IT'S OFFICIAL, the new Holden NG Commodore is on it's way. It's pretty much identical to the 2017 Opel Insignia and its announcement was released just hours both the liftback and wagon variants were in promotional filming. The new Commodore will be fully imported, replacing the Australian manufacturing line in the wake of the HF V6 engine officially having just ended production.
Holden confirmed one of the new Commodore's significant points of difference from its predecessor: four-cylinder engines, one of them diesel. Most models will have 2.0-litre petrol and diesel four-cylinder engines, as opposed to the six and eight-cylinder petrol options previously running the Aussie favourite.
Front-wheel drive will feature in most variants, replacing the current rear-wheel drive configuration.
A flagship model will run an upgraded version of the 3.6-litre petrol V6 which is currently being used in the Commodore, however. Producing 230kW and 370Nm of torque, up from 210kW and 350Nm, it should satisfy those wanting a little more of what they're used to. Stop-start and Active Fuel Management will also feature, but the rumoured V6 turbocharged model looks set to be scrapped from the proposed lineup.
Just to get the willies up devout Holden fans, in collaboration with Ford, the new Commodore will sport an all new 9-speed transmission - Nice! The new model will also come with All Wheel Drive. This system is shared with the Ford Focus RS - oh sweat irony.
GM's new adaptive Flexride will join the party, promising to deliver, on-the-go dynamic damper adjustment to its suspension damper system.
We'll also get selectable drive mode settings; Standard (automatic control based on sensors), Touring (comfort-focused) and Sport (reduced brake dive, tightened chassis control, and more throttle and steering feedback).
There's a host of new goodies depending on which variant you opt for, but the new Holden looks set to be not so shabby.
