After much deliberation from Holden, the Australian automotive brand has decided to keep the storied Commodore name for its new full-size sedan set to debut in 2018. This is a move that was not taken lightly by executives, after realizing the devastating effects ending local manufacturing has cost the brand in terms of customer confidence.
The move was announced by Holden Executive Director of Sales, Peter Keley.
“The next-generation large car we have selected from GM’s global portfolio is worthy of the iconic Commodore nameplate,” Keley said.
Continuing his statement on the matter, Keley was outspoken on the vehicle Holden has a pivotal role in developing saying:
When it arrives in 2018, our new large car will honour Commodore’s heritage and support a long and successful future for Holden in Australia and New Zealand. Holden and Commodore aren’t going anywhere, they will remain pillars of Australian motoring for many years to come.
Customers have confirmed that retaining the Commodore nameplate is the right decision for Holden.
Through the process of selecting the vehicle, we put to customers a number of possible criteria to better understand what they felt was important for the car to be competitive in the Australian market. And, of course, whether it deserved the Commodore nameplate.
Ultimately, the overwhelming response from customers was that Holden should continue the Commodore nameplate into the future with our next-generation large car.
This is big news for the brand who is currently seeing sales drop 5.3 percent since announcing the closure of its local assembly. Previously, moved by customer disconcert, it was rumored the new sedan poised to replace the Holden Commodore would simply be badged as the Insignia, stemming from the development of the vehicle with Germany’s Opel.
Across 17 different customer research sessions, including current Commodore owners and non-owners, consumers wildly supported retaining the Commodore name.
“The vehicle will be tuned and honed by Holden engineers and technicians at our world-class Lang Lang Proving Ground in Victoria, ensuring it performs in Australian conditions and to Australian expectations. Right now, our Vehicle Performance team is helping shape the next-generation Commodore for Australian customers” continued Keley in his official statement on the news.
Stefan Jacoby, GM’s Vice President of Internation Operations, also commented on the news since he last went public on “underestimating” the closure of Holden’s manufacturing leg. He briefly stated the new Commodore will “compare very favorably  or improve upon” the current VF Commodore.
Some things still are left to the unknown, though. We highly doubt the next Commodore will be rear-wheel drive, as reports suggest the Opel Insignia will be a very close cousin to the new Commodore. But, we may be surprised after the rear-wheel drive flagship designed and built by Holden debuted in Detroit this month in form of the Buick Avenir.
We know the next-generation Commodore has been being developed by Opel for some time, and Mark Reuss confirmed the excitement felt at the launch of the Buick Avenir saying, “I think the brand is absolutely ready for this.” The brand he’s speaking of is Buick.
We wouldn’t be horribly surprised if there are a few clay models donning the Holden badge somewhere in Oz. One thing you can count on is the absence of a V8 engine, as either the Corvette or Camaro are headed Down Under to fulfill those duties.
Comments
I think it is really obvious the Buick Avenir is the car the new Commodore will become.
Let really consider what is in play here.
#1 it will be RWD and AWD, like the out going Zeta.
#2 The car is a Sedan just like the out going Zeta.
#3 The car was done with a great deal of work by Holden Just like the out going Zeta.
#4 it will have a V6 but it will carry the optional power of a Turbo version that will be equal to the V8 in the out going Zeta.
#5 this will be a more advanced and luxurious car than the present out going Zeta.
#6 Even if it is a better car in all aspect some Australians will still never be happy and just buy an imported Mazda anyway.
I really expect this car there as Holden hinted in plain sight last year to those who paid attention. This will be on the Omega that will provide things the Zeta just could not provide in light weight and stiffness. It will be a very up to date car and one that will impress in most markets. I just hope those down under will give it a chance as it will be a car better than they have had for a long time. Vauxhall will get one too I expect in Europe.
The Turbo V6 is pure speculation on my part but with Cadillac going to their own engines this should free the TT V6 for Buick and maybe a Chevy.
All I ask before someone pisses and moans on this is give this car a chance before you condemn it. At least hate it with an informed opinion. We lost our RWD sedans and had to rely on imported Holden’s and while not state of the art we were damn glad to have them. Better to have something than have nothing at all or a Toyota.
As for the lack of a V8 get used to it as only a few models will have them and they will get more and more expensive. I hate to say it but that came from people inside GM.
Are fuel economy and emissions regs really going to hit that hard? I would have thought the V8 would still have some life in it at the lower end of the market for at least the next 10-15 years.
Cross plane V8s usually come in sizes as small as 4.0 litres before for whatever engineering reasons it becomes impractical and you may as well drop 2 cyllinders. I would have thought with this in consideration, continuing advances in engine technology and cars getting progressively lighter that the V8 should be able to keep up for a little while yet.
The bottom line is smaller and smaller engines with forced induction get better real world MPG.
It was expressed by more than one GM insider that the future is less mass and smaller engines.
We are already seeing the 2.0 get replaced with 1.6 engines and the 1.4. Soon 3 cylinders will be very common too.
The V8 will be around and I expect a Cadillac V8 Turbo with 4.0 liters. That is my speculation. But it will not be cheap or built in great numbers. The Chevy V8 will remain available in the Camaro, Corvette and larger trucks but you will have to pony more money up for them.
54 MPG average in 2025 is going to hit and hit hard. I expect Cadillac to employ hybrid electric to assist and other tricks as they are to the point that you can only disable so many cylinders.
To keep performance up electric assist motors and less mass are key. Same for larger cars.
I expect the auto industry to make a move to cut the CAFE ratings if the Conservatives get in white house but I can say that is will not be a slam dunk they will roll it back.
Right now there are some radical things being said about future product and not all of it is all that appealing.
The truth is we have more than enough power in most cars. Do we really need 300 HP FWD cars? Not really and most HP power will remain the same as we have now but the engines will grow smaller like the 1.6 and the vehicles will get lighter so they will still run well, get better MPG and do all you can ask of them.
The only real thing the smaller engines can not do is sound like a V8 I am sad to day.
I owned two Big Block Chevys in the past and my FWD 2.0 Turbo stock is faster than either of them stock.
We will have fun cars to drive but we will have to get used to doing it in different ways.
I would not be surprised if the half ton trucks are all V6 at some point and the V8 will be restricted to 3/4 ton or larger. The Colorado at some point can replace the half ton and the 3/4 ton picks up the buyers who have to have a full size.
The regulations on the 3/4 ton will be much different and they will be able to be sold with the V8 more easily. Note even the Denali and High Country is now available on the 3/4. It also explains why the Colorado grew a little in size. It has less mass than a Half ton but yet will do much of what a half ton does.
Hilarious Scott3, pisses and moans? How about were consumers and alot of
us refuse to own a front wheel drive vehicle with no V8 option? What I prefer to spend my hard earned money on isn’t moaning it’s my choice. Said it it another article but I’ll say it again, retail 101 is make sure your selling what the consumer wants, not hate them because they don’t want your new product.
David, ‘Piss and mom’s is a great descriptive cliche to describe a small sub set of customers looking for what amounts to a 1980s vehicle.
Outside of Cadillac or Corvette, it isn’t financially worth building your type of car. The RWD V8 white space is.currently being serviced by Chrysler and Dodge, and sales are underwhelming..
Unfortunately, your type of car is aging out of the market. GM and Ford will both continue to limit production which places you in the position of spending your hard earned cash at a luxury marque.
Small sub set of customers? Do you have any idea how many people purchased a Commodore based purely on the RWD platform whether it be in V6 or V8 configuration? Not to mention the loyalty Holden had from the Commodore being made here. Also i am insulted by your implying i want a 1980s vehicle for my daily drive, i own a 1977 SS Torana, 1976 Sandman panel van and a 1984 VK group A Brock in my shed all ready thanks and my current VF Calais daily driver is nothing like a 1980s vehicle except in Commodore name only. My 2014 VF compares quite well to any imported car and is in no way some back alley Holden throwback to the 80’s job. I think you will find actually Stephen Marcus that GM will be the one who has “aged” out of the Australian market with sub par imports (read the reviews on all your current imports v Mazda, Nissan, Honda etc), terrible PR decisions (see backlash over were still here and lets go there ad campaigns) and finally the killing off your last loyal customers with importing the all new fake fwd Commodore. I think come 2018 people like yourself and GM will find people like myself who purchased Holden’s aren’t so much of a minority, have a nice day!
Jacoby has gone on record staying that the next Commodore will be FWD so that sort of eliminates Aveair which is a pity because it’s hard to consider Insignia a large car. Even Impala would have been a better option.
Scott3,
One can hope the Avenir is the Commodore, I know I’m pulling for it!
Cheers,
-Sean
Note if the car is not the Holden designed Avenir or has little Holden input they should choose another name.
I also wonder how much of the sales drop is just more of the decline of the VF sales as they have been dropping over the last so many years anyways. Part is disgruntled Holden fans but I think part of it is a car that has been the biggest seller just not selling like it used to. That factor also has to be considered.
I believe Aveair was always intended to be Commodore.
Buick only commissioned Aveair last March, meaning that the project clearly started off as something else, because it would have been impossible to design a car like this in a mere 9 months.
Ending Oz production was a huge mistake, GM was simply playing Ford Copy Cat to satisfy short term Wall Street goals. GM has a far larger Asian foot print than Ford, who is basically just entering China. As a restult, GM has different needs and should have taken labor unrest in Korea, currency flux, and language into account before.ever making such a move.
I hope a long wheel base Caprice model is also produced in order to give Chevy a flag ship, too. Large cars are far from dead and will only be aided by better engines/lower fuel prices. Omega platform needs the scale, too.
Such a flag ship must be sold at a lower price point than SS, and should be positioned only slightly above Impala. As the mid sied segment becomes larger, the next gen Malibu will only be two inches shorter than the current Impala meaning a 200+ sized car will easily find a home at the bow tie.
No the idea of a Buick like this goes back before that. I think once the Omega was approved they had to leverage it out and that was the end of the Holden Zeta and a Buick was a joint plan with Holden all along. Holden could not sell enough cars alone for the investment. The China market alone will help pay development cost along with a profit leaving Buick here and Holden with a car that can make them money at little risk.
I too also considered Chevy and pondered will we see something from them with the SS going away. I think the Impala may be retained but a lower volume SS or a variation of this as a Caprice may make the market.
Or will GM have to leave this to the higher priced brands because of the aluminum intense Omega?
Impala May be retained???
hahahahahahahahahahaha
Avenir is very nice but the rear end is a bit short
We must have a rear drive Commodore otherwise it is not a Commodore. I don’t drive front drive cars and if they only offer front drive I think it will be certainly reflected in much reduced loyalty and sales.
Remember when I said GM was going to double-fake everyone and bring Alpha and Commodore together?
Well, that.
Chris while there is some basic engineering things shared with the Alpha and Omega it is not really a full coming together or there would not be two different platforms.
The hard points are different to take advantage of a larger vehicle that the Alpha could not do. Also you will see more weight savings in a wider range of materials engineered in that the Alpha does not have. They had more of a higher price point to take advantage of that since they did not have to account for a Camaro.
There is a lot more going on here than the merging of two platforms. Sharing of some of the geometry is fine but the structural is much different if you want to keep the car stiff and make it bigger than the Alpha was ever intended.