Holden Commodore (VX)

Holden

MarqueHolden

ProductionOctober 2000 – September 2002 (sedans, wagons) / October 2000 – May 2003 (WHII Statesman/Caprice) / December 2000 – May 2003 (VU utility)

Engine3.8 L Ecotec L36 V6 / 3.8 L Supercharged Ecotec L67 V6 / 5.7 L Gen III LS1 V8

Assembled by MotorJury from Wikidata, Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and Wikimedia Commons · method

Holden does not build many cars like the Holden Commodore (VX): a 2-door coupé utility (VU Ute) / 4-door sedan / 5-door station wagon with 3.8&nbsp, built from 2000 to 2003 in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Its designer of record is John Field, Mike Simcoe.

The background

The Holden Commodore (VX) is a full-size car that was produced by Holden from 2000 to 2002, and 2000 to 2003 for Statesman/Caprice (WHII) and Holden Ute (VU) models. It was the second iteration of the third generation of the Commodore. Its range included the luxury variants, Holden Berlina (VX) and Holden Calais (VX), and it formed the basis for a new generation Holden Ute (VU) coupé utility and Holden Monaro (V2) coupé.

The VX series was produced between October 2000 and September 2002, as a minor restyling update to the VT series from 1997. It introduced greater model differentiation along with gains in crash safety. An intermediate Series II was launched in August 2001, featuring a revised suspension system among other changes.

The engineering

Under the skin sits 3.8  other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 1519 -. The gearbox is a 4-speed GM 4L60-E automatic / 5-speed Getrag 260 manual / 6-speed Borg-Warner T-56 manual. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2788 mm (sedan) / 2938 mm (wagon, utility). These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.

Where it sits

Where it sits in Holden's history is not in doubt: the Holden Commodore (VT) came before it; the Holden Commodore (VY) followed it; it was built at Adelaide, South Australia (Elizabeth), Australia. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Toyota Yaris, the BMW X5. Its Holden stablemates include the Holden 48-215 and the Holden Adventra.