downsize engine capacity, but in sticking with the big Aussie car he is looking towards trading it in for a VZ series SV6.

And, I'm sure that is one reason Holden Australia and Holden New Zealand are pushing hard the concept of the Commodore SV6, it is a SS lookalike, it shares many of the sporty and fun elements that the SS provides, yet is V6-powered and by all accounts much more fuel friendly.

As a rough guide to its efficiency, the SV6 that this evaluation focuses on returned a healthy test average of 9.9 litres usage per 100km (29mpg), instantaneous readouts at 100kmh in fifth gear of 7.3l/100km (39mpg) is easily achievable. The best test average I've ever recorded in Holden's Generation III 5.7-litre V8 was with a VY Series II SS listing 13l/100km (22mpg) with varying instantaneous recordings of around 11.3l/100km (25mpg).

While these figures aren't official, they do give an indication that the V6 to V8 comparison does weigh heavy in favour of the 3.6-litre engine.

And that is the essence of Holden's new Alloytec unit, built in Melbourne to high standards of efficiency. The SV6 is a car that performs well to its design criteria, and if you take into account its 190kW (and 175kW in lower spec models), its output easily matches power outputs of V8-powered models of less than a decade gone by.

Holden have always had a sporty six-cylinder Commodore variant, but today's SV6 takes that idea just a small step further. It shares most of the SS ingredients (engine aside), and packages them in a form that makes for an appealing purchase. Its look is exciting with 17in alloy wheels, large rear spoiler, fog lamps, and front, rear and side body skirts.

Underneath, it is supported on Holden's FE2 sport suspension package, well firmed with grip supplied by low profile Bridgestone rubber (235/45). I've long been an advocate of FE2, and while the slow speed ride over bumps and ruts does make a for some in-cabin harshness, the benefits at higher speeds more than makes amends.

The Commodore SV6 handles far in excess of its bulk and build criteria. Steering accuracy is totally directional while feel from the road is informative. Such is the car's ability it tackles the tight stuff with little push off line and a feeling of complete control.

For the uninitiated the Commodore drives through its rear wheels, the axles supported in a trailing arm system (up front MacPherson struts are utilised). In the SV6's case, traction control keeps wayward rear end movement at bay, the system is relatively non-invasive which means the driver can use engine power to force a little bit of oversteer, but when it looks like control would be lost, engine power is moderated.

Rear-wheel-drive cars provide the purist form of handling and the SV6 is an absolute delight when pushed hard. I took the car over the hilltop roads, delighting in its nimble nature, which is hard to imagine when you are moving a vehicle which weighs around 1600kg. However, that's far from an issue, and even though it is heavy it handles and brakes incredibly well, four-corner discs are powerful and don't suffer much from heat fade if you are sensible and, of course, ABS is a standard fitment.

The Alloytec engine is a state-of-the-art unit, all alloy and with twin-overhead-camshafts per bank working on four valves per cylinder. Peak power is reached at 6500rpm which is rather high, and if you take into account maximum torque (340Nm) arrives well into the rev band at 3200rpm it is an engine that likes to spin freely.

However, Holdens' engineers have formed a good engine/gearbox mix. The SV6 gets a new five-speed automatic, and even though the low ratios would indicate a desire to work the engine quicker the electronic protocols of the engine/gearbox management systems don't excite it, encouraging early transmission shifts which utilise the engine's torque pattern. Besides, at 3565cc there is a lot of reciprocating mass, so slower engine speed obviously reduces the volume of fuel flow.

Response to throttle request is exciting, the engine howls and whirrs away quite audibly, the belts and auxiliary drives not soundproofed as well as I was expecting. It's not a problem, in fact I quite like engine sound, and it is far from distracting.

When given a bit of a nudge the high power outputs make their presence known. Against the clock the SV6 will scorch from a standstill to 100kmh in 7.8sec and will make 120kmh from 80kmh in 5.2sec. These times give some indication as to the SV6's role, it is a performance car in its own right, it doesn't have the speed of a SS but it doesn't miss by much.

The gearbox ratios in the five-speeder have been well constructed to let the engine work uninhibited, while top gear is tall for efficient highway travel with engine speed of 1800rpm at 100kmh. To reinforce the sporty image the SV6 gets Activeselect, Holden's manual sequential gear shifting system, manual changes can be made either from the gearshift itself or steering wheel-mounted paddles. With plenty of gears to choose from it is a worthy function.

Holden have made their large car appealing to the sporty buyer, the inside is trendy with blue/black cloth seats, colourful gauges and just the right amount of complementary dark alloy-coloured garnish.

Fitted as standard are all of the items you would expect from the big Commodore such as air conditioning (manual), fully electric operating systems, leather-wrapped steering wheel on tilt and reach-adjustable column, electric seat height adjuster, remote central locking, cruise control, automatic lights, six-CD audio and trip computer.

Safety hasn't been compromised, the SV6 incorporates dual air bags (side air bags optional) and five full overshoulder seat belts.

As opposed to Australian buyers, New Zealanders have a proportionally high V8 sale uptake. With fine, more fuel efficient models such as the SV6, and the entire Alloytec range in total, Commodore buyers should look closely at the six-cylinder package. They wont' be disappointed.

Specifications:

Price: Holden Commodore SV6, $48,400.

Dimensions: Length, 4876mm; width, 1842mm; height, 1440mm.

Configuration: V6 longitudinal, rear-wheel-drive, 3565cc, 190kW/6500rpm, 340Nm/3200rpm, five-speed automatic; 1592kg.

Performance: 0-100kmh, 7.8sec.