review from www.fastlane.com.au

In the Commodore `S' ... with Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Holden gave us our first taste of its supercharged V6 as an option in the VS-model Statesman, and it so impressed us that the only question was "what'll it be like in a Commodore?"

When such a car finally arrived for testing we found the blown V6 nestled under the hood of a Commodore `S', a car which at times seems to have two distinct personalities.

A subordinate to the SS and its 5.0 litre V8, the `S' has always relied on the 3.8 V6 but looks like its big brother, with spoilers and scoops all over, and runs on slightly smaller wheels/tyres.

There are no major differences inside, where it's easy for the longest legs to get comfortable, and the seats offer excellent support at all points.

And this car also had the same Herculean door-hinge springs as every VT I've encountered, with a tendency to spring back at you when half-open. Not such a surprise now, of course, but I still recall the bump on my head that was inflicted by a VT Executive...

Standard gear includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel but, again like the SS, it's just a standard Commodore wheel that really does not seem to fit the car's rather sporty nature.

A manual gearbox can't be ordered with the blower V6 (pity about that), but the 4-speed auto can utilise the power with great efficiency. The testcar was also fitted with optional ABS braking and Traction Control (TC).

A `first' for a large Australian-built sedan, TC uses the ABS wheel sensors to measure and control wheelspin. Combined with the optional limited slip diff, even on gravel or wet bitumen it would probably take a stupid amount of throttle to make it skew sideways. (But you can switch TC off if you like.)

The belt-driven supercharger puts the V6 on a level playing field with V8s, and lets it play with the big kids.

Docile enough around town with a light boot on the throttle, its 171kW of power and 375Nm of torque are constantly on tap, without the delay or `lag' found in most turbos, making the S a lively performer in its own right.

The blower means having to buy Premium unleaded, but it averaged a reasonable consumption on test of 12L/100km (23.5mpg).

It pulls hard from rest, and at 110kmh in top gear is at an easy canter, turning at just under 2,000rpm like an ordinary V6 - but squeeze the accelerator and it breaks into a gallop.

Perhaps the strangest aspect of the blown V6 is the smooth way it delivers its very respectable `grunt'. While the surge of power feels like a V8, it happens without the characteristic rumble.

Handling capabilities of the `S' are fairly similar to the `SS' as both ride on the FE2 Sport Suspension, the `S' riding on Michelin Pilot SX tyres on 16 inch wheels compared to the 17 inch rims of the SS.Assured and comfortable on the open road (where the standard cruise control helps avoid close encounters of the blue light kind), the Commodore S also scores highly for having headlights capable of detecting suicidal kangaroos with ease!mething not really noted in other VTs I have driven, possibly because they did not have the optional single CD player fitted to this vehicle, is the generous capacity of the centre console. CDs can be a pain to store away securely, but several can fit easily into the main console box.

Living with the Commodore S could be almost like having two cars in one, thanks to its Jekyll and Hyde split personality.

Doddling around town it's the mild-mannered Dr Jekyll, quiet and unassuming - but on the open road with the right conditions, it can become the loud and obnoxious Mr Hyde.

Hyde was right - schizophrenia can be fun.

Nuts-N-Bolts : supercharged V6 Commodore S

Engine: 3.8 litre (3791cc) Ecotec V6. OHV, two valves per cylinder. Belt-driven supercharger.

Power / Torque: 171kW @ 5200rpm - 375Nm @ 3000rpm

Suspension: Independent FE2 sport . Front - MacPherson struts. Rear - semitrailing arms.

Steering: Power assisted rack and pinion.

Brakes: Discs allround, ventilated front disc & finned caliper. (ABS & Traction Control optional)

Transmission: 4-speed electronically controlled automatic.

Wheels - Tyres: 16 x 7 inch alloys - P225/50 ZR16 Michelin Pilot SX

Warranty: 3 years/100,000kms