Holden 3.3 improved

Press, 17 April 1980, Page 23

Holden 3.3 improved

Holden’s trusty 3.3 litre motor has at last got a new lease of life. An extensive programme by the deneral Motors-Holden engineers in Australia has produced a motor that has an amazing 25 per cent more power than the old motor but which is 10 to 15 more economical, according to GM-H figures. Although the Commo--dore is only just starting to get off the ground in New Zealand, GM-H obviously felt it was due for a face-lift in Australia, where it has been selling for about 18 months. The modernised motor will be the heart of the new VC series Commodore, and GM-H hopd to sell 73,000 Commodores in Australia this year, in a total estimated market of 567,000, eight times the . number of cars sold here last year. The new “wonder engine” haS a new cylinder head, carburettor, redesigned inlet and exhaust manifolds, electronic ignition and a reduced compression ratio,, and GM-H- claims that COmmodOres powered by the new six are achieving 9.4 litres per 100 km (30 m.p.g.) cruising at 80 km/b; they should achieve better figures in New Zealand, where emission-con-trol equipment is not fitted to GM-H cars. Because of the dramatic increase in power from the new six-cylinder motor, GM-H have been able to axe the 4.2 litre

V 8 mill, from the Commodore range; the only V 8 motor now available In a Commodore is the 5 litre. In New Zealand, the Vopowered Commodore SL/E is not being assembled, but General Motors New Zealand can import them from Australia. Commodore SL/E buyers in Australia now have the option of computerised cruise control. This enables the driver to “lock” the car on a predetermined speed and then, take his or her foot off the accelerator. The cruise control is automatically overriden when any of the pedals are touched. . It is likely to be many months before NOw Zealand sees the VC Commodore, but General Motors New Zealand is expected to soon release a four-cy-linder Commodore here Which will be a direct competitor to the Ford Cortina — New Zealand’s most popular car — and its peers. The Commodore will be powered by the modernised 1900 cu cm Holden motor ■— this has the same modifications as the new Commodore motor, and produces substantially more power than the engine in thfr Sunbirds selling here presently. It is expected that a four-cylinder Commodore waggon will also be launched about the middle of this year. Prices are expected to be similar to the Cortina range.