Holden Commodore set to go green; Pontiac G8, Chevrolet Camaro next?
05/19/2008, 11:25 AM
By Drew Johnson
General Motors group vice president Nick Reilly was recently in Melbourne, Australia for Holden’s quarterly strategy meeting and revealed some interesting possibilities for the future of the Holden Commodore — including diesel and hybrid powerplants.
Reilly confirmed that Holden will release hybrid vehicles in the next “couple of years” and continued to say that the Commodore “could be one of the first hybrids you could see [in Australia from GM]. I would put a time frame on that of probably a couple of years,” according to Drive.com.
Reilly also indicated that a diesel Commodore is on the way. “We don’t yet have a diesel Commodore but that will come,” he says.
Lastly, Reilly confirmed that a four-cylinder Commodore is being “looked at.” As we have reported before (and even shown in spy photos), General Motors is readying a Buick Park Avenue — which is based on the Holden Commodore — for the Chinese market that is powered by the same 2.0L turbo-four found under the hood of the Pontiac Solstice GXP, among others.
Because the Holden Commodore — and Buick Park Avenue — is built on GM’s Zeta platform, any powertrain fitted to the Commodore would also fit in the Pontiac G8’s and Chevrolet Camaro’s engine bay. If Holden does ultimately give the powertrains the green light, it’s quite possible that we could see hybrid, four-cylinder and even diesel-powered versions of the G8 and Camaro in the U.S. just shortly after the turn of the decade.
05/19, 11:29 AM
posted by:
xyunya
What about us?
05/19, 12:01 PM
posted by:
foster1
is this really news. We already know that everyone is going hybrid and diesel soon anyways. this is nothing but maybe’s.
05/19, 12:11 PM
posted by:
carguy70
I could see a future G8 with the DI TURBO 2.0L I4 from the Solstice/Sky and a 6 Speed HYBRID DRIVE auto from the TAHOE Hybrid. Even a Diesel Hybrid version could be done. Now with this advancement bring back the RWD ZETA IMPALA program!—((PRONTO!!))
05/19, 12:43 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
Combining hybrid technology with the LNF would be a nice bargain. But I think the cars are too heavy for the LNF to realisticly pull around and still get good mileage. FI 4-bangers drink gas just like a V8 when you are in the boost.
You will need that boost.. and the torque it provides… to get these 4000lb behemoth cars moving.
05/19, 12:45 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
A diesel Camaro? C’mon LLN, please tell me you just made that up.
05/19, 1:02 PM
posted by:
xyunya
johnnycanuck, 70% BMW in Europe are diesels. They are not THAT slow. Depending on a diesel.
05/19, 1:12 PM
posted by:
johnnycanuck
Of that I have no doubt, xyunya. Just call me a purist.
05/19, 1:12 PM
posted by:
02WRXPSM
“FI 4-bangers drink gas just like a V8 when you are in the boost”
2.0 liter + forced induction @160hp/liter = 22 MPG, no matter how hard I hit it. I drove to San Diego at 90mph with peaks of 120mph (it is a LONG, STRAIGHT road) and still got 20mpg. So no, they don’t drink gas like a V8, because when you are OFF boost, they aren’t throwing away gas on just keeping a large, heavy engine and its components rotating.
“You will need that boost.. and the torque it provides… to get these 4000lb behemoth cars moving”
This I agree with completely! No 4-passenger car should weigh more than 3200lbs. Drive an Elise and you will see what I mean. When the car weighs 2600lbs (you can get them down to 1900lbs) the little 190hp motor feels like a Viper V10.
05/19, 1:15 PM
posted by:
02WRXPSM
Oh, and if Diesel stays above $4.00 (last I saw was $4.29) then you can forget about any of this coming to the domestic market. I don’t care if the overall savings are still there, due to increased MPG; American consumers are too stupid to do the math. They will just look at the price of the fuel and say “forget it.”
05/19, 3:08 PM
posted by:
400horseSS
^ Thats exactly what happend whne my plant started making diesel full size vans, management was high fiving each other until oil companies said “**** that we need to pimp the people for diesel too” now they sit on the back lots oh and they have a $5000k premium too.
05/19, 4:53 PM
posted by:
xyunya
y 02WRXPSM, maybe right about diesel. V8 on highway is actually very economical. In 80’s I had Caprice Wagon and it was over 20 mpg on highway most of the time even loaded (speed was lower it days of 55 mph, so you kept it under 69).
05/19, 5:30 PM
posted by:
xyunya
johnnycanuck, you are a purist! For that reason 30% of BMW sales in Europe are gasoline engines. You are not alone.
05/20, 3:59 PM
posted by:
slider5634
Mmmmm…. Diesel G8. I’d drive that. Power, MPG, and hotness all rolled into one.