It’s a Commodore, folks, but not as we know it. Or is it?

Behind the wheel of the new ZB Commodore on Holden’s hill course at its Lang Lang proving ground, the steering is familiar, the ride/handling balance is familiar and the pace and noise coming from this V6-equipped car is also familiar. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

On the face of it, the ZB Commodore offering is fairly simple to understand. There’s a 191kW/350Nm 2.0-litre turbo front-driver, a 125kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo diesel front-driver and a 235kW/381Nm 3.6-litre V6 with all-wheel drive. Dig a little deeper into the extensive model mix, however, and things get a little more complex.

The $37,290 RS adds 18s, a bodykit, excellent sports front seats, leather steering wheel and extra safety gear, while the $40,990 Calais includes leather trim, heated front seats, a larger 8.0-inch infotainment screen with sat-nav and digital radio, wireless phone charging and new instruments.

Finally the range-topping VXR takes all the kit from the rest of the range and adds adaptive suspension, Brembo front brakes, adaptive cruise and performance sports seats. Whew. As the most focused performance model, you might expect us to simply concentrate on the VXR to the exclusion of the rest of the range, but just as with the lineup itself, things aren’t quite that simple.

Trouble is, it’s just not quick enough. As the heaviest of Holden’s four V6 liftback models (RS, RS-V, Calais-V and VXR) pure physics suggest this performance halo will actually be the slowest of the quartet. It’s not a couple of kilos here or there, either, the 1737kg VXR carrying an extra 65kg over the V6 RS, in which we recorded a best 0-100km/h time of 6.11sec.

For keen drivers these models are the picks of the range, especially for anyone currently driving the likes of a VF SV6. It’s a base RS which prompted the familiarity mentioned in the opening paragraph. It’s the quickest, most powerful and sweetest six-cylinder Commodore ever, the new V6 revving with a more cultured roar than the sometimes strained notes of Commodores past.

The steering is top notch, one of the world’s best electrically-assisted systems (and that’s now pretty much all of them), plenty of balance and communication and that Twister AWD setup is happy to shuffle torque to the outside rear wheel and drive the car towards a corner exit while providing impregnable traction.

You’re not going to be left sweaty-palmed and short of breath, but on the right road there’s no doubt this is an entertaining car to drive. Other notes are that the V6’s initial throttle tip-in is a bit sharp and beware of the 20-inch wheels as they introduce a sharpness to the ride absent on the 18s.

Certainly, the ‘Opel-spec’ Commodore with European settings Holden provided for back-to-back assessment showed the value of its local work, the overseas car having leaden, syrupy steering, heaving over mid-corner bumps and struggling with torque steer.

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We’ll investigate the VXR further next month in a comparison against the Stinger GT, however it’s difficult not to imagine it would be a more enticing car with a high-output version of the 2.0-litre turbo four – say 250kW/400Nm and 0-100km/h in 5.5sec. In essence, Holden’s engineers have done a fine job of appropriating a global platform for local roads, the question is whether local buyers will be enticed enough to try it and like what they find.

Star Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars