Holden Commodore VF: The Last Full-Size Holden Built in Australia

The Holden Commodore VF was a full-size sedan and wagon built by Holden from June 2013 to October 2017. It was the last Commodore to be manufactured in Australia, and the final VF rolled off the line on 20 October 2017.

This profile follows the car from its VE roots and its engine line-up, through the Series II update and the Gen-F performance models, to the V8 Supercars results and the closing of Holden's Australian production.

What was the VF Commodore?

The VF was the second iteration of the fourth-generation Commodore and followed the VE series. Holden was the former Australian subsidiary of General Motors, and the car was offered as a sedan and a wagon.

The luxury version was sold as the Holden Calais, and utility models were sold as the Holden Ute. The long-wheelbase Holden Caprice (WN) was released in June 2013 alongside it, and the Commodore was rebadged in the United States as the Chevrolet SS.

The last Holden-branded car built in Australia, a full-size sedan that kept the VE's bones and gained a bigger V8.

Why did General Motors end Australian production?

In December 2013 General Motors announced that it would discontinue all Australian production in 2017. The large-car market was already shrinking, with sales of large cars falling 14.7 per cent in 2013.

The Ford Falcon (FG) was the direct competitor to the VF, and the Toyota Aurion was also losing ground. The last VF left the line on 20 October 2017, closing Holden's manufacturing in Australia.

How much of the VE did the VF keep?

Its underpinnings were the GM Zeta platform, which the VE Commodore had introduced. Its body shell, windows, doors, mirrors and roof were carried over from the VE, so the change was mainly one of styling and equipment.

The new styling covered the front and rear, with altered headlights and, on sedans only, altered tail lamps. Performance models used a lip spoiler instead of a rear wing, and the plastic of the intake and grille was changed.

What changed inside the VF?

The interior underwent major changes. The boot lid release moved from the glovebox to the doors, and an electronic handbrake was fitted.

Every model came with an eight-inch touch screen in the centre console, keyless entry and auto-park assist. Optional features included a head-up display, forward and rear collision warnings, blind spot monitors and a lane departure warning system.

The VF also replaced the hydraulic steering used on previous Commodores with electric power steering. That improved fuel economy but cost some steering feel, a trade-off for fuel economy.

Where was the VF tested?

Australia hosted most of the development work, while road miles were also logged in Germany, the Middle East, North America and Sweden. The SS V and Calais V show cars made their public debut on 10 February 2013.

The first pre-production models were completed in April 2013, and the Gen-F performance cars followed in August of the same year.

How safe was the VF?

The VF achieved five stars in the ANCAP safety ratings. It was found to have good whiplash protection, but pedestrian protection was marginal, at 15.41 out of a possible 36 points.

A seatbelt fault led to a recall of close to 42,000 VF and WN Caprice cars in May 2014. The pretensioner wiring harness could contact part of the buckle assembly, which risked disabling the pretensioner in a crash. A month later the windscreen wiper motor drive gear was recalled, and LPG models were recalled in July after a feed hose was found to leak slowly.

What engines did the VF use?

Under the bonnet the VF kept the VE's engine range, with small revisions for performance and economy. The automatic gearbox was redesigned to give more appropriate gear selections.

Fuel economy was improved by aluminium body panels and components, which made the VF 43 kilograms (95 lb) lighter than the VE. The coefficient of drag dropped from 0.33 to 0.30, and fuel consumption fell by between three and eight per cent depending on the engine and specification.

The VE's E85 compatibility was carried forward to the V8 engines, and the V6 kept it until it was dropped in the 2015 model year.

What was the Series II update?

The Series II arrived in September 2015 as the MY16 model, also called the VF II. Its biggest change was the 6.2-litre LS3 V8, rated at 304 kW (408 hp) and 570 N-m, which replaced the 6.0-litre L77 across the V8 models.

A bimodal exhaust became standard on the SS, SS V and Redline models, and it was optional on the Calais V when the LS3 was fitted. The VF II also brought new LED taillights to all wagons and restyled the front bumper and running lights.

The VF II dropped the LPG versions of the Commodore, and the Ute was unveiled in October at the Deniliquin Ute Muster.

Which models made up the Commodore range?

The Evoke sat at the bottom of the range, succeeding the Berlina and Omega. Its engine was the 3.0-litre SIDI V6, with a 3.6-litre LPG V6 as an option, and it came on 16-inch wheels.

The SV6 was the sports V6, using the 3.6-litre SIDI V6 with 18-inch alloy wheels. The SS was the sports sedan, based on the SV6, and the SS V added 19-inch wheels and an enhanced instrument display.

The Calais and Calais V were automatic-only luxury models, fitted with a 3.6-litre SIDI V6. The Calais V could be ordered with the 6.0-litre L77 V8, and it added satellite navigation, parking assist and a sunroof on the sedan.

What were the limited editions?

Several limited editions were produced. The International celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Commodore nameplate, and the Storm featured Storm badging, satellite navigation and red seat stitching.

The Collingwood edition was produced in Heron White and celebrated the Collingwood Football Club, with unique wheels and embroidered floor mats. The Craig Lowndes edition marked the driver's 20th anniversary of competing with Holden in touring car racing.

The Sandman edition came on the SV6 and SS V Redline, as a Sportswagen and a Ute. It carried Sandman decals and 20-inch wheels, and it paid tribute to the Holden Sandman.

The Black Edition, offered on the SV6 and SS, blacked out the exterior chroming and added red leather stitching inside.

The Director, Motorsport and Magnum models arrived in 2017. The Director was based on the Calais V and paid homage to Peter Brock's HDT Director, while the Reserve Edition was sold only to Holden employees.

The Motorsport edition was based on the SS V Redline sedan, with Magnetic Ride Control, 20-inch wheels and cross-drilled Brembo rotors. The Magnum was based on the SS V Redline ute and took its name from the HDT Magnum.

What were the HSV Gen-F models?

Gen-F performance models from Holden Special Vehicles reached showrooms in August 2013. The range included the ClubSport, Grange, GTS, Maloo and Senator Signature, and the Caprice-based Grange ended production in 2016.

The ClubSport was the entry-level model, with the 6.2-litre LS3 producing 317 kW (425 hp) and 550 N-m. The ClubSport R8 raised that to 325 kW (436 hp), and the R8 SV reached 340 kW (456 hp) and 570 N-m.

The GTS was the flagship, with a 6.2-litre supercharged LSA rated at 430 kW (577 bhp) and 740 N-m of torque. The GTSR arrived in 2015 at 435 kW (583 hp) with a Tremec six-speed manual.

The Maloo was the utility model based on the Holden Ute, and the Senator Signature was the luxury model at 340 kW (456 hp) with Magnetic Ride Control suspension.

How did the Chevrolet SS fit in?

The Chevrolet SS was a full-size sedan sold under the Chevrolet name in the United States from 2013 to 2017. It was manufactured by Holden on the VF Commodore and is considered the successor to the Pontiac G8.

The SS was powered by the 6.2-litre LS3 V8, with output of 309 kW (415 hp) and 563 N-m, and it carried the same basic bodywork as the Australian car.

How did the VF perform in V8 Supercars?

The race prototype first turned a wheel on 13 October 2012 at Lang Lang Proving Ground, Holden's test track. The programme was led by Holden Motorsport technical manager Peter Harker, and the VF was the first Holden built to the New Generation V8 Supercar regulations.

The V8 Supercar version used a 5-litre V8 and 18-inch control wheels. It debuted at the 2013 Clipsal 500, where Craig Lowndes and Shane van Gisbergen took their cars to victory in the two races.

Across 2013 the VF Commodore won most of the season's races. Holden secured the Manufacturers' Championship with fourteen races remaining, and Jamie Whincup won the championship ahead of his Triple Eight teammate Lowndes.

Garry Rogers Motorsport first showed the homologated V8 Supercar on 11 February 2013, and Holden's official unveiling followed at its headquarters later that day. Triple Eight, Tekno Autosports, Brad Jones Racing, Garry Rogers Motorsport and the Holden Racing Team all won races in the new Commodore that year.

A first Bathurst 1000 win came in 2015, when the Red Bull Racing Australia car was driven by Craig Lowndes and Steven Richards. In 2017 Whincup won the Supercars championship in the final race, after McLaughlin was penalised for causing Lowndes to hit the wall.

How was the VF advertised?

Two television commercials launched the car in Australia. The Turns Heads. Changes Minds. spot showed the head-up display and automatic parking assist, while the Think now. Think Tomorrow. Think Holden. commercial built around a patriotic theme.

A commercial called Power Ahead was released with the Series II update.

What are the Holden Commodore VF specifications?