Holden Hybrids: Coming In 2010
Motoring Channel Staff - 2/June/2008
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 Holden Commodore Hybrid: the future is green as a hybrid version of the car is being developed
 There are still many questions to be answered: will the new Hybrid Commodore be V6 or I4?
 The Holden Commodore's future looks brighter with hybrid and even diesel motors confirmed
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Melbourne, Australia — At it's recent quarterly strategy meeting at the GM Holden HQ in Melbourne, news of hybrid models emerged. Attending the meeting was General Motors Group vice president Nick Reilly, who commented that "We will introduce hybrids in the next couple of years." When
pressed on whether the development of a new hybrid by GM and
Holden could be in the form of a Commodore, GM's VP answered, "That could be one of the first hybrids you could see. I would put a time frame on that of probably a
couple of years." There
is now an increasing body of evidence that points to a Holden
Commodore hybrid rather than a European or Asian-made hybrid
(based on a small car) arriving in the next few years. Large
cars used to be the dominant species in the Australian car market, but
as petrol prices rise to painfully high levels - and don't look like
ever returning - and drivers put more emphasis on their carbon
footprint, large car sales are slumping. If
Holden began selling a large car that was powered by a hybrid engine
that had 'green' credentials and also reduced the fuel bill, it could
potentially reignite Australia's passion with the large car. Lower
fuel bills and less CO2 emissions would also make the vehicle more
appealing to fleet buyers, who are increasingly having to account for
carbon output in their vehicle fleets. Mr Reilly hinted
that a time frame for such a vehicle would be "probably a couple of
years," and because Holden has access to various hybrid powertrains
from American GM models, which already consist of several hybrid SUVs
and a handful of mid-sized cars, we could see a hybrid Holden Commodore
by 2010 or 2011. Some of the other 'possibilities'
emerging from the GM Holden meeting included a
diesel-powered Commodore, which is firmly on the car maker's radar
and would be a perfect fit for the new Holden Sportwagon. There
was even some hushed talk about a 4-cylinder Commodore, but whether
this model being considered could be powered by a turbo diesel or a
turbo petrol 4-cylinder engine is not yet clear. While
Holden does offer an LPG-powered Commodore, fuel savings are relatively
low as gas prices rise and LPG delivers less mileage than petrol or
diesel. GM Holden will also introduce a new
cylinder deactivation system on next generation 6.0-litre V8 models.
The Series II VE Commodore is expected to benefit from V8 engines that
can shut down some cylinders at cruising speeds, reducing fuel burn and
hence lowering fuel consumption. What is
clear is that Holden is putting a lot of capital behind the
Commodore to develop more efficient models to ensure it doesn't die out
like the Mitsubishi 380 in today's global climate of high oil prices. Related articles: - Holden Coupe 60 Concept (2008) - Holden Commodore Diesel (2009)
- Holden VE Sportwagon (2008) - Holden VE Ute: SS vs SV6 (Road Test)
- Holden VE Ute (First Drive) - Holden Captiva Diesel (Road Test) - Holden Astra Diesel (Road Test) - Holden
Barina (Road Test) - Holden Astra SRi
Turbo (Road
Test) - Holden VE Commodore - Dual-Fuel LPG (2006)
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