Safety
Engine packaging became a contentious issue during development. Holden's designers wanted the engine positioned well behind the front axle to allow short overhangs and an overall sportier appearance, whereas the crash engineers were concerned that this would reduce the body's impact absorption in an accident. Negotiation between designers and crash engineers resulted in moving of some of the engine components, including relocating the battery to the boot, freeing up valuable front-end space. By having the engine moved back and further down, the VE Commodore also benefits from near perfect 50:50 weight distribution across all variants, leading to superior handling. Crash engineers introduced several other safety initiatives, including relocating the fuel tank in front of the rear-axle line, instead of behind. A more crash-resistant rear-end was also seen as necessary. The design though had to incorporate a spacious boot and a spare-wheel bay that could house the largest-sized wheel to be fitted to the car. Crash test results from Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) rate the VE lower in the offset frontal impact test than the previous generation Commodore. The overall crash score was marginally higher than the outgoing VZ, due to improvements in side impact protection giving a score of 27.45 out of 37 or a four star rating out of a possible five.
Holden’s standardisation of six airbags in March 2008 for MY09 made the VE eligible for the ANCAP side pole test, yielding additional scoring points. The second stage of the VE’s safety rollout in October 2008 for MY09.5 included the addition of an energy absorbing steering column shroud and redesigned rear door latches across the VE range. The inclusion of a seat belt reminder on the Omega sedan yielded another point, thus allowing the Omega sedan to score five-stars, or a score of 33.45 when tested the following December. The Omega Sportwagon was the next model to be awarded the full five stars the following February, following the addition of a seat belt reminder in Sportwagon production. The remaining VE models, including the Ute and WM Statesman/Caprice, which had already received most of the safety upgrades, received the seat belt reminder as standard fitment as of MY10 production from August 2009. As a result, all VE sedan and Sportwagon variants along with the extended length WM models received the five-star rating. The VE Ute officially received the rating on 19 October 2009, making the entire lineup of Australian-made Holdens five-star ANCAP rated.
Read more about this topic: Holden VE Commodore
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