Powerful duo feel the heat

continued from B9

its German bones are worthy of its most quintessentially Australian name.

The Commodore is the more sophisticated. Its updated 3.6-litre naturally aspirated V6, developing 235kW with 381Nm or torque is hooked up to an in-house GM ninespeed automatic and ‘Twinster’ allwheel drive system.

The Camry has a 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 which produces slightly less oomph (224kW and 362Nm). And that power is channelled through its front wheels (with the aid of an eightspeed automatic), instead of through all four. The pairing completes the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.2 seconds and 6.8 seconds, respectively.

Although the Commodore’s layout might be more attractive, the Camry ensures this will be a good fight by pulling it back on pricing. The VXR starts at $67,990 — a full 20 grand more than the Camry’s $47,990.

And, on first glance, it’s hard to nail where that price gulf comes from.

To my retinas, the Camry is the more attractive. Inside and out it takes more risks. The bodywork is more creased and aggressive, while the snaking line that slices down the dashboard looks more like something that belongs on a Lexus than on a Toyota.

Apart from its sloping lift-back roof-line and intricate 20in wheels, the Commodore is the more introverted.

Though it’s smaller than a VF by 50mm and 36mm in length and width, it does a good job to blend in with the family lineage — particularly inside, where the dashboard layout looks and feels ‘Commodore’.

Both combatants are equipped with a comprehensive stack of safety tech, but the Commodore has the edge for toys via its inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — plus trick AGR-certified front seats that include ventilation, massaging, and adjustable bolstering in their features.

The Commodore’s shrunken dimensions aren’t necessarily felt in the front, but they are beyond the B-pillar. The tighter dimensions and a ‘coupe' silhouette steal some headroom and width, and space is down by five litres in the boot. Still, rear legroom feels on par with previous Commodores, and the liftback opening improves ease of access.

On the other hand, the Camry’s rear seating and 525L boot capacity trump the Commodore's. And this sets the tone for the Toyota’s biggest plus; usability.

Superior practicality is supported by better fuel consumption figures. The Camry managed to turn 8.5L/100km in mild urban driving, while the Commodore seemed stuck at 11.5L/100km in similar latte-sipping terrain — despite its cylinder deactivation tech.

It’s more comfortable than the Commodore too, via its simpler combined MacPherson strut and double wishbone suspension set-up. It’s uprated over the standard calibration, but still forgiving over bumps in the road.

However, don’t assume the Commodore is miles behind on comfort. The manufacturer’s specialised Aussie tuning has always resulted in well damped cars, and it’s no different here.

The Holden comes with Continuous Damper Control, which allows drivers to tweak the ‘HiPer Strut’ front end and five-link rear end calibration on the run. And it’s here, talking about driveability, that the tide begins to turn.

At the centre of my week of testing was a telling short, sharp, back-toback thrash of both cars through Scenic Drive and back — a brisk backroad bash that would last an hour for each car.

While the Camry’s Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres were lukewarm in front and stone cold in back after its drive, the Commodore’s larger and stickier Michelin Super Sports rubber was hot on all four corners.

The Camry does comfort very well, but the experience starts to deteriorate when you push the performance envelope. Power delivery is smooth and predictable, but the Camry struggles to put all of it’s power to the ground.

Wet or dry, it would continually engage in wheel-spin off the line — and this manifested itself in cornerentry understeer and fistfuls of midcorner push and body roll during