The 2018 Holden Commodore VXR is a long awaited replacement for the ever-popular Commodore SS as Holden retires the SS nameplate. This new flagship model will be reaching showrooms all over Australia in 2018, and will be sporting a 3.6L V6 that’s backed by a 9-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels.
Holden seems to be making a very bold move by leaving out the V8 aspect in this successor to the SS. They weren’t even willing to go as far as to give it a twin-turbo powered V6, and they also nixed the manual option. This car seems to be a lot more of a sports coupe than a modern muscle car, but we’ll give it a chance. The car will pack 235kW, according to Holden, or 315hp, quite a bit less than the 408 horsepower SS with 6.2L V8.
Even with the almost 100 horsepower deficit, Holden is promising that this will be the most advance Commodore ever made, promising that it will be a worthy successor of the SS. Their engineers have used their four decades of continuous Commodore development to come up with the large sedan’s final development.
The V6 powertrain with adaptive AWD and 9-speed auto will make the VXR quick and smooth to drive in any conditions. Brembo brakes give it serious stopping power, and the Continuous Damping Control allows drivers to choose from three distinctive driving modes for different driving experiences.
Holden is excited about the release, but does note that they still have work to do before they can get drivers behind the wheel. They are still working with a team in Europe to complete chassis development in Germany at the famous Nürburgring.
Appearance wise, it looks a little bit like a Buick, and that’s okay. It’s equipped with 20” alloy wheels, a large rear spoiler, front and back sporty fascias, LEDs, and special VXR door sills. The interior is pretty swanky, it is outfitted with heated and ventilated leather seats and high tech equipment. Controls include an automated emergency braking system, 360º camera, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, lane departure alarm, forward collision arm, and rear cross traffic alert.
This seems like it has a lot of German-flare, albeit it’s still a nice car. What are your thoughts on the VXR?
Elizabeth is a hardcore horsepower enthusiast with unmatched intensity for making things faster and louder. She wakes up for power and performance and only sleeps to charge up for the next project that’s heading to the track. From autocross to drag racing, Elizabeth is there with you, so stay tuned for her unique perspective on horsepower news, builds, tech info, and installs — with her, it’ll never be boring!
