Badgerdog
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2019
- Messages
- 382
- Reaction score
- 265
- Points
- 63
- Location
- Auckland
- Members Ride
- ZB Calais V
The way the ZB is so often talked about on here that its not a real commodore makes me wonder what it is that the sceptics simply aren't getting ?
So after owning one for a bit more than a year here are some of the nuances that I think the masses of people who think "If its not made in Australia its not a real Commordore" don't understand.
So here's quick tour of the ten things I think the die hard Aussie blokes don't get about the new ZB.
1. The engines are stronger than the numbers suggest. Although the peak torque number is not huge, the amount of torque delivered at low r.p.m. is significantly enhanced by the engines being both port and direct fuel injected. Port direct injection really enhances very low down r.p.m. and makes the engine perfectly happy to toddle around at as little as 1200 r.p.m.
The engine gearbox combination means the ZB is never found wanting in any given situation. Simply apply the amount of throttle you want for the intended purpose and it goes about its business with so little fuss it makes a hot knife going through warm butter feel like hard work.
2. The gearbox is a world class bit of kit. The first 6 gears are very closely spaced, (I can toddle around town in 7th gear at 55 k.p.h. and about 1200 revs quite happily) which really enhances the ability to get the most out of the engine. Gearbox changes are super smooth and very quick and its in a completely different and vastly better league that any gearbox equipped on any Commodore before it.
3. Upper end models have 95%+ of the technology in a high end European car that sells for 3 or 4 times the price. They want for nothing.
4. The AWD system is a honey. Its on demand so most of the time you have the efficiency of a 2WD car but when there's slippage of any kind the haldex system kicks in and you're in 4WD.
5. Torque vectoring really works and makes the ZB a real back road weapon with superb handling. There's a real difference between normal mode and sport mode in terms of how quickly the torque vectoring kicks in
6. The 190Kg's weight advantage of the 2.0 liter powered version, just over (1500 kg's) makes them far lighter on their feet and more nimble handling than any commodore before them. The 2.0 liter version really is a great drive and needs to be experienced to understand how especially good it is.
7. The 2.0 engine is a fuel efficient car with genuine performance credentials. There's not much in it in outright performance between the 3.6 V6 and the 2.0 turbo and many independent reviewers have stated they prefer the 2.0 engine which in my experience is so smooth its like a turbine.
8. Its German assembled with typical German assembly quality significantly tighter and better assembled than any Australian assembled car I have owned.
9. The shape. I really like it and it grows on you. Its incredibly fuel efficient too with a coefficient of aerodynamic drag of just 0.26, so its very slippery through the air.
10. Its the last Commodore. A lot of people, (myself included) are not into driving old cars and can't be bothered with any of the deep cycle maintenance involved with that. If you're not going to upgrade to a ZB but want to upgrade to a newer car, none of the alternatives are any better in this price range, most are not even close.
So after owning one for a bit more than a year here are some of the nuances that I think the masses of people who think "If its not made in Australia its not a real Commordore" don't understand.
So here's quick tour of the ten things I think the die hard Aussie blokes don't get about the new ZB.
1. The engines are stronger than the numbers suggest. Although the peak torque number is not huge, the amount of torque delivered at low r.p.m. is significantly enhanced by the engines being both port and direct fuel injected. Port direct injection really enhances very low down r.p.m. and makes the engine perfectly happy to toddle around at as little as 1200 r.p.m.
The engine gearbox combination means the ZB is never found wanting in any given situation. Simply apply the amount of throttle you want for the intended purpose and it goes about its business with so little fuss it makes a hot knife going through warm butter feel like hard work.
2. The gearbox is a world class bit of kit. The first 6 gears are very closely spaced, (I can toddle around town in 7th gear at 55 k.p.h. and about 1200 revs quite happily) which really enhances the ability to get the most out of the engine. Gearbox changes are super smooth and very quick and its in a completely different and vastly better league that any gearbox equipped on any Commodore before it.
3. Upper end models have 95%+ of the technology in a high end European car that sells for 3 or 4 times the price. They want for nothing.
4. The AWD system is a honey. Its on demand so most of the time you have the efficiency of a 2WD car but when there's slippage of any kind the haldex system kicks in and you're in 4WD.
5. Torque vectoring really works and makes the ZB a real back road weapon with superb handling. There's a real difference between normal mode and sport mode in terms of how quickly the torque vectoring kicks in
6. The 190Kg's weight advantage of the 2.0 liter powered version, just over (1500 kg's) makes them far lighter on their feet and more nimble handling than any commodore before them. The 2.0 liter version really is a great drive and needs to be experienced to understand how especially good it is.
7. The 2.0 engine is a fuel efficient car with genuine performance credentials. There's not much in it in outright performance between the 3.6 V6 and the 2.0 turbo and many independent reviewers have stated they prefer the 2.0 engine which in my experience is so smooth its like a turbine.
8. Its German assembled with typical German assembly quality significantly tighter and better assembled than any Australian assembled car I have owned.
9. The shape. I really like it and it grows on you. Its incredibly fuel efficient too with a coefficient of aerodynamic drag of just 0.26, so its very slippery through the air.
10. Its the last Commodore. A lot of people, (myself included) are not into driving old cars and can't be bothered with any of the deep cycle maintenance involved with that. If you're not going to upgrade to a ZB but want to upgrade to a newer car, none of the alternatives are any better in this price range, most are not even close.
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