It may be wearing a Buick badge but this is the best look yet at the next generation of performance-orientated Holden Commodores.

This leaked image of the Chinese market Buick Regal GS previews the look of the range-topping V6-powered Commodore, which will sit above the predominantly four-cylinder range. The image shows the V6 getting a unique front bumper and alloy wheels to give it a sportier appearance to go with its more powerful engine.

The 3.6-litre V6 will produce 230kW of power and 370Nm of torque, well short of the current Commodore SS and it's 304kW V8, and is expected to be paired exclusively to a nine-speed automatic transmission.

What badge the new generation V6 Commodore will carry is uncertain at this stage. The previous Holden Insignia model carried the VXR name, a reference to General Motor's British brand Vauxhall. Another possibility is SV6, which has previously graced the Australian-made Commodore.

What's certain is it won't wear the SS badge, which Holden is retiring with the V8 engine.

The sporty Commodore is expected to get a unique interior treatment too, with sports seats and a flat-bottom steering wheel among the design touches.

Holden and Buick were instrumental in General Motor's decision to develop a V6 engine for this new generation Commodore/Regal/Insignia. German division Opel, which led the development on the car, originally wanted a strictly four-cylinder range.

Holden will compete with a turbocharged V6 version of the Commodore in the Supercars racing series, replacing the current V8, but it is understood a road-going version of the same Cadillac-sourced engine does not fit inside the road car's engine bay.

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