Final fling for Commodore

HOLDEN has given its VZ Commodore a final fling before it’s replaced in September by the all-new VE Commodore.

Dubbed SVZ and offering a claimed $6000 worth of extra value, the special-edition Commodore sedan and wagon offer a range of sports features aimed at maintaining the sales momentum of a model that dates back to 1997 VT Commodore.

The SVZ was announced on Monday and will be available from April, when it will arrive in Holden showrooms with a driveaway price of $32,990 (sedan) and $34,990 (wagon).



The Executive-based SVZ will come standard with popular Commodore options such as four 17-inch alloy wheels (the spare wheel remains steel), air-conditioning, an in-dash six-CD player, front fog lights and a rear spoiler (sedan only).

Ditching the Executive’s front-end treatment in favour of a Berlina-style grille, SVZ also features a chromed exhaust extension, body-coloured mirror scalps, black-bezel headlights and SVZ badging.

SVZ wagon also gains a body-coloured rear wind deflector and roof rails, while both sedan and wagon offer "FE1.5" luxury sports suspension tune.

Inside, there’s Anthracite sports seat trim with leather bolsters, plus a leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatic transmission selector and handbrake grip.

Metallic/mica paint is a $315 option.

The four-speed auto-only SVZ is powered by Holden’s 3.6-litre Alloytec V6, which for 2006 offers 3kW less peak power at 172kW. It’s delivered at the same 6000rpm, while peak torque remains 320Nm at 2800rpm following this year’s tighter new Euro III emissions regulations that came into effect just 16 months after Holden released its new Global V6 in the VZ Commodore.

The revised engine features new fuel injectors, a new exhaust catalyst and new engine calibration.

SVZ will be available in seven exterior colors: Quicksilver metallic, Odyssey metallic (dark mercury silver), Shanghai mica (mid red), Glaze mica (blue silver), Impulse mica (blue), Heron White and Phantom Mica (black).

"Commodore has been Australia’s top selling car for a decade and SVZ maximises bang for buck on what are already our most popular Commodore variants," said Holden marketing director John Elsworth.

"We expect SVZ to move as fast as the special SSZ and CV8-Z Monaro performance packs released last year. It’s a great chance to get into Commodore with many of the most requested options and accessories as standard."