Holden VN Berlina Wagon (1988)
The VN series was released on 17 August 1988 and it was a rengineered hybrid of the European Opel Omega and Opel Senator. This donor body was paired to a Buick V6 engine or the Holden V8 engine. The project cost some A$200 million.
As well as being highly based on the Opel Senator, the VN also was similarly based on the Opel Omega, but this time, the previous VL Commodore floor plan was widened and stretched. The Commodore could now match the rival Ford Falcon for size. The VN Commodore was available in Executive, S, SS, Berlina and Calais specification levels.
Changes in the relative values of the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, and the US dollar made it impractical to continue with the well-regarded Nissan engine of the VL. Instead, Holden adopted and domestically manufactured their own variant of the Buick LN3 V6 which was adopted from US market GM vehicles, although initially it was imported.
The 5.0-litre V8 remained optional and received a power boost to 165 kW (221 hp).
Under the Hawke government's Button car plan, which saw a reduction in the number of models manufactured locally, and the introduction of model sharing, the VN Commodore was rebadged as the Toyota Lexcen, launched in September 1989, named after the late America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen and replaced the previous similar-sized Toyota Crown S120 offered in Australia.
Holden VN Berlina Wagon (1988)
The VN series was released on 17 August 1988 and it was a rengineered hybrid of the European Opel Omega and Opel Senator. This donor body was paired to a Buick V6 engine or the Holden V8 engine. The project cost some A$200 million.
As well as being highly based on the Opel Senator, the VN also was similarly based on the Opel Omega, but this time, the previous VL Commodore floor plan was widened and stretched. The Commodore could now match the rival Ford Falcon for size. The VN Commodore was available in Executive, S, SS, Berlina and Calais specification levels.
Changes in the relative values of the Australian dollar, the Japanese yen, and the US dollar made it impractical to continue with the well-regarded Nissan engine of the VL. Instead, Holden adopted and domestically manufactured their own variant of the Buick LN3 V6 which was adopted from US market GM vehicles, although initially it was imported.
The 5.0-litre V8 remained optional and received a power boost to 165 kW (221 hp).
Under the Hawke government's Button car plan, which saw a reduction in the number of models manufactured locally, and the introduction of model sharing, the VN Commodore was rebadged as the Toyota Lexcen, launched in September 1989, named after the late America's Cup yacht designer, Ben Lexcen and replaced the previous similar-sized Toyota Crown S120 offered in Australia.