COMMODORE'S new dashboard is of a contemporary, European-style design and features a revised instrument panel and centre console to match the new, geometrically styled steering wheel.

A prominent lip on the new instrument binnacle hood obscures vision to gauges for tall drivers.

The SS improves on the plain low-series instrument design markedly by offering three colour-coded backgrounds with larger, white italic increments.

Our Hothouse Green test car was matched with Hothouse Green instruments, including a 5500rpm tacho on the left and 260km/h speedo on the right, flanked by temperature and fuel gauges. A new, larger LCD screen nestles between speedo and tacho underneath, revealing trip computer functions, audio information, service intervals and gear selection.

The Porsche-like intersecting semi-circle instrument theme is echoed by the centre console, which replaces the sweeping, organic lines of VT with a more technical, symmetric layout that remains functional enough.

New upper air vents and a hazard light switch reside above three rotary dials for air-conditioning and the new Blaupunkt audio head unit featuring a low-mounted LCD screen. Unlike Falcon, the optional satellite navigation screen is mounted even lower, taking the place of the optional ashtray.

The new headlight switch on the right mirrors the trip computer control pad on the left, but the consistency ends about there. A hard, flat panel at the top of centre console appears to house an extra Subaru-style storage nook but in fact does nothing other than make one wonder what's missing (HSV models add extra gauges here).

Plastics used on the carryover door skins is not well matched with the new dashboard finish, which is generally of a lower quality than Falcon's new BMW-like textured dash material.

The new VY cockpit looks convincing enough, but you don't have to look too closely to find plenty of carryover components and the feel of most controls does not live up to expectations invited by the new look.