VT Commodore resets the benchmark - 2/10/97
Loyalties to Australian car makes have traditionally been passed from generation to generation without question. (I was raised to believe that God was in Heaven at the wheel of a Holden.)

That old loyalty has been tested at times, with the General releasing some models best described as indifferent in terms of achievement, but the new VT Commodore is surely one of the all-time benchmark Holdens.

Around $600 million was spent developing a completely new car which is actually larger than its predecessor in every significant aspect.

Starting with a platform from GM of Germany - the Opel Omega - Holden's designers literally cut the platform down the middle and widened it to produce the foundation of VT. But forget any accusation of this being "just a re-skinned Opel", because the body is all new and entirely Holden's own design.

Despite appearing similar in size to the previous VS model, it is actually wider, longer and higher, making VT the largest Commodore yet, and efficient packaging delivered an even more spacious cabin area offering more legroom and generous rear accommodation.

The added interior space is particularly apparent in terms of legroom. My 187cm height has made it a reflex action on entering any car to push the seat right back, but doing so in the VT meant my right foot could barely reach the accelerator - yet rear passengers still had more than adequate legroom behind my seat.

Tilt/reach adjustment on the steering wheel ensures a good driving position, but the General apparently agrees that drivers must be shown where to hold the wheel, with thumb-rests that never seem to be where we actually want to hold it…

And in a break with what seems to have become a Holden tradition, the spare wheel has finally been taken down off the side of the boot and placed under the floor, to create a flat-floored boot which is not only easier to load and unload, but has a class-leading capacity of 475 litres.

VT's new body structure, the most extensive body design project ever undertaken by Holden engineers, is substantially stronger and more rigid. Which is primarily responsible for its more solid feel, and noticeably quieter and smoother operation.
Maybe they do it with smoke and mirrors - VT looks smaller, but is actually bigger.


Dashboard design is clean and uncluttered.


Yet another engine hiding under a plastic cover.


The tidy rear end might belie it, but the boot is real-world big.
Noise levels are surprisingly low, mostly due to the body's greater rigidity, and it hums over even the coarsest chip road surface, yet its handling is even more surprising.

The previous VS model had developed rather good roadmanners anyway, but VT's response to steering input is noticeably sharper, and it turns in to corners far more willingly (remembering that independent rear suspension is now standard across the range).

Our test car ran on 65-series tyres - lower profile rubber would almost certainly be a tad noisier, but just as certainly even more prompt in steering response as well.

Interestingly, our test car was the basic Executive model which raises the convenience stakes a little in its own right, with power height adjustment on the driver's seat - everything else is manual, but for an entry-level car it is an unexpected nicety. (And sure to be appreciated by the business drivers whose employers buy them into the fleet.)

The seats offer support where it is needed most, the lumbar support adjustment is easy to operate, as is the backrest rake with big star-wheels that are easy to find by feel, and there is good lateral support for people of the larger variety too. Nice to see recognition that Australians come in all shapes and sizes, particularly the XXL variety.

A cover for the passenger's vanity mirror in Executive would be nice (some might wish there was a vanity mirror of any description for the driver), and Commodore is the first Australian-built car to go politically-correct and have no ashtray (though it is available as a no-cost option, fitted before delivery by the dealer if requested.)

But hallelujah - there are no bells, chimes, beepers or any other annoying noise-maker if you dare to open the door at the wrong time or lock the car when returning home at 3am. Just the reassuring sound of the locks sliding home, and a discrete flash of the park-lights.

The only changes to the 3.8 litre V6 from the VS model are revised exhaust manifolds, and Bosch's latest EV6 fuel injection system (that is, apart from the optional availability of a supercharger which can put the V6 firmly into V8 territory).

At idle, it still has the same strangely appealing grumble, and power delivery remains dependably smooth, with gearing that is ideal for the open road. 110 kmh equals a relaxed 2000rpm, reflected in our highway fuel consumption of 9.0 L/100km (31.5mpg), though in the city it declined to 12.2 (23mpg).

For some time now, we have been proudly declaring Australian-built cars to be `world-class', a claim which was certainly not wishful thinking because they had all lifted their game so far.

But VT Commodore has strengthened that claim even further - if Holden's new levels of quality control are maintained, and we have every reason to believe that they will be - it could arguably hold its own against some very impressive names.

Nice one, General. Whether or not God sits at the wheel of this Holden, business drivers will be happy to do so.

Nuts-N-Bolts : VT Commodore Executive
Engine: `Ecotec' 3.8 litre (3791cc), multipoint injected OHV, 2 valves per cylinder.
Power-Torque: 147kW @ 5200rpm - 304Nm @ 3600rpm.
Suspension: Fully independent. Front - MacPherson struts. Rear - semi-trailing arms.
Brakes: Four wheel discs (ABS optional in Executive)
Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion.
Recommended Retail (plus onroads): $29,760 (manual) $30,500 (auto, as tested)

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