Something is better than nothing, as they say. Although Australia may not be in the auto manufacturing business for much longer, locals can take solace in knowing Holden will have a “key role” in future product sourced from Opel, according to Drive.
The news comes from Opel member of the board and Vice President of Communications, Johan Willems, where he was quoted on future ties between the two brands at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
“I am sure that Holden will play a key role … for the products that are coming there,” said Willems.
“There is [currently] input – I know that for a fact.”
He expressed much interest on expanding operations to more global markets, with Australia being an important one, as one-third of future Holdens will be sourced from Opel.
He also understands Aussie tastes are very different from Europeans, something GM has done right by through the continued operation of the Lang Lang proving ground, allowing for refinement of Australian bound product. He expands on further Aussie preference saying, “On engines, Holden wants certain, specific things and we will see what we can accommodate, within the portfolio and within what is reasonable,”
“We won’t be successful [growing sales and expanding into new markets] if we don’t allow a say.”
Speaking of preference, don’t expect Opel to supply a V8 for the upcoming Insignia/Commodore, though. Instead, a twin-turbo V6 is the more likely option for the reborn Holden Commodore, which will ditch its storied rear-wheel drive basis after manufacturing ends in 2017. Do expect, though, either the C7 Corvette of Chevrolet Camaro to enter Australia as the brand’s new V8 powered, rear-drive offering.
Giving credit to Holden input on future models is the information GM International Head Stefan Jacoby spoke of during the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. Catering to Australian consumers will remain a priority, and he revealed the 2018 Holden Commodore is already testing in Australia.
“We are driving this car already in Lang Lang,” said Jacoby at the time.
“We understand what Commodore is and we understand that better than anybody else and it is very obvious that the Commodore successor needs to be stronger than today’s model – and we will do everything to do that, with modern technology.”
Comments
This little black duck won’t be looking at a new FWD Commodore! Only a big banger (V8) 4 door RWD for this Aussie consumer.
Stefan doesn’t understand much about us Australians, so I can’t imagine he understands “better than anyone” what Australians want from their next Commodore. If he did, he’d realize it’s got to be RWD, V8 and built in Australia!!
Yeah every time i read PR spin like this it makes me want to break things in a Hulk inspired rage, If they cared so #@%$ing much about things having an Australian feel we wouldnt be losing our locally made car. Just end the god damn bullshit all ready and kill the Holden name in 2017. I could respect GM a little if they didnt try to milk the last few dollars they can from a once proud Australian manufactured car brand.
Unfortunately, a RWD V8 and built in Australia doesn’t make money, it loses money; plus, it doesn’t sell. Holden Commodore range, Ute, and Monaro are world class, but there isn’t anyone to buy them. GM would keep building them, but they can’t make money selling 40k units a year. If they could sell 100k units, then it might be feasible.
There are a lot of other factors contributing to this other than GM; for example the government driving imported Bimmers, the woman next door driving that Camry, and your buddy driving the 3. From what I’ve read, almost all cars sold in Australia are imported and most consumers could care less.
The thing that GM have failed to realise Joe G is that the brand loyalty they have at the moment in Holden here in Australia are the same people who dont want imported Opels re badged as Holden’s, GM cant have its cake and eat it too mate. Its weird that GM call the people who don’t want the imports a small percentage of dissatisfied customers (their PR words not mine) when the dissatisfied customers are the loyal GM buyers who buy Commodore regardless of what else is on offer, how do you think sales will fare once GM loses that loyalty base? We all know the reasons as to why GM is packing up and leaving the factories here in Oz but a lot of us just don’t appreciate GM’s PR attempts at telling us things like the article mentioned at the top of this page. Lastly what you read in America is mostly regurgitated GM PR spin by journalists saying consumers care less, as someone who lives here in Australia i can tell you a great many people care about Holden and where it is headed. It boggles my mind as to why Americans get their nose out of joint when us Aussies say we don’t want GM’s cars from Germany and or China, retail 101 is make sure your selling what the consumer wants, not try to cram an unwanted product down their throats then be angry when they say no. Mark my words Joe G that GM is headed for a bottom of the top 10 market share or worse if they keep down this road of telling us what we like, what were lucky to have and that it will still be Australian in feel. Like what does it will feel Australian mean outside of ridiculous PR double speak? will it have seats made from kangaroo leather? beach sand from the Gold Coast in the carpets? a koala in the back and wombat in front with every new car sale? and you wonder why this PR bull shit pisses us off.
Stefan doesn’t understand much about us Australians, so I can’t imagine that he understands “better than anyone” what Australians want from their next Commodore. If he did, he’d realize that it’s got to be RWD, V6 or V8 and, most importantly… Built in Australia!!
I want to see it in the image where the spy is tested for holden commodore 2017 but I can not find. or it is not, after all, in 2017 commodore spy.
Opel-Vauxhall, and Holden has always worked together. However, cooperation could be friendlier and more effectively. that would compel a very cool and decent cars. And now it has added buick. yeah right, however, some differences may remain especially Holden and buick. either technical or design variations. A better alternative would be any similar machines, however, because it will help more of these machines to advertise. If, for example, one model is different, and Holden buick opel and then it becomes more difficult and more expensive and less effective. So when the machines are similar to the way you can keep the fans from around the world together.
Holden, after all, can offer any more powerful engines and RWD but certainly technically it is more common nowadays. The old days are gone, and today is the new reality. Today, the machines are already globally closer than ever before. American cars were never totally different in kind, and in Australia and Japan, and Europe. Did some differences between today and the memories of the car’s history and habits of the people’s own country. But I’m sure that everyone wants the best cars in the world of car brands she loves.
https://designrm.wordpress.com/2015/03/05/opelvauxhall-flagship-suv/
GM needs to become more globalized. and act smarter. Since no car needed to produce only one state is meaningless. Cadillac announced the press was also sad. The sooner the better start seriously. GM and GM different units are sometimes leave the impression that they do not know themselves what to do or what someone wants to do must. Hopefully GM will only get better and better cooperation is becoming more and act smarter. The new GM is already much better developed and developing even better but it definitely takes time. New GM has had only a very little time, however, the changes are very large and positive.
holden opel vauxhall commodore
I studied a little bit more Commodore History
In other words, Opel its going global by eating up GM regional brands even though using Chevy product would be more cost effective due to scale and lower cost Asian manufacturing.
GM is breaking from the notion of a global line up, which was part of the original bail out plan.
Ford gets huge savings from the development of one core global line up in the value segment. The opposite strategy is seen with Hyundai and Kia that work together to gobble market share. Unlike rivals, GM is sourcing from Opel to deal with over capacity in Europe, a move that may satisfy Wall Street but, long term, is bad for the company.
GM needs the core line ups sharing as many parts and components as possible. These line ups need to satisfy three different demos with didn’t product.
This plan sucks and would only be worthwhile if Chevy and Opel were partnered.
“This plan sucks and would only be worthwhile if Chevy and Opel were partnered.”
GM Detroit took another path by trying to replace Opel by a cheapo-Korean Chevrolet in Europe, after having replaced Opel by Chevrolet in all Asian and most African markets.
Much of Holden’s problems can be linked to importing cheap junk from its Asian subsidiary, which on a good day was mediocre, but never truly competitive against other brands in Australia. Much of what they did sell, lived off the image the locally developed and manufactured Commodore gave the brand. US execs at GM failed to see that Australia no longer wanted Chev quality cars with Holden badges.
Opel is an attempt by Holden and GM to raise the bar where the customers in Australia are. Its the only choice they have for survival. If it doesn’t work, GM can scratch Australia off the list of countries it once had a market share in. Its about as basic and stark as that.