IT’S two years late, but the new VF Holden Commodore is finally on its way. Blame the GFC and the near bankruptcy of General Motors in 2008 for the hold-up; many GM plans were put on hold and the budget for the VF Commodore was severely slashed.
Holden Commodore (and Ford Falcon) sales slowed dramatically as their styling became increasingly out of date, and the buyer surge towards SUVs in place of large cars didn’t help either.
That may all be about to change. I’ve just stepped out of the top secret Holden design studios in Melbourne after an advance look at the new VF Commodore.
We were very pleased to see that the Commodore design hasn’t suffered from the delay and that the Holden is bang up to date in the latest automotive styling trends. There’s a distinctly upmarket European shape to the VF Commodore inside and out.
Look at the complex shaping of the bonnet with its Jaguar-like curves and lines, then at the stylised BMW-like shape of the rear end.
The interior is the big story in the new VF Commodore.
Whereas the exterior is the result of a major facelift that sees the doors and roof unchanged, everything inside is new.
Again there’s a strong European influence; a combination of an Alfa Romeo-like binnacle and layout of the major instruments, and Audi-like infotainment screen.
— Ewan Kennedy
