Super TestCar reviews - Holden - Commodore - Executive sedanHolden modelsCommodore Acclaim sedan Acclaim wagon Berlina 3.0 sedan Berlina sedan Calais sedan Calais V Calais V Sportwagon Calais V V8 sedan Calais V V8 Sportwagon Calais V6 Calais V8 sedan Evoke Executive LPG sedan Executive sedan Executive wagon LPG range LT Liftback diesel Omega MY10 sedan Omega sedan Omega Sportwagon range RS 2.0 turbo S Supercharged sedan Sportwagon Sportwagon SSV Redline SS sedan SS V SS V Redline SS V sedan SS-V Redline sedan SV6 sedan SV8 sedan Vacationer 5-dr wagon VXR Research Holden Overview9 Apr 1990 HOLDEN'S half-baked 1988 VN Commodore was spared the public basting its Ford EA Falcon received in its first year, yet both cars suffered similar quality and durability problems. It was just that the big Ford was first. Nevertheless the VN gained a Wheel's Car of the Year award, a decision the magazine said in 2003 that it would not have made in hindsight (the Honda EF Civic was more deserving). Over the outgoing VL, the VN was almost all-new, with a new body, interior and drivetrain. But new didn't mean better: the US-made 3.8 V6 (which replaced the smooth and strong RB30 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and electronic four-speed auto that Holden purchased from Nissan in Japan until currency fluctuations made that unviable) was already dated as well as noisy, vibratory and unrefined. Its four-speed auto was clunky. And that new wide body draped a noticably narrow track, for Holden used the 1978-vintage VB Commodore underpinnings. So the result was an awkward-looking car, a situation not really rectified until the beautifully proportioned VT arrived in 1997. Holden worked hard to right the early VN wrongs, with the Series II of 1990 gaining minor mechanical updates and a few trim changes to address these. But in the end, the VN has gone down in history as not one of Holden's better efforts, despite its success against the equally flawed - but far more handsome - Falcon of the day. Model release date: 1 March 1990 to 1 November 1991 All car reviewsAlfa Romeo Abarth Alpine Alpina Audi Aston Martin BMW Bentley Chevrolet Chery Citroen Chrysler Dodge Cupra Ferrari DS Ford Fiat FPV Foton GWM Great Wall Holden Haval HSV Honda Hyundai Hummer Isuzu Infiniti Jeep Jaguar Lamborghini Kia LDV Land Rover Lotus Lexus Maserati Mahindra McLaren Mazda Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG Mini MG Nissan Mitsubishi Peugeot Opel Proton Porsche Renault Ram Rover Rolls-Royce Skoda Saab SsangYong Smart Suzuki Subaru Toyota Tesla Volvo Volkswagen |
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