Holden Unfazed By Us Backdown On V8
The Age
Wednesday January 9, 2008
GENERAL MOTORS' decision to shelve a new V8 engine for its luxury car lines poses no threat to Holden, the company says.
GM announced last week that a double-overhead cam V8 planned for its luxury marques would not go into production in 2009. The car maker is instead likely to develop higher-performance versions of its V6 engines.The V8 engine was earmarked for GM's Cadillac line-up, which will be introduced to Australia later this year, starting with the CTS mid-sized sedan.The CTS will use a high-performance version of Holden's Port Melbourne-built V6 engine.However, Cadillac's version of the V6 engine includes direct-injection technology that lifts output from the Holden version's 195 kW to 227 kW and also improves the fuel economy.Cadillac currently uses a 4.6-litre V8 engine that produces just 205 kW - less than the Australian-sourced V6 that will power the next-generation CTS.A V8 version of the CTS, known as the CTS-V, is expected to use a 337 kW 7.0-litre engine when it is released in the US.Holden spokesman John Lindsay says the US decision to shelve the new small-block V8 engine would have no impact in Australia."We use a different generation of V8 from Cadillac," he explains. Holden moved to a 260 kW version of the 6.0-litre Gen IV V8 engine in January 2006, which Mr Lindsay says is still evolving.The company announced late last year that it would take a serious look at displacement-on-demand technology for the Holden V8, which helps save fuel by shutting down four of the engine's eight cylinders at highway cruising speeds.Mr Lindsay says Holden's V8 engine - it now produces 270 kW - still had a place in Australia.Despite a year that saw spiralling fuel prices and a continuing buyer shift towards the smaller end of the market, Holden last year managed to sell almost 11,500 Commodores powered by a 6.0-litre V8 - a record for the company. -- BARRY PARK
© 2008 The Age
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