THE Calais is a prestige Holden aimed at slightly younger buyers than the gargantuan, long-wheelbase Statesman and Caprice models. A direct Ford Fairmont Ghia competitor, the Calais wants for little in terms of equipment and benefits noticeably from the Series II changes. The money has been spent in the right places for the car is improved a lot, even though it barely looks any different. The Calais is a smooth, good-looking and nicely balanced entry level prestige model that underlines Holden's mastery of the volume new-car market.

Holden Calais VSII
Released: June 1996
Ended: August 1997
Family Tree: CommodoreAlthough it only seemed to have a short one-year life, the VSII can actually be traced back to the 1993 VR series Calais, which saw the introduction of the safety-oriented Acclaim version. The VSII used the higher-output 147kW V6 engine introduced with the VS in 1995.
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