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Bruce Newton10 Feb 2013
NEWS

VF Commodore: Aero shapes 2013 new look

Pedestrian protection and aerodynamic improvements play a key role in shaping Holden's new Commodore

The need to improve pedestrian impact protection and aerodynamics shaped the new VF Commodore’s exterior as much as the creativity of the car’s design team.

While only the ‘luxury sport’ Calais V was unveiled at Melbourne’s Docklands this morning, all VFs will share the same bluff 40mm-higher nose and raised, widened and slightly extended boot when they go on sale in May.

The reshaping and raising of the nose (Holden calls it a “subtle power bulge”) was driven by the need to create enough clearance under the new aluminium bonnet to comply with pedestrian impact regulations, which in turn meant raising the height of the new aluminium bootlid to maintain design proportion.

Aerodynamic improvements gained by Holden’s engineers then played a key role in dictating the shapes and flow of the front and rear-end.

It is understood those efforts, in tandem with other initiatives such as a smoother underbody, have succeeded in cutting the Commodore’s crucial fuel-saving aerodynamic coefficient of drag from around 0.33 to a competitive 0.30Cd.

The centre section of the car, including the roof, glasshouse and doors remain unchanged, although there are new door-handles. The 2915mm wheelbase and tracks are also expected to be virtually identical with VF’s seven-year-old VE predecessor.

While the VE’s exterior design was dominated by the designers, this time round the engineers have had a much stronger say in the creative process, admits GM Holden Exterior Design Manager Peter Hughes.

“Pedestrian impact laws move, so physically the car had to come up anyway for clearance to impact zones for ‘ped-pro’, so that is why the hood is up higher. And with that we wanted a more bluff, bolder, stronger front, so it’s a little bit of us and a little bit of ped-pro.

“And the rear … we have pulled that up, but that tail is all done in the (wind) tunnel. So the back-edge underneath is almost predicted by engineering … we just plumbed that in and worked the body to it. We weren’t given that much room to move.

“Then if you look at the kicker on the (rear) lamps, there are six counts of aero just in that little kicker and then the whole car at the back is about 40mm wider, both for more modern looks and the aero.”

Aerodynamic necessity has also dictated one of the VE’s most controversial exterior features - its prominent front guards - being shorn of width. The VE’s large front air intakes have also been replaced by flush-fitting inserts for foglights and driving lights.

At the rear, the C-pillar ‘sailplane’ has been made more flowing and extended into the decklid to balance the car’s larger proportion. The rear-end has a new graphic, with the number plate moving to the bumper, allowing the tail-lights to sweep into the decklid.

Clearly, Holden has sought a more rounded and organic look for the VF compared to the sharp-lined VE, with softer lines rolling into both the sculpted bonnet and boot.

One thing which remains unchanged is the size of those controversial A-pillars, which have long been criticised for obstructing the driver’s view. Changing such a fundamental engineering structure was outside the VF’s budget, although there has been an attempt to tuck the trim away inside the car to help.

The emphasis throughout Holden’s preview of the car to media on Friday was of a more upmarket exterior. There are now three sedan themes – entry-level, sport luxury and luxury-sport, the latter represented by the Calais V. There are also VF Sportwagon, ute and (WN-series) long-wheelbase models in development.

Initial Calais V impressions are of a front-end evocative of the Opel Insignia, a rear that harks back to the superceded E60 BMW 5 Series and a fender vent straight from the Jaguar XF. In profile it looks big and, unsurprisingly, most familiar. But the overall separation from VE is significant.

The Calais V features a large upper intake with horizontal bars and a smaller lower intake. Jewelled halogen projector headlights incorporate a curved blade parking lamp effect. The hand-built show car rolled on 245/35 R20 rubber, but the standard tyre is expected to be a 19-inch.

This significant update must now carry the Commodore - which is struggling with diminishing sales - through to replacement by an all-new car in 2017.

Work started on the VF program only in early 2009 and finished in early 2011. The commencement was delayed and the budget limited by the GFC and parent General Motors’ bankruptcy dramas.

“It was a tough job,” admitted Mr Hughes. “We had to give it better aero, everyone wanted it to look new, but keep these bits and make it look integrated, but please make it look as different as possible.

“So when you add that all in, to pull it away from VE and make it look totally different and you only get these parts. Yeah, it was a challenge.

“Give us a blank sheet of paper and we probably would have done something slightly different. But with what we have got I can honestly say it’s the best we could have done with the money and the bits they gave us.”

See the full Commodore VF gallery at motoring.com.au

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