HSV LPG to arrive in 2010

The company’s managing director, Phil Harding, admits some work still needs to be done to convince HSV dealers and customers to get onside with a dual-fuel LPG HSV. I am doing this program without solid customer demand, Harding says. My philosophy is that we have to have this in the cupboard.

Harding says the LPG car is one of a range of initiatives being looked at by the company as the drive for fuel economy and lower emissions builds momentum. "We have been looking at a range of alternative powertrain solutions to complement our existing range, including LPG, diesel and E85," he says. "There hasn't been much we haven't studied in detail."

Despite a dual-fuel LPG car emerging as a HSV priority, the company's own research shows that fuel economy is not a high priority among its buyers. Harding says the 6.2-litre V8 LPI — liquid propane injection — sedan and ute will have all the driving attributes and performance of a petrol car.

Most people would not know that it is an LPI car, he says. Under full throttle the car accelerates on petrol. HSV has sent three test cars for cold weather testing in recent weeks and the reports back from the engineering team are encouraging, Harding says. Engines are also undergoing durability testing.

If all goes well, HSV expects to have the LPI car in dealers in the first quarter of 2010. "That's a little later than I planned but it's still an exciting program," Harding says. "We are very excited about the potential for high performance LPG-powered HSV."

Harding says the LPI sedan will have a fully trimmed boot with the LPG tank hard up against the rear seat. In the ute, the tank will be set into the load bay. Harding says he is very excited about the potential for high-performance LPG-powered car after HSV bypassed a turbo-diesel engine. The diesel fell over because the profit returns could not be generated from the investment required.

HSV has been working hard to make sure the LPI HSV has comparable performance to a conventional petrol engine. Acceleration is as quick as the petrol-only car. Harding says the payback for an HSV LPI owner would be 12 months. We have not set a price but we are not going to subsidise it, Harding says.

At this stage a diesel is unlikely, even though Holden is pushing ahead with its own diesel program. "We looked at it seriously and the business case does not stack up," Harding says. The diesel most likely for the Commodore is a 2.9-litre V6 with 184kW/550Nm being developed in Italy.

With a torque output of more than 200Nm above the 3.0-litre petrol SIDI V6 now used in the Commodore, the turbo-diesel is expected to have lively performance and good fuel economy. The engine is being developed as part of a General Motors partnership with VM Motori, which specialises in diesels.