It may be foreign and there is no V8 but Damien O’Carroll reckons you will still love it.
Some people think that a Holden Commodore can’t be a Holden Commodore if it isn’t built in Australia, isn’t RWD and doesn’t have the option of a V8.
Holden, on the other hand, thinks differently and is determined to prove it with the ZB Commodore - a FWD/AWD model built in Germany and powered by either a V6 petrol or 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
The ZB Commodore comes at a time when hardcore Holden fans are still reeling from the end of local production, so there is some angst about the new “foreigner” Commodore, but there is a little secret about the ZB that might make them feel al little better - even if production had continued in Australia, the ZB is still pretty much exactly the car we would have got anyway. Okay, that won’t make them feel any better.
But the fact is the Commodore had to evolve, or simply wink out of existence like the Ford Falcon. And after driving the ZB Commodore at the local launch recently, we have to say that it has evolved into something rather good indeed.
The ZB Commodore comes to New Zealand in three body styles - the liftback (that’s right - the traditional sedan is gone!), the Sportwagon and the raised ride-height Touring.
The FWD 2.0-litre LT liftback starts ZB Commodore range in New Zealand with the petrol variant costing $45,990 and the diesel $48,990, while the Sportwagon lands at $50,990 for the petrol and $51,990 for the diesel.
The RS model is only available with the 2.0-litre petrol and costs $49,990 for the liftback and $51,990 for the wagon.
The only model name carried over from the previous Commodore - the Calais - comes next, with the 2.0-litre FWD liftback costing $52,990.
The RS-V is only available with the 3.6-litre V6 AWD form and costs $58,990 for the liftback and $60,990 for the wagon.
The same goes for the Calais-V that is available in liftback form for $61,990 and is the sole representative of the high-riding Touring body style that lands at $65,990.
Topping out the range is the V6 AWD liftback-only VXR that costs $67,990.
The new Commodore comes with a choice of a pair of 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines in the form of either a 191kW/350Nm petrol turbo or a 125kW/400Nm diesel turbo powering the front wheels.
Then there is the 3.6-litre 235kW/381Nm petrol V6 that powers the AWD cars.
The 2.0-litre and V6 petrol engines are hooked up to a nine-speed automatic transmission, while the diesel cars get an eight-speed auto.
The entry level LT comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with phone projection, front and rear parking sensors, a backing camera, LED daytime running lights, automatic headlights, rain sensing wipers, autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, forward collision alert, keyless entry and push button start, dual zone climate control, LED taillights and a power-adjustable driver’s seat.
The RS ups the game by adding 18-inch alloy wheels, a sports body kit, cloth-trimmed sports seats, a leather steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, a rear lip spoiler, side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert and a hands-free power tailgate on the wagon.
The RS-V not only adds the V6 engine and adaptive AWD system, it also adds leather seats (heated in the front), a sports steering wheel with shift paddles, a ocular head up display, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, alloy pedals, embedded satellite navigation, digital radio, wireless phone charging, 40/20/40 folding rear seats (the lower spec cars are 60/40) and privacy glass on the wagon.
The VXR gets all the RS-V goodies but adds adaptive 20-inch alloy wheels, LED Matrix headlights, adaptive suspension, Brembo front brakes, adaptive cruise control, a 360 degree camera, an electric sunroof, heated and ventilated front seats that also have a massage function and power-adjustable side bolsters, heated rear seats, a rear spoiler and a premium Bose audio system.
If you take the luxury path from the LT, then the Calais gets all of the base car’s equipment, but adds 18-inch alloy wheels, an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, cloth and leather seat trim, heated front seats, wireless phone charging, front fog lamps, power folding mirrors, ambient interior lighting, embedded satellite navigation, digital radio, side blind zone alert and rear cross traffic alert.
The AWD V6 Calais-V in both liftback and Tourer forms adds 20-inch alloy wheels, adaptive LED Matrix headlights, an electric sunroof, a sports steering wheel and paddles, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, the massage function on the driver’s seat, 40/20/40 split rear seats, adaptive cruise control, a 360 degree camera, a colour head up display and a premium Bose audio system.
As you can see, the ZB Commodore is extremely well-equipped, even at the entry level, but exactly how does it drive? Just as impressively, as it turns out.
While we didn’t get to drive a diesel at the launch, the V6 is an nicely refined and powerful unit with a surprisingly charismatic sound, but it was the 2.0-litre petrol that was the real surprise of the launch.
Characterful and impressively powerful, it really doesn’t feel down all that much on power compared to the V6 - thanks to the lack of weight from the AWD system - and is quite possibly the quicker car point-to-point, thanks to its almost-V6 levels of torque.
Model for model, the ZB Commodore is a step up from the VF Commodore in every sense. It may not hit the emotional trigger points of an Aussie-built V8, but for the vast majority of Commodore buyers the ZB is simply a far superior car to the one it replaces.
