Update: this is the 2013 Holden VF Commodore.
Let’s face it. The Australians know how to have a better time than we do. Us Americans like to think that everyone drives a Holden Commodore with a V8. When they need to haul groceries, they take the wagon variant. When they need to go out on a Friday night, they take the sedan. And when they have to haul lumber and go drifting at the same time, the Aussies prefer the friendly ‘Ute. And for that, we are envious.
Unfortunately, this awesome concept of transportation may come to a screeching halt. We’ve been told that, due to the constant decline in sales, the Commodore is to be phased out of production at the Adelaide plant by 2016. And if other reports are correct, the line that currently assembles the Commodore will commence production of a new front-wheel-drive crossover, a vehicle for which demand is growing in Oz. Funerals for the Commodore are already being planned, and involve much petrol-burning and tire-shredding (maybe).
Before that all happens, we will at least able to see the VF Commodore in the Western Hemisphere as the upcoming Chevrolet SS, which will have a limited run, and be in limited supply.
We still hope that a successor to the current-generation Commodore and its rear-wheel-drive characteristics is in the cards, perhaps on the Alpha platform. But considering what we’re hearing, the situation appears grim.
Comments
Maybe on the Zeta platform. There seems to be some indications in the press from Holden that it will most likely move to the Alpha platform. Most likely an Alpha+ (next-gen CTS) size.
http://www.caradvice.com.au/208282/holden-commodore-future-still-undecided-gm-exec/
“While the current VE/VF rear-drive architecture will be obsolete within three years, Lee confirmed that the current Cadillac ATS rear-drive platform is “absolutely” a ‘global’ architecture, and that Holden could “absolutely” use that platform for its second line – one of the requirements of the two next generations of locally manufactured vehicles is that they are produced on platforms shared around the GM world. ”
“We have in place a [global] rear wheel drive architecture, you saw it on stage today [Cadillac ATS],” said Lee.”
I would hate to see it go. I love the Commodore (the G8, the VXR8), all it’s many names. This is a great car that needs to be brought back to the States. Please don’t let it die.
I agree..the commodore is not out of the cards all together the platform it rides on is alpha+ could serve in its place albeit on a smaller scale..im wondering what would become of the wagon, i could see the ute on alpha+ as well but seeing as alpha can only be stretched so far before u compromise the dynamic and rigid chassis itself..so that would mean the caprice and the wagon would be phased out due to limited size of alpha itself
I distinctly remember Ford attempting something similar with its Falcon back in the mid-90s. The plan was to replace the Falcon with a Taurus. They actually did build quite a few RHD Tauruses and shipped them over. What happened? The Taurus was discontinued and the Falcon lived on.
Holden has a solid history of defying Detroit diectives. They simply hold onto whatever RWD platform they currently have. I suspect Holden is waiting to see if the One Ford policy cancels the Falcon. If so they will be more defiant about holding onto the RWD platform.. In the past they did not adopt the Cadillac RWD platform claiming it was too expensive to produce. Holden has also earned respect for engineering platforms at a fraction of the cost of other GM design centers. On another issue, the 2016 date relates to an agreement in exchange for government assistance to maintain manufacturing capacity. Do not under estimate Aussie resolve.
Just what the world needs.. another pointless generic jacked up cafe dodging station wagon for yuppie soccer moms to run people over with
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Its Replacement better be good and RWD with a huge V8 under the hood otherwise i’ll be pissed.
I agree with you..holden has always been one GM’s performance brands and for the longest time were the only brand with rwd sedans i applaud the holden engineering team for not only making a chassis that was not only cheaper than cadillac but way more dynamic..Holden’s make drivers cars if you look @ gm’s most recent rwd platforms they have all benefited from zeta..and I personally love its dynamic nature and flexibility i hope there can be a zeta 3 and beyond but vf is gonna have to do some #’s domestically and on exports..but im sure the vf will definitely make up for lost sales due to ve’s looong overdue replacement thanks to the bankrupcy
Lou, why do you hope for another iteration of the Zeta? Alpha is better in any and all considerable areas while allowing GM (as a global automaker without which Holden might not have continued to exist) to be more profitable, thereby resulting in better products.
So that means a new Chevrolet representative in 2016 Nascar Championship to I guess.
What ever happened to the rumored release of the Caprice into Civilian hands?
@ Alex true alpha is better but like i said earlier it can only be stretched so far before u compromise the dynamics of the chassis itself..alpha cannot support large cars such as the wm and caprice ppv and im sure the sport wagon is on lwb zeta as well…alpha can’t support vehicles of this size and i know gm has the upcoming omega platoform as well but from what I’ve been reading its primarily for caddy and that would probably make those vehicles more expensive than they currently are due to the aluminum and magnesium pieces that they would more than likely use unless gm can (in mark reuss’ words) “leverage the global product portfolio” to continue these two products down under…im a big fan of Holden’s engineering and its vehicles and I’d hate to see those dynamic behemoths go especially with the ppv starting to pick up a little more steam (i believe it is a 500% increase the yr of launch to last yr)..if gm can do that with omega than thats fine just make sure that those vehicles still are driver oriented and not just land yachts of yester year
Lou — I’m not sure your assumption as it relates to the limitation of Alpha are correct. The platform was designed to be very flexible, and Omega will be an iteration of Alpha.
Having said that, I’d question whether more demand exists in the full-size segment or the mid-size segment in Oz, and what each segment is doing with the vehicles.
I believe that, having looked into it, the following conclusions will be reached:
– full-size buyers are fewer than mid-size; their primary reason for purchasing a Statesman/Caprice is the ample room, not the fact that the vehicle is Zeta-based RWD. As such, perhaps a Holden-badged Chevy Impala might be a better fit for a Caprice replacement.
– mid-size buyers are more numerous, and fall into two distinct types.
The first type of a mid-size buyer values a “good car”. He’s not particularly performance-oriented, and thus doesn’t care about RWD. This customer would/should buy the Malibu. He will get better fuel economy, increased comfort, and more cabin space because of it.
The second type is the buyer that loves performance. For this buyer, an Alpha-based replacement for the Commodore is exactly what the doctor prescribed.
In effect, it’s possible that GM can better serve market demand with the above strategy, wouldn’t you say?
I really can’t see the Commodore going away, to much Aussie pride involved there! Alpha or Omega would be a good fit. Down sized & efficient made in Australia, no worries!!
I hate crossovers. Only minivans are more boring, stupid…. Holden is GM’s coolest division since Pontiac was brutally murdered. Sad to see Holden die. We could not expect anything different from the so called gen Y… they like justin bieber, lady gaga….
You’re blaming the whole of Gen Y for not having the same consumer habits of Gen X and the Boomers?
Seriously?
There is much more in play than GM is telling. GM is well known for telling what will go away and deny what is coming till late in the came since the Chapter 11.
The fact is Holden does not need a high voulme platform anylonger and Holden for most intents will become Chevy with a Lions head. But that does not mean RWD is dead.
Look for Chevy and Holden to share an Alpha based car sinc the Camaro is already heading this way. Also watch for Holden to share a Omega platform with Cadillac to take care of their larger car needs.
The Zeta is old and even with the update limited on what they can do. It it time to go to the much lighter and adaptable Alpha. I think the VF was just added to buy time till they could sort this out.
If the SS proved to be popular it will remain and it could even see some increase in volume and cut in price if they build it on the Lansing line with the other Alphas.
With the good chance of a Sub Alpha coupe coming the Camaro may not be forced to take on the task of a 4 cylinder and being added to the CTS and ATS line they no longer have to be responsible for near 100,000 units a year to keep the line viable on their own.
Watch and see that GM is far from done with the RWD and the lighter cars will keep the V8 more viable for a much longer time.
As for the Caprice it was never coming here in anything but the police package that was made clear from the start, The magazines like to dream.
The best part of the Global pack is we can share with Holden but it can be built here and save the worries on the exchange rate so we can build cars like the El Camino and non SS sedans that economically are not able to be done now . The options will be more open to what they can chose to do.
The best thing for Chevy and Holden will be the Alpha as it is a much better platform and in the long run it will help both keep a viable option on RWD. Global platforms my have some issues but they also help get us the cars we always wished we could have. If they do not rely on just the NA market we can still see them here in small numbers and make a profit.
There is more to come so pay attention and keep you eyes and ears open. Some times it is what GM does not say that speaks the loudest.
This is not good news for Holden at all! It is sad to see a company with such pride and long term innovation reduced to this by General Motors. The GM Leadership needs to quit build lackluster cars and give drivers something they can be excited about. Impala and Malibu fleet machines just aren’t going to cut it if GM hopes to survive in the long term!
Rick, it’s “fleet machines” like the Silverado, Sonic, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Equinox, and Traverse that more often than not result in the biggest profits. Also, GM’s fleet sales have hit a record low over the last few years… by far and large, it’s real people (not fleets) who are buying GM’s newest products.
Looking for excitement? Look no further than the all-new 2014 Corvette:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/01/this-is-the-2014-chevy-corvette-c7/
Also, feel free to look up the Cadillac CTS-V line and the upcoming ATS-V.
But the heck with all that: your statement could even apply to Toyota or VW… both are far more profitable than GM is, but both offer significantly less “exciting” cars than GM does.
As for your mention of “Holden innovation”… outside of Zeta, what kind of innovation are you referring to? Would love to see some examples.
The fact is Holden would die as it is if nothing was done. It is a myth that all they want down under is RWD cars.
There is still some need for them but small FWD cars and cross overs are dominating the market there just as here. The Asian cars have taken control of much of their market.
The best selling cars down under are
Mazda 3, Toyota Corola, Holden Comadore, Holden Cruze, Hyundai i30, Toyota Camry, Nissan Nivara, Toyota Yaris, Ford Focus, Mitsu Triton.
Take note the Comadore sold 30,000 units while the new Cruze sold 29,000 plus units. The Ford Falcon fell to 21st place with 14,000 units.
We need to keep in mind they had a record sales month in June at something like 112,000 units sold country wide for all brands. In todays compeitive enviroment it is difficult for Holden to do it on their own anymore.
Holden at this point will be able to help Chevy and Chevy will help Holden remian viable and to keep their name.
The imports have torn the Aussie market appart and they will need to play on a global level like everyone else.
But in the end it will keep us one way or the other in RWD here even if it is limited. GM will need their market and ours to help keep the cost in check. Even if they do not export them to us as we may build them here the global platform will supply both them and us with these cars in a post Zeta world.
@ Alex thank you for breaking that down. The caprice could definitely be replaced by the impala and i totally agree that holden must move with the winds of change and utilize the global platforms to keep cost in check and regain market share that they once held with an iron fist..alpha is a very capable platform and can make a suitable replacement for zeta and judging by the new cts spy shots it can make a nice sized midsizer. Im glad that gm has decided to resurrect rwd for NA!…btw Alex what’s ur thoughts on the possibility of the alledged rwd replacement that the SS will hold a spot for..will it depend on the success of SS or is it something u believe we will get regardless of the SS’ demand. Personally i would like to see a rwd flagship with the high feat 6 and the ecotec 5.3 and keep SS as the high performance version!
@Lou Not sure about the RWD replacement… there is most definitely a market for RWD mid/full-size mainstream (non-luxury cars) as long as the Charger/300 are around, but that market is quite small. That said, GM is a full-line automaker and can compete in the segment if it wants to.
Demand for the SS will most likely be limited by its price tag and limited availability… we’ll see how it plays out, though.
I would just like to say that I believe it is a horrible idea to get rid of the Holden Commodore. I am a die hard fan. I actually went back to college to get a better job so I could afford to buy a Pontiac G8. I am looking forward to seeing the new Chevy SS. I really hope that we get to see a version of the UTE. I believe that all of those cars are Icons in Australia. Why remove an Icon, a car to be proud of.. Pontiac was already a victim of Corporate Americas axe. Don’t make that mistake with the Holden!! I don’t care what gas costs. Im still going to have my big V8 with the looks to make BMW owners look twice! Not everyone wants a hybrid, not everyone wants a little car.. I don’t! I want a big fast mean looking piece of art!
Jonah – you’re a minority consumer who is becoming more and more difficult to make a profit off of. UTE? Are you kidding? GM would see a whole 300 a month… as Holden does in Australia.
BMW owners won’t be looking twice at a car that might compete as far as performance goes, but doesn’t hold a candle when it comes to luxury.
No one is going to remove RWD and Ute’s from down under. All they will do is move it to a more modern updated platform. Who knows they may even keep the same names.
The bottom line is the Zeta has become the new W body and is very old and limited to where it can go from here. It needs to get lighter and to be more efficent as time goes on.
A replacment will be a car that not only can live up to the needs down under but also better address othe markets.
Lets face it the El Camino is not coming back unless it can be built here or the exchange rate makes a 360 turn. Our best bet is a all new RWD and sharing it with Holden.
Holden lives off of exports as they can not live on selling 30,000 Zetas a year on their own.
If you want to really understand what is going on you really need to look at the numbers.
Make sure to like this facebook petition: https://www.facebook.com/savethecommodore
What Aussie pride?? We have no pride ! Thats why we dont even give our local cars a da** look in. My next cars will be a VF SV6 and a VF HSV GTS. I’m no hick wanna be loser from bumsville with nothing but an ill informed loud mouth . I’m a guy who calls a spade a spade and when im on the lookout for a new car I will always give our local boys a shot. If their product is as good or better then I will buy and support OUR company, OUR jobs, OUR heritage. Come on Australia ! Lets get behind our local cars and for once put our money where our mouths are !
Hmm is anyone else having problems with the
images on this blog loading? I’m trying to find out if its a problem on my end or if it’s the blog.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Oh my goodness! Amazing article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering troubles with your RSS.
I don’t know why I can’t join it. Is there anybody else having identical RSS issues?
Anyone who knows the solution can you kindly respond?
Thanks!!
I’m extremely inspired together with your writing abilities as neatly as with the layout on your blog. Is that this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it is uncommon to look a great weblog like this one today..