Holden launches ecoline, includes V8 engines
Australia's Holden, a unit from General Motors, has announced a new badge for all vehicles that it equips with some sort of alternative fuel or gas-saving technology: ecoline. Holden faces a bit of an uphill climb when it comes to environmentally-friendly technology, as the marque is best known for its large, rear-wheel drive, V8-powered coupes, sedans and utes. This new ecoline badge is meant to soften that image somewhat. Unfortunately, the ecoline badge won't mean much until 2012 or so when hybrids and diesels are expected to be offered by Holden in Australia. Until then, the most fuel efficient models that will get the badge will be equipped with V8 engines, though they will get Active Fuel Management, which cuts the number of cylinders that fire when maximum power isn't needed. This type of technology is effective and has been available in the U.S. from GM for a while, but it doesn't seem like quite enough to earn a special badge. Perhaps that should have waited for the hybrids and diesels.
[Source: Fullboost]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
O2 10:42AM (10/11/2008)
FAIL.
GM has got to be the most clueless car company in the world, maybe with the exception of Tata and their factory fiasco.
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JamesWB 1:01PM (10/11/2008)
Why is it they are going to be the first to bring a real plug in hybrid to the market then?
Peekoyle 12:40AM (10/12/2008)
Yeah I'm from Australia and it just baffles me that GMH is going down this route when the sales of their 'bread and butter' V6 sedans are rapidly going south.
2012? yeh right!
If things keep going the way they are the Holden plant will be shut down by 2011!
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Phil 10:13AM (10/12/2008)
They have the cheek to call a V8 'ecoline' because it has cylinder deactivation?
They must be thanking some deity that oil has dropped in price if they think that is 'eco'.
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