Each model of the 2006 VE Commodore range has a more individual interior than any previous family created by Holden.

The pursuit of a stand-alone appearance for each model was coupled with aggressive quality targets, driven by a strict process to benchmark Commodore interiors against some of the world’s most expensive cars.

Critical areas such as part-to-part fit, material surfaces, storage openings and other interior treatments were reviewed to the tiniest detail.

Holden Design Director, Tony Stolfo, said Holden worked tirelessly to achieve benchmarks for the fourth generation vehicles, enjoying the freedom of a clean sheet to design Commodore’s driver and passenger spaces.

Stolfo said distinct interior themes for functional, performance and luxury models were key to Holden’s interior design strategy.

He said the new Commodore had been designed for left-hand-drive and right-hand-drive applications, making use of clever ideas such as an integrated handbrake function so Commodore could potentially enter any market around the world.

“Near enough was never good enough with the new Commodore,” Stolfo said.

“We designed for greater flexibility to give buyers greater choice across the range. We wanted to personalise every model to ensure we met and exceeded their expectations.

“We have created a very fresh looking interior across all models. It has been taken to another level by using form, color, textiles, decoration, grain, technology and other features. We are able to offer three distinct personalities across the range.

“Underlying this has been the quest for quality, from the way the fabrics feel to the tightened gaps and margins.”

Holden Design Manager John Field said quality targets were a major foundation of VE’s design program.

“Gap margins and flushness dimensions were developed with reference to ‘best of the best’ benchmarking data,” Field said.

Field said Holden carefully planned to achieve maximum differentiation between each of the Commodore variants.

“The functional, performance and luxury models each have specific centre stack features, mouldings, displays, decoration and illumination colours,” he said.

Field said Holden sought active safety improvements through intelligent design of driver controls, making them simple and intuitive to use to minimise driver distraction.

“As the road is the driver’s focus, primary information is placed in front of the driver in a display within the instrument cluster,” he said.

“Push-button and scrolling thumbwheel controls on the steering wheel manage trip, audio and other functions while more detailed information is displayed in the centre of the car.”

Color and Trim

Holden’s desire to create individual identities for the members of its all-new Commodore family gave Color and Trim designers more freedom than ever before. The colors, materials and textures were largely identified several years ago in a high pressure environment of trend selection and design.

The team developed an integrated strategy based on a simple concept: “Understand who you are designing for,” said Chief Designer, Color and Trim, Sharon Gauci.

She said the long timeframes required by automotive production were naturally opposed to the increasingly fashion-based nature of their work.

“Researching trends and exploring design is an integral part of our job because we work at least four years before start of production. Whether it’s fashion, art, nature, and architecture or interior design as examples, we collate and use the information as a benchmark to create designs relevant for our product and our customers,” Gauci said.

“We build a picture of where culture is going, who is buying what types of products. We continuously question how the trends and ideas relate to our product and market.

Gauci said color and trim designers had to understand which elements of the car needed to stand out and make a statement and which needed to be held back.

“An example of this is the aggressive ‘look at me’, sport themed interior with hero coloured accent on the instrument panel and seats as opposed to the luxuriously detailed, quieter interior ambience of a Calais V or the purposeful, smart, tailored interior of an Omega,” she said.

Gauci said the team, under previous Chief Designer Jenny Morgan-Douralis, created a design strategy providing the right amount of emotion and series differentiation with minimal complexity.

VE COMMODORE INTERIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Décor and finishes

• Jewelled modern satin chrome highlights demonstrate functionality and purpose
• Modern fine metallic paints define smooth surfaces
• Visual clutter minimised by an integrated park brake lever and invisible passenger airbag door
• Two new grain textures enhance surface vision and touch with emphasis on quality

Seats and trim

• Four new seats, five new fabrics and three new leathers. Seat trims are cut and sewn which allows greater flexibility in design and material construction
• New supple and luxurious leather constructions for seat and door trim application, with new perforations for sports and luxury models

Omega and Berlina

• ‘Down and away’ instrument panel, flush centre stack and a horizontal decorative appliqué and door armrests, provide a feeling of expansiveness
• The serpentine plan view of the instrument panel provides spaciousness while presenting centre stack controls within comfortable reach
• Woodgrain interpreted in line with modern interior and architectural trends (Berlina)
• Storage includes large glovebox, armrest underside with clips for pens and cards. Console has a trinket tray and dual cup holders. Front and rear door trims have bins for drink bottles
• Omega instrument cluster includes a central vertical-format dot matrix screen, augmented by a high-mounted five-inch monochrome display
• Berlina adds two auxiliary cluster displays. Centre screen relocated, enlarged to 5.5-inches
• Green illumination

Gauci: “Omega is a well tailored and understated execution. There is enough decoration in the car to make it look attractive mixed with fabric focused on texture and simple placement. Berlina has light, linear wood-trim design across the appliqué with architecturally inspired fabric, providing the right ingredients for contemporary flair.”

SV6, SS and SS V

• Performance interiors convey sports car cockpit effect
• Vertical ‘waterfall’ theme with driver and passenger compartments split into ‘pods’ by unique centre stack offset to the instrument panel
• Unique longitudinal colour break-up and vertical door grab handles on SS V
• Abrupt interface between instrument panel and console adds to motorsport effect
• Sports instrumentation supplemented by a high-mounted auxiliary display above centre vents
• Large color screen in centre stack on SS V
• Red illumination

Gauci: “The SV6 interior is dark and brooding, emphasizing the sport heritage. There is enough decoration in the interior to add some interest. SS V has an aggressive theme taking sport interiors to a new level. Either in Onyx, Ignition or Redhot, colour is applied to the instrument panel and seats for those customers wanting to be expressive and have a sense of customisation.”

Calais and Calais V

• Luxury feel is provided by additional features, trim and decorative elements and vertical door grab handles
• Textured metal veneer applied on Calais V to give honest representation of touch and feel
• Spacious, horizontal design cues with aluminium appliqué, low-profile centre vents on Calais V
• The 6.5-inch full-colour centre display is context-sensitive
• On Calais V, visual clutter is further reduced by hinged door pockets
• Overhead zone includes integrated DVD player, screen and controls
• Luxury white illumination

Gauci: “Calais V treatment is the ultimate fusion of luxury and sport. This interior has beautiful leathers with twin needle, suede wrapping and Rado and satin chrome detailing. The appliqué is finished with a genuine aluminium veneer, a first for a locally produced car.”