Holden VE Commodore: Fuel Economy Figures

[Darren]

GM Holden today released fuel economy figures for its all-new VE Commodore range, reporting reductions in most powertrain combinations compared with previous generation cars.

The volume base model, Omega, is 10.9 litres per 100 kilometres compared with 11.0L/100km for the closest VZ equivalent, the Executive. Reductions have also been achieved on VE Berlina V6, SV6 manual and automatic, Calais V6 and manual variants of SS and SS V models.

Increases on other models have been minor, considering significant gains have been made in safety, crashworthiness and technology across the VE Commodore range.

Holden Executive Director – Engineering, Tony Hyde, today said Holden knew that customers were seeking competitive fuel economy as well as performance, styling and other features.

“Despite more mass for improved safety, larger wheels and tyres, more aggressive styling and more powerful engines – fuel economy on the Omega is 10.9 litres per 100 kilometres,” Hyde said.

“All V6 powertrains have improvements except Calais V which delivers features and content placing it in a higher test weight class. Consumption for V8 automatics has increased slightly.

“When it comes to fuel economy, Holden has delivered all the benefits, safety and technology improvements in VE Commodore and remained extremely competitive.”

See attached image for full details.

Source - Holden Media Web Site.

[1991_Vn2nV]

Well that will be an upset to the media... Now what are they going to complain about with the VE? D.O.D. for the V8's I guess...

Excellent work from Holden on the fuel economy! 10.9L per 100km is great work especially with the extra power and weight they've extracted from the engines as well!

Also noticed the very very low peak torque figures for the V6 engines. Peak torque is now from just 2600rpm!

[greenfoam]

Say what? where's the manual Omega figures? you can't get one? that's VERY bad for people that live in the bush and drive on the highway all day

[commod8]

yeah since the VZ, manuals are not available on the base models (executive, which is now omega of course) and acclaim (which isn't even around)

[commod8]

by the way good work Darren, thanks again for the info.

[davey g-force]

That's a good result in general methinks.

Pity that car manufacturer's fuel economy figures are never realistic! Although you can still use the figures for comparison purposes.

Bit of a bummer about the SSV A6 figures going up slightly. Oh well, I might just have to get a M6 SSV instead...

[vztrt]

yeah since the VZ, manuals are not available on the base models (executive, which is now omega of course) and acclaim (which isn't even around)

Manual hasn't been available since the VX on the povo packs.

[commod8]

http://www.users.on.net/~nweber/commodore/vx/index.html
5 speed manual was standard on the VX

[Scotty_Doesn't_Know]

http://www.users.on.net/~nweber/commodore/vx/index.html
5 speed manual was standard on the VX

I think vztrt was meaning that the VX was the last time manual was standard.

Personally, I think auto should be standard and manual should be a zero cost option across the entire range...

[Scotty_Doesn't_Know]

I was thinking this would be the case... There is so much work and refinement and improvements in the VE that Holden were always going to able to do good on efficiency...

Ford must be shitting their pants now!

[commod8]

don't mean to be rude or arrogant, but the vy "povo packs" were the last to have a 5 speed manual as standard. the wagons had the autos as standard but not the sedans.

[Fekason]

My concern has been more regarding the lack of manual transmissions in the upmarket models.

Early Commodores had manual gearboxes as a NCD (nil cost delete) on Calais for instance.

From VZ, manual transmission could only be had with spoilers, etc. That was the reason that I bought one of the last VYII manual V6 Execs.

Reading the paper though, it appears that a manual V8 option is available on VE Berlina, for not that much more than the SV6. Now that would be tempting - good reason to go the V8.

[Scotty_Doesn't_Know]

I agree - I think a manual option should be available across the entire range!

[commod8]

funny how so many of us want to see more manual options, yet the majority of commodores on the road are autos. i would love for their to be manuals available on ALL models

[vztrt]

funny how so many of us want to see more manual options, yet the majority of commodores on the road are autos. i would love for their to be manuals available on ALL models

Probably cause enthusiasts will prefer manuals over auto's but in the market the manuals arent that popular. Holden wouldn't drop the manual 'povo pack' if they made a profit from it.

[WAGON MAN]

My concern has been more regarding the lack of manual transmissions in the upmarket models.

Early Commodores had manual gearboxes as a NCD (nil cost delete) on Calais for instance.

From VZ, manual transmission could only be had with spoilers, etc. That was the reason that I bought one of the last VYII manual V6 Execs.

Reading the paper though, it appears that a manual V8 option is available on VE Berlina, for not that much more than the SV6. Now that would be tempting - good reason to go the V8.

The only six speed option in the V8 VE Berlina is for the Auto with Active Select...

[trepaul]

those figures are totally misleading as they are for a combined cycle. next year car makers are going to be forced to cite separate figures for urban and extra-urban as well as a combined figure. that will really show how well the VE stacks up against the compitition. i would be amazed if anyone could get an Omega to do 10.9 lt/100km in the city.

[Scotty_Doesn't_Know]

i would be amazed if anyone could get an Omega to do 10.9 lt/100km in the city.

And ANYONE who thinks that is what the figures currently quote is simply a moron!!! EVERYONE knows the sticker on the car is a best case scecnario AVERAGE. It only gets better on the highway and worse around town...

[jules]

Bit of a bummer about the SSV A6 figures going up slightly. Oh well, I might just have to get a M6 SSV instead...

the holden guys said the gear ratios didn't suit the test drive cycle and that in the real world the extra ratios would probably reduce fuel consumption.

[davey g-force]

the holden guys said the gear ratios didn't suit the test drive cycle and that in the real world the extra ratios would probably reduce fuel consumption.

Yeah? That's good to hear...

[daveb8]

And ANYONE who thinks that is what the figures currently quote is simply a moron!!! EVERYONE knows the sticker on the car is a best case scecnario AVERAGE. It only gets better on the highway and worse around town...

CBD driving won't be 10.9 but around the suburbs i reckon it would be. trip computer on the vz i drive reads around the 11.1L/100km mark - sometimes a little bit more, but sometimes a bit less too.

[VLturbs87]

good to hear yes

[vztrt]

the holden guys said the gear ratios didn't suit the test drive cycle and that in the real world the extra ratios would probably reduce fuel consumption.

They also said they set the car up for performance? Which is it?

[Full Spectrum]

In real world driving there petrol figures achieved be the testers giving them some stick has been better then Holden's own figures. Was it go-Auto ? that was getting under 10l/100 up and down hills and stuff. Even the V8's were better off they said.

[Holdfast]

Recently took the VE for a run from the outskirts of Sydney to Canberra and return. On the return trip the average speed was 97.9 km/h and fuel economy was 8.7L/100km; that's nothing special I suppose but I'm quite happy with the figure.

The best fuel economy was 8.6L with an avergae speed of about 103 km/h.

V6 60th Anniversary Commodore