Traction control - an electronic safety feature previously available only on imported cars - reduces wheelspin by stabilising acceleration on a range of road surfaces.

Holden's Chassis Manager, Bill Hooper, says most drivers will notice the benefits of traction control even more than anti-lock braking (ABS).

"Not everyone does panic stops every day, but a lot of people pull away from traffic lights with one wheel on tram tracks, or pull out of gravel drives onto busy roads, or move off with one wheel on a grass verge. In these situations and in wet, slippery conditions generally, traction control ensures that the wheels don't spin unexpectedly and that the car accelerates smoothly, using the traction available from each wheel for the road surface it's sitting on. It's a state of the art European system that we've tuned specifically for Australian conditions," Bill Hooper said.

A 'first' for an Australian-built vehicle, VT Commodore's four-channel traction control system is linked to the vehicle's anti-lock braking system. It operates via a sophisticated wheel speed sensor which detects loss of traction and restores stability by reducing engine torque, braking the spinning wheel and transferring torque to the wheel with better traction. Depending on the conditions, it can also brake both rear wheels.

Fitted as standard on the Commodore Acclaim and the Holden Calais, traction control is available as an option on V6 and Supercharged V6-powered Commodore Executive, Berlina, S and SS models equipped with automatic transmission.