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Commodore To Get Run Flat Tyres
Toby Hagon
15 August 2008
www.drive.com.au
Holden is re-engineering the Commodore to give it the performance of a V6 and fuel economy of a four-cylinder.
Holden is looking at removing the spare tyre from the Commodore and instead fitting controversial run-flat tyres as part of a broader plan to improve fuel efficiency by more than 20 per cent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
General Motors Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss says the imminent move to tyres that can be driven on after a puncture is designed to reduce weight, helping the V6 Commodore the efficiency of a four-cylinder.
Reuss believes getting the basics of the Commodore design right is more important than relatively expensive additions such as a hybrid powertrain, which he is now hinting will not happen as early as 2010. This is in contrast to General Motors group vice president Nick Reilly, who said hybrid Commodores would arrive in “a couple of years”.
“There’s a lot of things we can do in the near term and a lot of things we can do in the further term … there’s a lot more to go (in terms of efficiency improvements),” says Reuss, citing everything from weight reduction to more efficient tyres, engine improvements and better aerodynamics.
“It would be really stupid to make a sequential decision around a hybrid in a Commodore before we have efficiency in the base architecture done. I’m talking about all the pieces to get an efficient platform.”
Reuss believes the fuel economy of a regular, petrol engine Commodore can be reduced by 20 per cent or more. He says today’s official average fuel consumption figure of 10.8 litres per 100km could drop to 8.5L/100km.
That would make the entry-level Commodore as efficient as many of today’s smaller, mid-sized four-cylinder cars. A Mazda 6 uses a claimed 8.4 litres of fuel per 100km while a Toyota Camry uses 9.9L/100km.
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Toby Hagon
15 August 2008
www.drive.com.au
Holden is re-engineering the Commodore to give it the performance of a V6 and fuel economy of a four-cylinder.
Holden is looking at removing the spare tyre from the Commodore and instead fitting controversial run-flat tyres as part of a broader plan to improve fuel efficiency by more than 20 per cent and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
General Motors Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss says the imminent move to tyres that can be driven on after a puncture is designed to reduce weight, helping the V6 Commodore the efficiency of a four-cylinder.
Reuss believes getting the basics of the Commodore design right is more important than relatively expensive additions such as a hybrid powertrain, which he is now hinting will not happen as early as 2010. This is in contrast to General Motors group vice president Nick Reilly, who said hybrid Commodores would arrive in “a couple of years”.
“There’s a lot of things we can do in the near term and a lot of things we can do in the further term … there’s a lot more to go (in terms of efficiency improvements),” says Reuss, citing everything from weight reduction to more efficient tyres, engine improvements and better aerodynamics.
“It would be really stupid to make a sequential decision around a hybrid in a Commodore before we have efficiency in the base architecture done. I’m talking about all the pieces to get an efficient platform.”
Reuss believes the fuel economy of a regular, petrol engine Commodore can be reduced by 20 per cent or more. He says today’s official average fuel consumption figure of 10.8 litres per 100km could drop to 8.5L/100km.
That would make the entry-level Commodore as efficient as many of today’s smaller, mid-sized four-cylinder cars. A Mazda 6 uses a claimed 8.4 litres of fuel per 100km while a Toyota Camry uses 9.9L/100km.
Click here to continue article
The only vehicle GM seems to be able to do this with is the Corvette. Otherwise, for a given amount of usable interior space the GM products tend to have the largest foot print and the highest weight when compared to their competition. To introduce a "pony car", Camaro, that is the size and almost the weight as a Cadillac CTS is inexcusable IMO. And yes I'm aware Chrysler did the same thing with the Challenger. And both for the same reason, didn't have the resources/commitment to develop a reasonable size/weight alternative. While GM is not the only offender on weight they are one of the more egregious IMO.
