VE Commodore is Holden's billion-dollar gamble on the Australian automotive industry. Bigger, heavier, more powerful and no more aerodynamic, it's therefore a minor miracle that fuel consumption actually drops at base level, in the Omega sedan. Holden's pin-sharp new pricing policy - and a pair of new more upmarket, V-badged SS and Calais variants - is an attempt by Holden to attract more individual buyers to Commodore, only around a quarter of which currently find private homes. But as the cheapest new VE variant, Omega picks up where the VZ Executive left off, and as such is the most important plank in the success of Holden's fourth-generation Commodore. DOes it have the goods?

VZ Commodore Executive
Released: August 2004
Ended: August 2006
Family Tree: CommodoreApart from the traditional cosmetic freshen-up, Holden's VZ Commodore, the final change to the VT Commodore that went on sale in September 1997, introduced The General's all-new 3.6-litre Alloytec V6. Delivering 175kW and 320Nm, it was mated to a four-speed auto in the Executive, Acclaim and Berlina variants. Stricter 2006 emissions regulations saw performance reduced to 172kW this year.
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