2010 Holden Commodore expected to get new smaller 3.0L DI V6

For the 2010 model year, the big powertrain news from General Motors in the U.S. has been the launch of two new direct injected engines, a 2.2-liter four cylinder and a smaller 3.0-liter version of its high-feature V6. The latter engine uses its new fuel delivery system to help it achieve similar output to the previous port injected 3.6-liter while using less gas. That engine will see duty in several vehicles for the new model year, including the new Chevy Equinox, Cadillac SRX and CTS and the Buick LaCrosse.
It looks like this powerplant is heading down under to find a home in the Holden Commodore. The new 3.0-liter V6 will be paired up with a new 6-speed automatic transmission and should achieve similar performance to the 3.6-liter while improving efficiency from 22.2 mpg (U.S.) to an estimated 24.8 mpg (U.S.), a nearly 12 percent bump. The new DI V6 joins other alternatives in the Commodore iine-up, including a factory offered LPG system and an upcoming flex-fuel version. For the near term however, Holden isn't planning to offer any turbocharged four cylinder engines in the Commodore.
[Source: Drive.com.au]



Australians looking for a cheaper alternative to gasoline now have a very cost effective option with a dual fuel conversion being offered by Holden. The installation allows Commodores and derivatives to be operated on either LPG or gasoline. Holden recently dropped the conversion price of the system by $1,000 (AUS) from $3,900 to $2,400. The Ute pickup variants went from $4,900 to 3,400. The net cost for sedan buyers can drop to as little as $400 thanks to a $2,000 tax rebate from the federal government. That expense can be recouped in operating cost savings in about four months for the sedan and one year for the Ute thanks to LPG costing less than half the price of gasoline right now. The conversion is done on vehicles with the 3.6L DOHC V6 that also use in a wide variety of North American market GM cars and CUVs. The fuel system can automatically switch from LPG to gasoline on the fly when the fuel level drops too low. The press release is after the jump.

