More than one in three Holden Commodores sold is fitted with a V8 engine.

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"More than one in three Holden Commodores sold is fitted with a V8 engine.

Since the heavily revised new VF Commodore went on sale in mid-2013 37 per cent of the Commodores sold have been fitted with a high performance V8 - either the 6.0-litre version in regular Commodores or the 6.2-litres fitted to HSV variants.

It’s believed to be the highest share of V8s in the Commodore’s 26-year history and is indicative of the popularity of the brand to motoring enthusiasts and those wanting an affordable, large, practical car that’s fun to drive.

“We’re selling a rich mix of cars – high end cars and V8s,” said Holden’s executive director of sales and marketing, Philip Brook.
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About half of the Holden Commodore Utes sold is fitted with a V8, while the sedans and wagons are increasingly being chosen by private buyers with the higher output engine.

“It’s a strong mix of V8s,” said Brook, who puts it down to the driving experience and a healthy Australian appetite for performance cars.

“If you take a V6 [Commodore] it’s very good, if you take a V8 it’s outstanding,” said Brook.

The big winner from the push towards V8s has been the sporty SS, SS-V and SS-V Redline models, which now account for 23 per cent of Commodore sales – almost one in four of the 35,000-odd sold annually.

Brook concedes much of the growth in share of V8 sales within the Commodore range is due to the drop-off in fleet and government sales, which gravitate towards more affordable and efficient V6 versions.

“One of the big reductions over the years has been government sales and a bit of large fleet ... and they traditionally all bought V6s.”

The sales are the latest example of buyers putting performance or practicality ahead of fuel consumption.

V6 versions of the Commodore use between 8.3 and 9.6 litres of fuel per 100km, whereas the V8 versions use between 11.5 and 11.7L/100km up to 41 per cent more.

Sales of large SUVs have also boomed over the past decade, with buyers demanding additional space at the expense of fuel consumption.

When Holden ceases production of the Commodore in Australia by the end of 2017 it is likely to continue selling high performance, rear-wheel-drive models.

It’s understood General Motors is working on a V8-powered performance sedan to replace the Chevrolet SS, a car currently produced by Holden and exported to the United States.

Volume selling Holden large cars – which may or may not be called Commodores – would likely be a separate body and use a four-cylinder or hybrid powertrain driving the front wheels."
http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/v...619-zse7e.html