I think that if you are expecting the G8 to have a killer interior then you are going to be dissapointed. Industry average - no more, no less.
I have seen many fanciful comments regarding this car ever since it was announced and I think a lot of it has to do with peoples misconceptions about what sort of a car the Commodore is and by extension what sort of a carmaker Holden is. Holden is a maker of good value family cars, and sporty variations on that theme - they are not a cut price BMW. Holdens priorities when designing the VE were :
Practicality - VE is first and foremost a family car built for Australia, therefore considerations such as interior space, durability, ease of use, and the ability to carry a family and tow their caravan or boat are some of its most important aspects.
Price - Holden is the equivalent of Chev in Australia, they cannot charge large premiums for their cars and so there will be compromises. I think Holden does as good a job as any to keep these to a minimum but this is why you end up with an average interior. The upside is the engineering that goes into the platform itself.
Performance - This is the bit you should be excited about because having driven many VE's they are, in my opinion, a great fun car to throw around (for a family car) and I think your expectations in this area will not only be met but exceeded.
Pizzaz - This is where Australia differs most with the U.S. in vehicle tastes IMO and if you cant live without all the bells and whistles then the G8 is probably not the car for you.
In summary, if you are after a cheap, sporty, large, comfortable family sedan get a G8. However if you want to add all the best quality interior appointments and all the newest and greatest innovations then frankly, I think you need to open up your wallets a bit further.