CAR.SPACE

VL Commodore 3.0 (Nissan RB30E)

VL · 1986–1988RWDSedan

The base VL engine: the Nissan RB30E 3.0-litre straight-six, single-point fuel injection, 114 kW at 5,200 rpm and 247 Nm at 3,600 rpm, with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed Jatco automatic. Replaced the Holden Black six, which could not run on unleaded petrol. 0-100 km/h 9.2 s manual, 11.1 s automatic (Unique Cars).

153 hpPower
11.1 s0-100 km/h
1986-1988Year
Engineering passport

Specifications

Powertrain
Engineering details
Engine3.0L Nissan RB30E straight-six, fuel injection
Displacement3.0 L
Cylinders6
AspirationNaturally aspirated
FuelPetrol
Transmission5-speed Manual / 4-speed Automatic
DrivetrainRWD
Performance
Numbers that matter
Power153 hp
Torque247 Nm
0-100 km/h11.1 s
Fuel tank63 L
Dimensions & body
Length · 4766 mm
Wheelbase · 2668 mm
BodySedan
Doors4
Seats5

STORY

The Commodore was Holden's large family car from 1978 to 2020. The first generation, the VB, went on sale in October 1978. It was an Opel Rekord E with the front end of the Opel Senator A, fitted with Holden's own six-cylinder and V8 engines. It was Wheels Car of the Year for 1978 and Australia's best-selling car in 1979.

The VN of 1988 was a larger, re-engineered car with a locally built 3.8-litre V6 and a 165 kW 5.0 V8, and it was Wheels Car of the Year for 1988. The VT of 1997 used the Opel Omega B platform and won the same award for 1997. The VE of 2006 and the VF of 2013 were built on the Zeta platform, and the VF was sold in the United States as the Chevrolet SS.

The last VF left the Elizabeth plant on 20 October 2017, the last Holden-badged car made in Australia. The final Commodore, the ZB of 2018, was an imported Opel Insignia B built in Russelsheim, Germany. Holden sold it until the brand ended in 2020.

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