Holden Commodore (VF)

Development

The VF Commodore is built on an altered version of the Holden designed GM Zeta platform, which was first used in the VE Commodore. The VF is an evolution of the VE, with several visual changes. The VF features new styling at the front and rear, with a more modern, sculpted appearance replacing the simplicity of the VE's design. Changes include altered headlights and tail lamps, alterations to the plastic of the intake and grille and the use of a lip-spoiler instead of a rear wing on the performance models. The bodyshell, windows, doors, mirrors and roof were all carried over from the VE and the wagon and utility variants use the same tail lamps as the VE models. The wheelbase and track also remain unchanged.

The interior has also undergone major changes, with switches such as the boot lid release being relocated from the glove box to the doors and the fitting of an electronic handbrake. All models are fitted with an eight-inch touch screen in the centre console, with keyless entry and auto-park assist also being standard across all models. Other features include a heads-up display on the windscreen, forward and rear collision warning systems, blind spot monitors and a lane departure warning system, however these are not standard on all models. The VF uses an electric power steering system, rather than the hydraulic system used on previous Commodores, which is slightly more fuel-economical at the cost of steering feel.

The majority of the testing for the VF was completed in Australia but it was also driven in Germany, the Middle East, North America and Sweden. Show-car versions of the SS V and the Calais V were unveiled to the public on 10 February 2013, with the first pre-production models completed in April 2013.

Safety

Like its predecessor, the VF achieved five stars in the ANCAP safety ratings. On top of the ratings tests, the VF was found to have good whiplash protection for occupants, though pedestrian protection was classified as marginal, with the car scoring just 15.41 out of a possible 36 points in this area.

In May 2014, Holden recalled nearly 42,000 VF and WN Caprice models after a potential problem with the front seatbelts was identified. It was found that the pretensioner wiring harness for the seatbelts could make contact with part of the buckle assembly, leading to premature wearing of the wiring harness which could disable the pretensioner system in the event of an accident. The VF was recalled again a month later, when it was found that the drive gear for the windscreen wiper motor could fail. LPG models were recalled in July after it was identified that the feed hose could develop a slow leak at the end of the vehicle's lifetime, creating a low risk of fire.

Powertrains

The VF uses the same engines as the VE, with minor alterations to improve performance and fuel efficiency, while the automatic gearbox was redesigned to give more appropriate gear selections. The VE's E85 compatibility was not carried forward to the VF V8 engines, but remained in the V6 engine until it was dropped in the VFII. Fuel economy has also been improved by the use of aluminium body panels and components, leading to the VF being 43 kilograms (95 lb) lighter than the VE, and the electric power steering system. The new styling has also improved the aerodynamic efficiency, with the coefficient of drag dropping from 0.33 to 0.30. As a result, fuel consumption has dropped by between three and eight percent depending on the engine and specification level. Starting with the VF II 2015, the 6.0-litre L77 was replaced by the 6.2-litre LS3. The VF II model also saw the discontinuation of the LPG versions of the Commodore.

Models

The number of specification levels was reduced compared to the VE, with the Berlina (nameplate introduced in 1984) and Omega (introduced in 2006) dropped. Prices are A$5000 to $10,000 less than the previous VE models. Utility variants cost less than the corresponding sedan, while the wagon variants are more expensive.

The Evoke is the new entry-level nameplate as reflected by its range of engines, which included as standard the same 3.0-litre SIDI V6 engine fitted to the VE Commodore Omega, and the optional 3.6-litre LPG-powered V6, both available only with an automatic transmission. The central console display will increase in size from 6.5 to 8 inches (17 to 20 cm), featuring a single-CD player, compatibility with MP3 and iPod and mobile phone integration. The audio, navigation and mobile phone controls all feature voice recognition technology. Safety features include six airbags, traction control and ABS. The Evoke comes with 16-inch alloy wheels.

The SV6 utilises the larger 3.6-litre SIDI V6 engine and is available with both a manual and automatic transmission. The SV6 is also available with the 3.6 L LPG V6. The SV6 features a sportier body kit than the Evoke, with LED running lights, a lip spoiler and 18-inch alloy wheels. The interior fittings are much the same as the Evoke with the exception of sports seats.

The entry level SS has the same cosmetic features as the SV6, but is equipped with a higher performance V8 engine. From 2013 to 2014 model year, it was equipped with the 6.0-litre L77 V8 engine, and from the 2015 VF II update onwards, it was equipped with the 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine, previously only used on HSV models. The mid-range SS V features include larger 19-inch wheels and front fog lights. Inside the SS V gains leather seats, an enhanced instrument display, satellite navigation system and a DVD player. The top-end SS V Redline provides extra performance enhancement features over those of the SS V, with improved brake and suspension packages, extra collision sensors, launch control (manual) and a sunroof.

The Calais and Calais V are both available with the 3.6-litre V6 engine used in the SV6, and the 6.0-litre V8 engine (6.2-litre V8 engine in VF II) used in the SS, SS V and SS V Redline. Both models are only available with an automatic transmission. The Calais features premium styling with chrome highlights both inside and out, with leather seats and 18-inch wheels. The Calais V uses the same satellite navigation system as the SS V and also features a sunroof, heated front seats, DVD player, head-up display and 19-inch wheels as standard.

Limited editions

There have been four limited edition Commodore models produced, available on a range of specification levels:

Series II update

In late 2015, Holden introduced the MY16, Series II (VF II) upgrade to the Commodore. The biggest change is the addition of the larger, more powerful 6.2-litre 304 kW (408 hp) and 570 N·m (420 lb·ft), LS3 V8 engine across all current V8 models of the Commodore, Calais, Caprice and Ute. As well as this, the front bumper and running lights were restyled, the gear ratios on the SS V Redline were altered, and the Redline's suspension tune was adjusted.

HSV range (Gen-F)

The enhanced performance VF range sold by Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) is marketed in Australia as the Generation F ("Gen-F") and it comprises the variants listed below. All body styles are exported to the United Kingdom where they are rebadged and sold as the Vauxhall VXR8 range.

ClubSport

The ClubSport is the entry-level sedan in the HSV range. It is powered by a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine, with power and torque figures of 317 kW (425 hp) and 550 N·m (410 lb·ft). The ClubSport R8 variant has a more powerful engine (with an extra 15 kW (20 hp) of power and 20 N·m (15 lb·ft)) and minor visual changes compared to the standard ClubSport, including SV badges. The ClubSport R8 Tourer is the station wagon version. All ClubSport models feature 20-inch wheels and standard six-speed manual transmission or optional six-speed automatic.

In November 2014, as part of the MY15 update, the power was increased to 325 kW (436 hp) for the base ClubSport and 340 kW (460 hp) for the R8.

In July 2015, HSV launched the limited edition Clubsport R8 25th Anniversary to commemorate the nameplate. It did not benefit from any performance increases but only extra fitments that included forged alloy wheels and special badges and trims. Production totalled 108 units (eight of which for export to New Zealand).

In 2016, R8 model was reintroduced with downtuned LSA supercharged V8, rated at 400 kW (540 hp).

Grange

Based on the Gen F Holden Caprice, the Gen-F Grange has represented the HSV brand's most top of the line, luxury offering to date. The Grange comes with the standard 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine that produces 340 kW (460 hp) of power and 570 N·m (420 lb·ft) of torque. It is only available in the 6-speed automatic transmission with Active Select and paddle shifters which enable manual-like gear changes. The Grange features 20-inch alloy wheels.

GTS

The Gen-F GTS features a 6.2-litre supercharged LSA V8 engine which provides 430 kW (580 hp) of power and 740 N·m (550 lb·ft) of torque. To assist with its cooling requirements, the GTS is fitted with a stacked plate engine oil cooler and a stand-alone water-to-air charge-air cooling system. Unique tail shafts cater for the higher torque loads and the rear differential helps transfer all of the power to ground. At the time of its release and still to date, the GTS was the most powerful car ever produced in Australia. Like the ClubSport, the GTS is available in both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic transmission and it also features 20-inch alloy wheels. Due to the increase in power the GTS has a larger brake package than the ClubSport, also for the sportier look a larger rear spoiler. The GTS is also equipped with generation 3 magnetic ride control or MRC. There are three modes for the MRC, tour, sport/performance and track. The GTS is equipped with a driver preference dial that has four modes to adjust the bi-model exhaust and MRC, these are Tour, Sport, Pedormance, Track.

Maloo

The Maloo is a utility version of the ClubSport, with R8 and R8 SV models also available. A limited edition GTS Maloo was launched in November 2014, featuring the GTS sedan mechanicals except for its Magnetic Ride Control suspension.

Senator Signature

The Gen-F Senator Signature has a more conservative exterior design than the ClubSport or GTS, but makes up for this by having all luxury fitments from the donor Holden Calais. It features the 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine, with power and torque figures of 340 kW (460 hp) and 570 N·m (420 lb·ft), respectively. The Senator Signature is available with both a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual transmission, it also features 20-inch forged alloy wheels.

In early 2015, HSV released 52 units of the limited edition Senator SV (Gen-F MY15) series, 50 were built for sale in Australia and two for New Zealand.

Production

The VF Commodore was launched during a downwards trend in large car sales in Australia. Despite this, 2,827 cars were sold in the first month after its launch, a 17.8 percent increase over the corresponding month in 2012. Sales continued to be strong for the rest of 2013, with sales in the second half of the year up by 19 percent compared to the same period in 2012.

The VF series will be the fifteenth and final Australian-made Commodore range since the introduction of this nameplate in 1978.

Chevrolet SS

The VF Commodore sedan is sold in the United States as a performance vehicle under the name of Chevrolet SS. It is sized between the Malibu and the Impala in the Chevrolet lineup and also fills the void left behind by the Pontiac G8 (which was a rebadged VE Commodore), after the Pontiac brand was terminated in 2009. The SS went on sale as a 2014 model year vehicle in late 2013 and is Chevrolet's first rear-wheel drive V8 sedan available to the general public in eighteen years since the fourth-generation Chevrolet Caprice and the seventh-generation Impala SS. The vehicle was unveiled during Speedweeks in Daytona Beach, Florida, in February 2013.

The Chevrolet SS is powered by a 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette (C6), with power and torque outputs of 415 hp (309 kW) and 415 lb·ft (563 N·m). The only available transmission for model year 2014 was a six-speed automatic that could be shifted manually using paddle shifters on the steering wheel.

Compared to the preceding Pontiac G8, the restyled SS features a stiffer chassis for improved ride and handling thanks to greater use of medium to high-strength steels adopted for the updated VF Commodore. The addition of high-grade steels resulted in 30 pounds shaved off the core structure. Crash performance was also improved thanks to redesigned front rails and the electrical architecture was re-engineered from the ground up allowing for technologies such as head up display and active safety systems (e.g. blind spot monitors). These changes also saw the introduction of a redesigned dashboard and human interface, which has been the most visible change in the transition from VE to VF, aside from an exterior redesign.

The Chevrolet SS has an MSRP of US$44,470. There is a single, fully equipped specification level, with two optional extras: a sunroof and a full-size spare tire. The SS comes with Chevrolet's MyLink system (including Bluetooth, Sirius XM Radio, and Pandora Radio features) and, like the VF Commodore, has auto-park assist, a blind-spot monitoring system, a lane departure warning system and electronic power steering. The SS is fitted with 19-inch wheels. On 7 June 2013 Holden began touting the VF Commodore and its ties to the Chevrolet SS in a series of new television commercials which were released on-line.

On 20 February 2013 GM announced that the Chevrolet SS would not be sold in Canada, despite having been previewed there days before the February 2013 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

On 6 September 2013, Chevrolet announced that the number of Chevrolet SS vehicles are limited to selected Chevrolet dealerships based on their sales of the Corvette C7 and the SS's brother, the Camaro, claiming that the allocation might have more to do with production rather than supply and demand. Chevrolet projected about 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles a year instead of the much speculated 15,000 to 20,000 cited in the media.

On 30 July 2014, Chevrolet announced that the SS would become the first vehicle in the brand's lineup to feature an automatic parking assist system. Chevrolet added the option of a manual transmission, standard Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) and OnStar's 4G LTE service to the 2015 model, which debuted at the Woodward Dream Cruise in August 2014.

For the 2016 model, Chevrolet announced that the SS would receive a facelifted front design revised LED lighting, dual mode exhaust system, a new "Slipstream Blue" paint colour (replacing "Perfect Blue" and "Alchemy Purple Metallic"), red Brembo brake calipers and an updated wheel design (with cast aluminum construction, as opposed to the forged aluminum wheels used previously).

For the 2017 model year, three exterior colours were deleted (Some Like It Hot Red metallic, Jungle Green metallic, and Mystic Green metallic) and two colours were added: Orange Blast and Nightfall Gray Metallic. This will also be the final year of the SS, as Chevrolet announced on 9 January 2017 that with the Commodore ending production in Australia there are no plans for a successor.

Motorsport

For marketing purposes, the VF Commodore is raced in various motorsport disciplines, however, the race cars generally have no physical or mechanical relationship with the production model, other than similar looks.

Supercars Championship

The VF Commodore is currently used by teams running Holdens in the Supercars Championship, previously known as V8 Supercars.

The program for the V8 Supercar version of the VF was headed up by Holden Motorsport technical manager Peter Harker, with the aero package designed by Triple Eight Race Engineering's Ludo Lacroix in conjunction with Doug Skinner from the Holden Racing Team. The VF Commodore race car prototype, fitted with VE Commodore body panels, ran for the first time on 13 October 2012 at Holden's Lang Lang Proving Ground as part of the series' aerodynamic validation. The homologated version of the VF Commodore V8 Supercar was first shown by Garry Rogers Motorsport on 11 February 2013; this was followed by an official unveiling by the Holden Racing Team at Holden's headquarters later in the day.

The VF was the first Holden model built to New Generation V8 Supercar regulations, a formula designed to decrease the cost of building and repairing cars. The V8 Supercar version features a 5-litre V8 engine, 18-inch control wheels, a specially designed aerodynamics kit, a polycarbonate windscreen as well as many category control parts. It was the first Holden V8 Supercar to feature an end-mounted rear wing since the VP Commodore in the 1990s. Only certain body panels are common between the road car and the V8 Supercar, as well as the headlights and tail lamps, with the rest of the components being custom made by each team.

The VF had a successful debut at the 2013 Clipsal 500, with Craig Lowndes and Shane Van Gisbergen taking their cars to victory in the two races. Van Gisbergen also claimed both pole positions. The VF Commodore won twenty-eight of the thirty-six races in 2013, with Triple Eight Race Engineering, Tekno Autosports, Brad Jones Racing, Garry Rogers Motorsport and the Holden Racing Team all taking wins in the new Commodore. Holden secured the 2013 Manufacturers' Championship with fourteen races remaining in the season. Jamie Whincup won the championship in his Commodore, ahead of Triple Eight Race Engineering teammate Lowndes.

At the end of the 2015 season, the VF had already amassed 74 Supercars Championship race wins, with only its predecessor, the VE, having scored more race wins in the championship.

NASCAR

A Chevrolet SS-branded car competes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, having made its debut during the Sprint Unlimited non-championship race in 2013. Kevin Harvick won the race in the car's first outing. It is one of the new Generation 6 vehicles, replacing the Car of Tomorrow. Jimmie Johnson gave the SS a winning debut at the 2013 Daytona 500 after Danica Patrick took pole in her SS. Like its Commodore counterpart in V8 Supercars, the SS won the NASCAR Sprint Cup manufacturers' championship with three rounds remaining. Johnson went on to win the title in his SS. In 2014, the SS again won the Sprint Cup Series championship this time being driven by Kevin Harvick. In 2016 Jimmie Johnson won the Sprint Cup Series championship in an SS for the seventh time, tying the all time record with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

Advertising

As part of the VF Commodore launch in Australia, two television commercials were produced. The 'Turns Heads. Changes Minds.' commercial demonstrated the vehicle's available head-up display and Automatic Parking Assist feature. The 'Think now. Think Tomorrow. Think Holden.' is centered around a patriotic support theme. In conjunction with the launch of the VF Series II, a brand new television commercial titled "Power Ahead".