THE PROSPECT of a Holden Commodore powered by an imported Japanese engine was greeted with derision when it was first mooted early in 1983.

We won’t let it happen, said the unions; who’s going to buy one, scorned long time Holden customers; even the specialty press wondered if it could possibly be true.

Putting aside the emotion involved in Holden’s ceasing production of six cylinder engines after 38 years (not an easy thing to accept for many people who still consider it Australia’s Own) the result is a quieter, smoother, more economical car with superior performance. For many people that will be enough and they won’t care or know what the motive power behind their new car is, or where it comes from, provided it is reliable, starts easily and performs to the required standard.

The new engine isn’t the only important aspect of the release of the VL. The car gets a major facelift, new transmissions, the first real interior-lift since the Commodore was released in 1978 and significant modifications and (mostly) improvements to the suspension and chassis. For the moment the entire range is restricted to just the new engine with either five speed manual gearbox or the four speed automatic transmission (both of which are imported from Nissan in Japan) regardless of model level.

The locally made 4.9 litre V8 engine isn’t dead, however, but will be reintroduced in lead-free form in September, and a turbo six a little later. In its quest for a new six cylinder engine to meet the January 1, 1986, deadline for lead-free fuel, Holden searched the world. The Fishermens Bend budget never did stretch to a new locally designed and manufactured engine (not after spending $400 million on the as yet unprofitable Family II four cylinder plant) and despite the vast resources of its parent company none of GM’s engines was considered suitable for the Commodore. Opel’s existing six is an old design and very heavy; it has also never been tuned to run on lead-free fuel, and its replacement wasn’t considered appropriate on technical grounds; the new V6 engines from the USA weren’t powerful enough.

Nissan’s new engine- it says Holden on the cam cover of the engine, but don’t take that too literally – is an in-line six with bore and stroke of 86 x 85 mm for a capacity of 2962 cm3.

While it is being billed as a “new” engine, in reality it is a heavily reworked version of the old Nissan straight six as used in the Skyline and 280ZX, with a shorter block, a new crank and toothed belt drive to the overhead camshaft. The cross-flow cylinder head is alloy (but the block is iron) and it uses Nissan’s version of Bosch electronic fuel injection. Despite its apparent new generation specification the engine weighs 218 kg, or 11 kg more than the old injected six when both are fully dressed and ready to run.

An engine management system using a sophisticated microcomputer controls the fuel injection, ignition timing, idle speed control, fuel pressure control, fuel control and self diagnostics. The result is an engine that develops 33 percent more power than the old carby six and yet uses 15 percent less fuel. The VL Commodore develops 114 kW at 5200 rpm and 247 Nm of torque at 3600 rpm, compared to the previous carburettor engine’s 86 kW at 4200 rpm and 232 Nm at 2600 rpm, and the injected engine’s 106 kW/4400 and 266 Nm/3200.

The result, however, is a high performance sedan that is going to blow most coupes and European sedans into the weeds and will give Ford cause to ponder an effective answer to Holden’s fuel injected challenge. The engine is flexible and responsive and pulls strongly from 1000 rpm in a gutsy manner that will please long time Holden owners who want to believe this is the way all cars should behave. What is very different about this Holden is that the engine will then it pull cleanly, effortlessly to the redline that is a BMW-like 6200 rpm. There is an cooling is provided through if the bumper bar.

Every panel forward of the A-pillar has been changed – even the vent cowl immediately in front of the windscreen – and the bonnet slopes down more steeply although only 25 mm has been added to the overall length. The car looks longer and wider (for obvious reasons not just related to the Falcon) and if it does have a touch of the “final facelift” look that is not surprising.

Technically the body changes include a switch to a bonded windscreen and the use of homofocal headlights that improve high beam intensity by 85 percent and penetration by 35 percent over the VK Commodore.

The top of the dashboard has been drastically changed so that it doesn’t look as heavy as the previous Commodores, and even the floor pan has been changed to allow more leg room around the transmission. There are now small satellite controls with touch buttons at the extremes, and they work effectively although they aren’t quite at finger-tip length from the wheel.

The front bucket seats are new in the Calais and orange warning zone at 5600 rpm but it is a warning only and the 6200 is there to be used (there’s an electronic cut-out at 6300 rpm). On Holden’s speed bowl the VL Commodore – and remember this is the base fleet owner’s car — proved it was capable of over 190 km/h …

Equally, the quality of the gearchange, with its hydraulic clutch, ensures another side of the car has been dramatically improved. It’s much slicker and more precise, and far easier and more enjoyable to use. The ratios are tall in the extreme, even by today’s standards – second will pull to over 100 km/h and third almost to 160 km/h. But the engine is able to cope so efficiently you come to the conclusion that the gearing is close to perfect. The direct fourth gear ratio gives 32.9 km/h per 1000 rpm while the overdrive fifth with the 3.45 final drive ratio produces 43.4 km/h per 1000 rpm.

The Nissan automatic is even taller in its gearing, the lock-out overdrive fourth gear – its button very conveniently located on the right of the console mounted selector – giving a massive 47.9 km/h per 1000 rpm using the same final drive ratio as the manual cars. Cruising is effortless and quiet, hardly surprising since at 100 km/h the engine is only turning over at 2100 rpm, while even the direct third gear at the same speed only has the engine working at a lazy 3000 rpm.

The automatic is set to change up at 5200 rpm, and while there is some hunting, especially when the overdrive is switched in, it changes up smoothly and complements the engine perfectly. There are two shift patterns controlled by another button for normal and power modes; these alter the part throttle change-up points by about 10 percent.

We’ve timed the old injected VK auto at 17.2 seconds and fully expect the VL to beat that, while a 16.5 second 400 m time is highly likely from an SL manual. With its crisp exhaust note, sharp responsiveness and quiet, easy manners this car is going to appeal both to the enthusiast and to the tired company man who has to struggle home in the commuter traffic.

The changes to the chassis include switching from linear rate front springs to progressive, while the front geometry has been reset. At the same time the manual steering gear is now of the variable ratio type and the linkages have been relocated forward and down to reduce toe-out and roll steer and make the car more predictable on loose surfaces. There are 4.6 turns lock to lock with an on-centre ratio of 19.7:1 which goes out to 24.5 on lock. The old rack and pinion system was 19.9:1. The power steering, too, has changed to a variable ratio set-up and is now engine-speed regulated. The on-centre ratio is 17.2:1 reducing towards full lock to 11.8:1 while the previous power steering had a ratio of 15.8.

The ride is softer, too, and there is more body roll, but the handling is now so predictable that even people raised on manual steering Falcons will find it relaxing to drive. There is perhaps marginally more understeer in most conditions, but a final judgement will have to wait until we can put it over our road test course.

The Commodores get Camira-like headlights – shared with the Calais, though the styling disguises this fact – and a small two-bar grille; additional completely retrimmed versions of the old in the other models. The rear seat has been revised around the wheel arches to make it more comfortable for three adults and a dead pedal has been added on all models.

But the new engine and gearboxes are a giant step forward, the car’s mechanical sophistication is quite outstanding and the changes to the interior sensible and practical, as well as being visually appealing. The Falcon just might have trouble holding sales leadership over the Commodore in ’86.