As General Motors further globalizes its engineering practices and eliminates redundant engines and platforms, a few niche architectures will be up for review, one of which is the Zeta platform. This platform is the beloved Australian-developed rear-wheel-drive architecture that currently underpins the Holden VE Commodore family, the Chevrolet Camaro and soon-to-be Chevrolet SS sedan and VF Commodore. This platform is also rigid, heavy, and fairly old. And with the popular Camaro expected to convert to the more lithe, flexible and modern architecture of GM’s new Alpha rear-wheel-drive platform for its sixth-generation, a business case for the Zeta seems to be shrinking.
Enter Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux, who recently addressed members of the Australian media as to what they can expect from the brand going forward. One of them was not the Zeta.
“We’re gonna use a global architecture and the Zeta is not a global architecture,” Devereux said regarding a successor to the Commodore beyond the late 2016/early 2017 calender years. With plans being so confidential, he wouldn’t go beyond that hint, but did say that the Commodore name is and has been a household name in Australia. Whether or not that encompasses its rear-wheel-drive characteristics or not is another mystery.
The GM Authority Take
Without even outright saying anything, there are a few takeaways we can piece together here:Â Zeta’s days are numbered. But Alpha is indeed a global architecture and the obvious replacement, should the Commodore remain a rear-wheel-drive vehicle for the years to come. We don’t see why it shouldn’t.
Comments
By the time 2016 hits, most Australians will be buying the Malibu over the Commodore, just like they buy the FWD Camry/Aurion by the boatload making Toyota the best selling brand. Commodore will probably just become a sporty Malibu trim level with AWD, hopefully.
Not gonna happen. Ford tried that with the Taurus back in the mid 90s, thinking that it would replace the Falcon in Australia. It flopped. The Aussies simply love their rear-drive V8 cars. Simple. Toyota buyers in Australia are a different set. They aren’t necessarily the target audience for the Commodore/Falcon.
Chevy please don’t make the upcoming SS sedan giant Malibu.. do something different bold people it’s in SS it’s your duty to make it stand out. Chevy you could learn a thing or to from Holden. They know how to make kick ass four-door sport sedans
Who ever said that the SS will be a giant Malibu? For starters, the car SS will only be 1-3 inches longer than the Malibu, negating the “giant part”. As for styling, it will as similar to the Holden as the G8 was Commodore.
I was Referring to the styling of the SS sedan. I had seen a rendering on car and driver
here is the web page
http://www.caranddriver.com/photos-12q2/458734/2014-chevrolet-ss-artists-rendering-photo-469220
copy cut and paste and you can see for your self….
I see. Of course, the SS — being a Chevy — will bear cues to the rest of the Chevrolet lineup. To that end, the Malibu itself has gained some styling cues from other Chevrolet models — such as its tail lamps that were inspired by the fifth-generation Camaro. But suffice to say that it will be a much more aggressive take on the design exercise (for form and function) than the much more mainstream Malibu is.
How about making the Malibu a mini SS. Come on you know you want it.
Alfa should also underpin the Commodore. And next Caprice should ride on omega.
@lex giving a Chevrolet equivalent the platform that will exclusively underpin a $100,000+ car… Not sure about that.
Well that’s how you reduce R&D, engineering, tooling, etc, costs. Platform is just bunch of metal pieces welded together, It wont cost anything extra to produce it compared to any other platform after its developed, and either way, it will be developed.
Another way to implement the Omega platform would be to go farther upmarket, as BMW does with its 7 Series and the even fancier Rolls Royce Ghost. Or what Mercedes does with the S-Class and Maybach (or soon to be replaced by an uber S-Class). Don’t necessarily always have to go down-market.
Holden will not be producing a Commodore at the end of VF in 2018. Due to a 25% sales slump in large cars in Australia this year, It will be a safe bet to assume Holden will produce volume sellers like the next generation Cruze and a soft-roader based on the same architecture. Unfortunately large RWD Aussie cars are D-E-A-D dead, so enjoy the Chevrolet SS over in the States while you can. I will certainly be lining up to get one of the last V8 Commodores produced in Australia, as Commodore will be a 40 year old nameplate by this time and will become a collectors item. It drives a dagger in my heart to imagine Holden without Commodore or a V8 engine in the line-up but I increasingly think this will be the harsh reality. The inevitable is already happening at Ford with its Falcon which is currently on death row, however Holden still markets Commodore well enough to see it remaining in the top-ten sellers list. Ten years ago Holden would sell around 80,000 Commodores a year domestically. They are struggling to do half that amount now, however Cruze production is replacing the 50% missing from Commodore sales/production. Time will tell, but a significant increase in sales will be required early in VF’s reign to save the nameplate from extinction.
I can easily see the Malibu serving and exceeding the needs of most Commodore buyers — the ones who purchase a large sedan not for its performance, drivetrain/layout, or sporting aspirations — but those who want a spacious, comfortable vehicle.
In other words, the “Comfort” (Omega, Berlina) Commodore customer is better-served by something like a Malibu. And if need be, offer the new Impala as a replacement for the Caprice/Statesman. Give the enthusiasts a RWD Camaro. Welcome to the real world of globalization.
So without the Commodore what would Holden have that is really Holden? How easy could the nameplate be changed over to Chevrolet?