Holden Commodore VE Series II Interior Spotted in Australia

[FenwickHockey65]

Inside the new Holden Commodore Series 2
Link to article

By Andrew Heasley
June 7, 2010

EXCLUSIVE: Take a peek inside the updated Holden Commodore Series 2, which will come with a more user-friendly layout and high-tech touch screen.

Here's the picture Holden doesn't want you to see ... yet.

It's the first look at the interior of the facelifted Series 2 Commodore, which is due to be revealed in August before going on sale shortly afterwards, seen here in left-hand-drive form for its export markets...

...Drive understands that the facelifted model is likely to be called the Commodore Series 2, rather than the VF, as has been widely reported.

The new Commodore Series 2 will also be given an exterior styling update, although Holden is not saying anything of the top secret new model yet.

"We will be updating our Commodore range later in the year," said spokesman Jonathan Rose. "We're not in a position to discuss what that entails at this stage, other than to say that we think the changes will make a great car even better..."

...The most obvious change is the prominent pair of eyeball air vents protruding from the dash. And a multifunction LCD screen flanked by 10 push buttons, has been moved higher up on the console to address one of the major ergonomic failings of the VE: that the driver has to take their eyes of the road to fiddle with buttons that are presently set too low.

The display will be a touch screen, as the boss of Siemens VDO – which will supply the technology – recently let slip.

"Our new unit offers touch screen, more connectivity options with iPod and iPhone," CEO Zoran Angelkovski was reported as saying at the time, claiming Holden's new Commodore would have "features that are seen on some European cars".

Despite the touch screen functionality for the new Series 2 Commodore, the dials for the heating and air-conditioning are still set low, but are tizzied up with some chrome framing.

Whether the new, dark coloured interior shown here gets the nod from prospective customers remains to be seen; but there may be alternative colour schemes across the range...

...The centre console looks to protrude more from the dash structure than is presently the case, a move probably designed to lend a more cockpit-feel for the driver.

It also sees a reworking of the dash trim, in what appears like piano black here, to look more integrated and less like a stick-on afterthought than the VE's non-sporting variants that have a horizontal band tracing the width of the dash, along with an awkward join along a third of its length.

The automatic gear shift sports a new grip but retains the same basic design and the gate for manual shifts.

The steering wheel retains buttons on the spokes, though the car caught here has a Pontiac badge on the hub.

Of course the car seen here is in left-hand drive for export markets, but is expected to be a mirror image of cars built for Australia...

...The photograph here was snapped by an avid fan in Oakleigh recently. The car's exterior was in undisguised export Pontiac G8 form.

Holden's avid fan of Oakleigh heard a distinctive whistle from under the bonnet as he trailed the car from a car park onto the road, lending credence to rumours some variants will sport a turbo or twin-turbo engine...

...The V6 is available with a turborcharger overseas, something Holden is believed to have been looking at as a rival for the potent Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo.

And there are rumours that the Series 2 Commodore may come in for a revised suspension tune, adopting lessons Holden learned in engineering the reborn Chevrolet Camaro for the US.

[FenwickHockey65]

Return of the Commodore to the US market? We shall see.

[DarthNacho08]

thats a really weird ebrake o.O can't really comment on the rest, idk what its being upgraded from lol

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by DarthNacho08

thats a really weird ebrake o.O can't really comment on the rest, idk what its being upgraded from lol

Why sure you do.

We knew the VE Commodore very briefly as this...

[DarthNacho08]

haha, I can't say I ever had the pleasure of ever being in a g8, but I sure wouldn't mind getting in one

[Apex Motorsports]

Maybe they are going to finally make an Impala SS worthy of the name.

[TheCaptain]

Nice, although i am not much a fan of round vents...

[Stew]

I actually prefer the current (G8) design, not of fan of round vents here either.

[BlueJacket]

I like the radio placement and the fact that its touch screen but I will still take the old set up found in the G8.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Is this car on Alpha? Or is it a redesign?

[BlueJacket]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Is this car on Alpha? Or is it a redesign?

Still a Zeta and just a refresh of the current cars.

[Mr. Wyndham]

Very cool!

[Captain Awesome]

I hope they spend less time fussing with iPhoney/iPlod features and more on Droid compatibility.

[FenwickHockey65]

Originally Posted by Dragoneye

Is this car on Alpha? Or is it a redesign?

Alphas won't be ready until 2012ish.