Sacrilege or sensible? The Commodore goes diesel.
Friday, 6 July 2018
**HOLDEN COMMODORE DIESEL
Price range:** $48,990 - $50,990.
Powertrains: 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four (125kW/400Nm). Eight-speed automatic, FWD.
Body styles: Five-door liftback or wagon.
On sale: Now.
**HOLDEN EQUINOX DIESEL
Price range:** $46,990 - $59,990.
Powertrains: 1.6-litre turbo-diesel four (100kW/320Nm). Six-speed automatic, FWD or AWD.
Body styles: Five-door SUV.
On sale: Now.
Holden's Captiva-replacing mid-size SUV and, shall we say 'controversial' ZB Commodore, have been on sale for a while in petrol form, but now there are diesel versions.
That's right, you read that correctly: a diesel Commodore. So that controversy isn't going away any time soon then…
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
The Equinox launches with diesel power in LT, LTZ and LT-Z forms and is powered by a 1.6-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine that produces 100kW of power and 320Nm of torque, driving either the front wheels (LT) or all four wheels (LTZ and LTZ-V) through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Specification levels are the same as the petrol equivalents across the range, so heated front seats, embedded satellite navigation, remote engine start and front park comes standard on the LT, while the LTZ adds 19 inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail lights, a hands-free power tailgate, rain-sensing wipers, wireless phone charging, front and rear seat heating topped by a Bose premium audio system.
**READ MORE
* Can diesel save the Commodore?
* Holden Equinox crosses American-conservative with Aussie-quick
* We drive Holden's new Commodore SUV
* From Central Otago to central Auckland in our new ZB Commodore**
The LTZ-V adds in a two-panel panoramic sunroof, power passenger seat, ventilated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
The Commodore gets a 2.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder that produces 125kW of power and 400Nm of torque, driving the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission and will be available only in LT spec, albeit both in hatch and wagon forms.
Where did you drive it?
As Holden is pitching the Equinox diesel at the private family market and the Commodore diesel at the fleet market, the launch was tailored around the kind of driving that a family on holiday or you average sales representative might do - state highways and a bit of B-road motoring for good measure - including lunch at a bakery in Wellsford, on the way to an overnight stop in Tutukaka.
As an added twist, the drive was intended to highlight the fuel-sipping capabilities of the two diesel engines, so an 'efficiency run' was planned, with prizes for the most efficient numbers.
While I tried this in the Equinox on the first day - and saw an impressive average consumption figure of 5.7L/100km (compared to a claimed average of 5.9 for the LTZ-V) - in the interests of journalistic integrity, I thrashed the exhaust pipe off the Commodore on the way home on the second. Okay, I got bored.
But also, the ZB Commodore is a great thing to throw around a winding road, even in FWD guise and, as it turns out, is possibly even more satisfying with the fat torque of the diesel engine.
But even with an excess of enthusiasm on the throttle, the diesel Commodore was rather extraordinarily frugal, with a final figure for the day of just 5.7L/100km (compared to a claimed average of 5.6) showing on its trip computer.
What's the pick of the range?
The Commodore is an easy one to make a call on - there is only the single LT model. But it is a well-equipped thing even in base trim and as it is being aimed at the fleet segment, I certainly wouldn't be upset getting handed the keys to one as a company car, particularly if you spend a lot of time on the road, as it is remarkably frugal, superbly comfortable, dynamically impressive and more than powerful enough. Although, that said, it does have a very diesel-y tendency to run out if breath once it gets past the meat of its torque range.
The Equinox is a harder call, made even harder by the fact that we only had top-spec LTZ-Vs available on the launch.
The Equinox is a thoroughly pleasant thing to drive, being both as superbly comfortable as the Commodore and almost as dynamically satisfying (for an SUV, at least). The LTZ-V is rather pricey, however, and the 1.6-litre diesel engine does run out of breath far sooner than the Commodore's 2.0-litre, with its fairly modest power and torque figures particularly noticeable when passing.
Without driving it, we would suspect the FWD LT would be a better package, with both less weight and a lower cost of entry being additional highlights.
Why would I buy it?
You would buy the Commodore because it combines silky smooth performance and superb comfort in a dynamically excellent package. Or you are a fleet manager who has run the numbers and has come over all giddy and excited about it's supreme frugality.
You would buy the Equinox because you have a family and appreciate the superb comfort and ease of use that it represents, as well as the frugality of the diesel. And you like slightly generic, inoffensive middle-American styling.
Why wouldn't I buy it?
BECAUSE IT'S NOT A COMMODORE!!
If you have ever thought, written or angrily shouted that about the ZB Commodore, then it's a pretty safe bet that a FWD diesel version won't be the car for you.
The Equinox, on the other hand, may not appeal for its styling or, more likely, the fact that the AWD models are actually more expensive than the equivalent versions of the thoroughly excellent Mazda CX-5 that also handily out-muscles the Equinox with its 140kW/420Nm 2.2-litre diesel engine. Again, lending weight to the theory that the entry 2WD model (something Mazda doesn't offer in diesel) will be the pick of the range.