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2018 Holden Commodore: Under the skin

With undisguised shots at last in our midst, a much clearer picture of the NG Commodore underneath is also taking shape.

06 Dec 2016 5:13 PM

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HOT on the heels of the next-gen Opel Insignia breaking cover in California, we’ve pieced together what we believe so far about the vital 2018 Holden Commodore beneath that handsome skin.

Heralding the death of the big four-door sedan in the Lion brand’s line-up, the NG Commodore (or possibly GB if we follow Holden’s code for the existing GA Insignia VXR) will launch in early 2018 in five-door hatchback and wagon flavours.

Of more interest to Commodore traditionalists is the 230kW/370Nm ‘LGX’ 3.6-litre direct-injection V6 with AWD. While such outputs mean this will be the most powerful base six-pot Holden in history, cylinder activation ought to not make it the thirstiest as well. To that end, an efficiency-honing nine-speed torque-converter auto will be standard, meaning there will no longer be a manual gearbox available in a Commodore, including higher-performance variants. More’s the pity.

Also new to the series is the expected driver-assist safety systems, judging by the radar-tech grille blanks obvious on both the 2018 Opel Insignia hatch and wagon sprung this week. That means AEB Autonomous Emergency Braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-change assist, blind-spot monitoring, and perhaps even RCTA Reverse Cross Traffic Alert. These are all available on the new BK Astra just launched, so why wouldn’t they be on Holden’s flagship?

As Nathan Ponchard reported back in late October after a 65 percent finished prototype drive around Holden’s Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria, the NG Commodore is based on GM’s E2XX platform, so expect McPherson struts up front and a multi-link out back, as per the current Insignia VXR.

The NG Commodore’s dimensions virtually mirror that of the 1997-2006 VT-VZ Commodore – bar the width. This means this is the first big Holden since the original, also-Opel-derived, 1978 VB Commodore to downsize, after a decade of the Holden Kingswood. Length measures in at 74mm under the current Holden VF II Commodore, width is 36mm narrower, and the wheelbase is some 86mm stubbier.