It’s a new Commodore, but is the world interested in any way? Well, the sales figures suggest that at least a few are, but nowhere near as many as there used to be.
That is a shame because the VF is undoubtedly the best car that has ever come out of Australia.
Packed with cutting edge technology and a new look designed to appeal to the American market, the VF Commodore is a vital car to the continued manufacture of vehicles in Australia.
So how does that affect us here in New Zealand? It doesn’t really, so we don’t particularly care. OVERSTEER just likes good cars and this is VF Commodore Calais V is a very good car. Read on…
Outside
Likes: A strong and handsome design that works well. Taillights particularly distinctive and attractive. Newly creased bonnet nice to look out over. Muscular yet conservative.
Dislikes: Centre of the car is still pure VE, and obviously so. Some of the frontal detailing of the Calais is overly fussy. Distinct Americanisation of Commodore has made it slightly anonymous.
Inside
Likes: New interior a simply massive improvement over VE. Everything you come into direct contact with is of a high quality, all the hard, cheap stuff is kept nicely out of that way. Nicely laid out controls, with sensible design. Wonderfully comfortable seats. MyLink system a bit fiddly, but wonderfully complete.
Dislikes: Cloth trim on dash, doors and seat highlights will NOT stay clean for long, especially if you allow children anywhere near it.
Under the bonnet
Likes: 3.6-litre 210kW/350Nm V6 feels unbreakable. Six-speed automatic transmission a particularly slick piece of kit. Further improvements to fuel economy noticeable.
Dislikes: Engine starting to show its age now though. Despite the weight savings gain with the development of the VF, the engine does have to work to push it around. Sounds strained on occasion.
On the road
Likes: Feels like a big car, but a wonderfully responsive, well set up big car. Steering is remarkably sharp and responsive. An absolutely brilliant high speed cruiser.
Dislikes: Ride has a slight tendency to get fussy and jostling over uneven surfaces at speed. Steering is overly light.
Verdict
The transition from VE to VF has been a true metamorphosis for the Commodore, none more obviously than in the high-spec Calais V.
The Calais is now a world-class mainstream luxury sedan, packed with technology and incredibly well-specced for its price. The fact that the basic Commodore underinnings have also been vastly improved also makes for a car that can happily hold its own on the twisty bits.
Not that it’s quite a BMW-style sports sedan – the engine gives away its age, and the car still a bit too bulky for that – but as a 7/10ths high speed cruiser that prefers to be guided with a gentle hand rather than throw around with a firm hand, it is brilliant.
Comfortable, quick and luxurious, the Calais V is packed with high-tech features that make life easier (and are just plain awesome) like the comprehensive Heads Up Display projected on the windscreen, the self-parking system, lane departure warning and the front radar system that warns you when you are approaching a slower car.
Great stuff, but the underlying package is what makes the Commodore so impressive. As a package, it is thoroughly convincing.
Price: $66,790
Engine: 3.6-litre V6 petrol
Power/torque: 10kW/350Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
0-100km/h: n/a
Fuel consumption: 9.0L/100km
CO2 emissions: 211g/km
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