2009 Holden Calais V AFM Road Test Review
WE’RE NO STRANGERS to Holden V8s. Whether it’s the 6.0 litre Gen 4 in the SS Commodore or the HSV-tuned LS3, we’ve driven – and adored – the GM small-block on many occasions.
But how can you make the package better? Extracting power is a no-brainer (just ask HSV), but is it possible to make the big, brawny bent-eight easier on the hip pocket and – dare we say it – more environmentally friendly?
Holden reckons it has the answer in the form of its Active Fuel Management (AFM) cylinder deactivation technology, which all auto-equipped Holden V8s now ship with. Whether it’s the SS, the Calais, Caprice or Statesman, buy a brand-new V8 with an automatic transmission, and it’ll have AFM.
The premise is simple: during cruising, cut the number of active cylinders from eight to four, and enjoy reduced fuel consumption. After all, a big torquey V8 doesn’t need all its reserves of grunt while just coasting along, right?
We’ll find out in just a minute.
Styling
The engine tech may be new, but the body that clothes it, isn’t. Aside from a smattering of AFM badges on the Calais’ rump and front quarter panels, the 2009 Calais V is the same VE-based fare that we’re all familiar with.
It may look a bit plain next to competitors like the FG Falcon, but it’s still an attractive body and one that will age well.
Compared to lesser VE models, there’s more chrome around the side glass, a pair of twin-outlet exhausts and a discreet bootlip spoiler. There’s also a different front bumper design, a chrome accent above the meshed grille and a quartet of 18-inch alloy wheels.
Unique tail lamp lenses also mark out the Calais as something a bit different from the ordinary Commodore, but unfortunately the Calais misses out on the business-like good looks of the Statesman/Caprice.
Interior
On the inside, the Calais V certainly carries more than a whiff of opulence.
The basic layout is pure Commodore, but the light-coloured dash trim, perforated leather seats, suede-effect plastics and black headlining lends a premium flavour to the Calais V’s interior.
A leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector feel good in the palm of one’s hand, and the former adjusts for both rake and reach. The driver’s seat adjusts electrically in six directions, however the passenger makes do with a manually-adjusted pew.
The instrument panel is clear and easily understood, however the reflection problem that plagues VE instrument clusters is still present under certain lighting conditions.
The rear seats are expansive, thanks to the Calais’ sheer width. Legroom is adequate for all but the most long-legged of adults.
The centre tunnel is a little intrusive though, and can make sitting in the centre seat an uncomfortable experience after a while. Aside from that, the Calais still has one of the most capacious cabins in the segment.
There are a couple of negatives though. Although fit and finish is good (we heard no rattles on our tester), some of the plastics (like the catch for the centre console box) were rough-edged. The glovebox lid also felt a little low-rent when opening and closing it.
Still, there’s an abundance of storage space, with large door bins on each door and a sizable glovebox and centre console box. There’s four cupholders too, and a convenient space for mobile phones/portable music players at the base of the centre stack.
The flat-floored boot is big and can accommodate 496 litres of cargo with the rear seats up, while a generously-sized ski port helps when loading long items.
Beneath the boot carpet there’s just a tyre inflation kit, however a full-size steel spare is a no-cost option.
Equipment and Features
The Calais V comes loaded. There’s a six-stacker CD player with auxiliary input and steering wheel-mounted controls, cruise control, power windows, heated mirrors and dual-zone climate control.
A sunroof and sat-nav are optional extras (and were fitted to our car), however a roof-mounted DVD player for the rear passengers comes standard on the V-series.
Curiously though, there’s no genuinely convenient place to put the DVD player’s wireless headsets. Either wiggle them into the door bins, or cram them into the seatback pockets.
Rain-sensing wipers and auto-on headlights are also part of the Calais V package, along with cruise control, a trip computer and Bluetooth phone integration.
Front and rear parking sensors are of great assistance when slipping the Calais V’s big frame into tight parking spots, and the puddle lamps mounted under the wing mirrors are a nice touch.
In terms of safety equipment, the Calais V ships with all the kit that most drivers would demand of a modern car.
In addition to its high-strength steel passenger cell, the Calais boasts front, front side and full-length curtain airbags to protect its occupants in a crash.
ABS, electronic brakeforce distribution, brake assist, traction control and stability control are standard features in the Calais (and indeed across the VE range), and work to keep the car on the straight and narrow.
Pretensioning seatbelts are fitted too, and all seats receive a proper lap-sash seatbelt. Thanks to the addition of a passenger seatbelt reminder, the VE Commodore range now scores a full five star ANCAP crash safety rating.
Mechanical Package
The Calais V is now powered by two recently introduced engines: the 210kW direct-injected 3.6 litre SIDI V6, and the 260kW AFM-equipped 6.0 litre Gen 4 V8.
The AFM V8 is only available with an automatic transmission (the SS manual is the only vehicle not to get AFM), and before you’ve even twisted the key there’s a downside.
The adoption of the AFM technology has stripped the V8 of 10kW of power and 13Nm of torque, bringing total output to 260kW and 517Nm. Those are still very healthy numbers, mind you, and the average punter will struggle to notice a difference.
How does it work?
In light-throttle situations such as high-speed cruising, the engine control unit cuts fuel to cylinders 1,4,6 and 7, effectively turning a V8 into a V4. The changeover between AFM modes is virtually seamless, and takes a keen ear to detect.
2009 Skoda Superb V6 3.6 FSI Elegance 4x4 
2009 Holden Cruze CDX
Comments
Click here to jump to Add Comment box
How do you get a picture next to your name?
Get a Gravatar. Click here to find out more.
General Motors only a decade behind the Euro’s and attempting to con Oz again. Where is that diesel or diesel electric? Oh that’s right, Lutz and cronies sold GM down the river a decade ago.
Excellent car. Far better off with one of these than something like a Skoda Superb that will give you a migraine when you look at it. And really, who will honor your Skoda’s warranty claims in 5 years when Skoda have gone from Australia?
Thankyou for mentioning the Superb blah. An ideal luxury machine for our time, offering not only the 2L TDI, but also the DSG, a drive train to dream of. And should you wish to stay with petrol, the
Superb offers an excellent alternative with its’ V6 and AWD.
Best of all, it will be still soldering on when the Commodore is dust.
Good review, would still prefer a G6ET, which even optioned up would be cheaper than the Calais V, and faster, and just as economical. But I’m not a V8 tragic so, maybe I’m just not the right audience for this car.
“Holden reckons it has the answer in the form of its Active Fuel Management (AFM) cylinder deactivation technology”
I remember when the VE’s V8 was being previewed, Wheels asked Holden why they weren’t including the cylinder deactivation technology that the engine already offered in the USA. They said Australians didn’t care about fuel economy…
Will’s comments about the VW group DSG are interesting. Real life driving shows them to be clunky when accelerating from zero -so that entering heavy traffic on an arterial road takes some practice. The VW group motors use PULP, and servicing is rarely under $1000 per visit to the service bay. More than one person has testified to that. Add it all up and the extra there pays for a lot of fuel! I’d stick to the Ford or Holden premium vehicles as being ideal for Australian conditions. My VE Calais cost me much less than the cars in this review and comments, because it’s only the 6cyl, but it’s never over $500 for a service and is going strong at 128,000km. A mate spent a lot more than me on a G6E Turbo and enjoys its brilliant combo of ride, performance, handling and reasonable running costs. That’s the real competitor to the Calais V8… not the Superb.
Exactly Ray, and well said.
Both the Holden and Ford local offerings offer outstanding value for money, not only initially but in ongoing servicing and Dealer networking.
Far, far smarter long-term buying than risking your money on cast-off VW group tech thrown together and styled by primary school kids in their lunch break.
The LS2 was never fitted to the Holden Commodore. This was an HSV only engine. The V8s fitted to the Commodore where the LS1 (5.7L), L76 (6.0L) and the L98 (6.0L).
I disagree with people who says Holden and Ford local offerings offer outstanding value.
The resale depreciation itself is enough to impact on the value of the car. I have owned a few Holdens and I will never buy another one, everytime I go in to trade for a new model, I am offered less than half of what I’ve paid 3 years ago, which is depressing.
Our VE Commodore’s interior is also poorly put together. The materials itself are top shelf plastics which are resistant to scratches compared to say a Corolla, however, they are dull and do not stay in place.
And aside of the size and space of these local models, there is nothing valuable about it, not even the pricing. Engine power aside, everything else costs as much as the equivalent model from European brand, a mile ahead of equivalent Japanese model.
I am eyeing my next purchase on the Honda Accord Euro, for the same price I pay for a mid-level Commodore, I am getting a top-spec Euro, with all the luxury options such as leather/electric/heated seats, HID projector head-lights, reversing camera, navigation, sunroof, and so much more. All of which except for the power of an engine, however, a more reliable engine in the long-run, and more efficient too.
And when coming to think of it, you locally built car should cost much cheaper than most other brands in the market, not just matching the prices. I don’t care about the tax duty imposed by the government, at the end of the day, you buy a locally built mass production car, you would expect it to be affordable, and price-smashing the Europeans.
Yes, Tocam, I generally agree with your comments.
There are always pro and con arguments for a car-buying decision. Most cars today are pretty good all-round, so that final decisions are based on personal preference, proximity of the dealer, getting a test drive (a friend bought a BMW 1 after the VW dealer didn’t even allow her a test drive of a GTi), or even getting decent service from the person answering the phone!
However, I think you’re comparing apples with oranges. To consider a Honda Euro you obviously only carry little people or no one in the back seat - and that’s a critical issue for my tall family. (Which is a key reason why I looked seriously at a Superb… but it’s narrow which was a downside for me with a need to carry three across the back at times.) Presently, there is no locally built mass-produced car which is as small as a Euro. The Camry is bigger, and cheaper. Next year, there will be the local Cruze at a lower price. I doubt that people buying those would cross-shop a Euro.
Depreciation is always a big expense if we buy a new car. Some models do better than others but after a few years (more than 3) a lot depends on how well a car has been maintained. And if we pay full sticker price for a new car then we’ll almost always get hurt financially if we sell in 3 years. Holden and Ford (and most other cars for people on an average income - just check out the car sales websites!) should be bought at well below list price or we simply haven’t done our homework and have no one to blame but ourselves.
Reliability of a car’s mechanical systems depends a lot on driving style and maintenance. Consider what the taxi industry drives and how those motors get hammered for hundreds of thousands of km.
Reliability is a key factor behind Corolla’s sales success. Right now I wouldn’t buy a Corolla, but in 20yrs time I may get one - just like I happily guided my dad to get one as his last car.
If reliability is the paramount factor in a purchasing decision, then the latest reliability surveys would lead us to buy Korean, if I remember the results correctly! Now, that’s an interesting thought!
Those reliability surveys would lead me never to buy a Jeep. Many European cars, even premium models, don’t fare too well either. Yet if I had MUCH more money than I do, a BMW 7 or Merc S would be “nice”. Maybe that just demonstrates how, if we’re honest, our decisions aren’t totally rational, are they? All sorts of personal bias and ego enters in. Meanwhile, I don’t even bother to dream of such cars.
There are other much more important issues in life.
Let’s just enjoy different cars for different reasons.