With the Holden VF Commodore’s extinction and replacement planned for 2017, Australians had been understandably anxious regarding where their next rear-wheel-drive, V8 fix from the General would come from.
That is, right up until an anonymous, high-ranking General Motors executive spoke to automotive news site Motoring.com.au at SEMA 2014, and revealed that not only would the Commodore not have a V8-powered successor, but also that the Chevrolet Camaro will never be offered as a right-hand-drive model.
The latter piece of news only appeals to Americans’ capacity for empathy, as (obviously) the Chevrolet Camaro will continue to be sold between our shores for the foreseeable future. But the former – that the Holden Commodore has no planned V8 successor – comes as a disappointing shock, as the current, wonderful Chevrolet SS performance sedan is simply a badge engineered Holden Commodore.
The Chevrolet SS also notably serves as the face of General Motors in NASCAR.
It was previously speculated that General Motors would begin to sell the Chevrolet Camaro as a RHD model in Australia starting in 2016, with the introduction of the sixth-generation car. But, while that door has not been definitively closed, the chances of that possibility seem dismally slim.
We can’t help but wonder if General Motors is making a grievous error ceasing the sale of all rear-wheel-drive V8 models in Australia – the country who gave the motoring world the Dunlop V8 Supercar Series of touring car races. It may come to pass that many Australian motoring enthusiasts abandon Holden for Ford, which is discontinuing the Falcon in 2016, but will continue to offer an (uncontested) RHD Mustang.
Comments
I personally believe this is a grave mistake!!! Holden’s vivid and inspiring history is tied the RWD, V8 powered vehicle! It’s bad enough for the company to have all production cease, but to axe the RWD car period is as good as a deathblow to the Holden brand!
I don’t care what any of you think! GM cannot build a FWD vehicle that can capture the essence of their RWD performance!!! The Opel models are decent, but they don’t hold a candle to what the competition offers! Offering RWD cars would at least give Holden a better stance in the performance department! Why can’t they just leverage the world class Alpha platform to underpin a genuine RWD sedan for Holden to call their own?!!
I hope the upcoming success of the Mustang RHD model awakens the performance spirit in Holden and GM, and cause them to reconsider this decision!
Leaner and greener, GM sure is showing enthusiasts the door down under. My father just bought a Tundra – would have bought an El Camino or G8 ST if the Ute had survived the Presidential Auto Task Force Death Squads.
Silverado isn’t a performance truck and Colorado isn’t getting a V8 anytime soon. Real shame the state of GM go fast on the cheap, and it seems to be getting more shameful by the minute.
Camaro isn’t spanish for panacea – and Holden doesn’t even seem to be getting that, either.
Rear wheel drive might be gone but, GM has not said Holden won’t have an AWD option replacement.
The Dunlop V8 Supercar series is actually the second-tier development series, although Dunlop are also the control tyre provider of the main V8 Supercar series.
Ford will clean up on this one. The new Mustang is a cracker. Does GM know how popular these cars are down here ?
Older Mustangs and Camaro’s are being shipped to Australia and New Zealand at a frightening pace. I feel that the new Mustang will only be able to be bought from Australia. It must be ordered in NZ and delivered from Aussie. I think that all avenues of obtaining a RHD Mustang in the USA will be barred from purchasers from this part of the world. If no GM RWD is offered , GM enthusiasts will be gutted. What is wrong with the CTS-V for down under ? BMW and MB have a range of V8 cars, they might sell very well, a small adjustment with price and they will take over where GM left off. I for one have bought a GTS ( a special older model ) and will buy a new one when they almost run out , Who knows there may even be a bigger HP model by then !! By the way ,you can buy a Mercedes Benz CLS 500 or 55 2007 -2009 from Japan for about 10 to 15 K ( USD ) and import it yourself , and drive a RHD vehicle with plenty of HP , for under USD 20,000. mileage from 30Kto 100K , and the original Japanese owners look after them very well. They arrive here in mint condition. I know , I’ve got one , and I’ll buy another ! GM needs to seriously look where they are going in this part of the world, they could lose all the good work that Holden has put in since the late 1940’s. Another interesting issue, why is Penske starting a Ford race team down under ?
This is from an unverifiable source so I would take it with a grain of salt for now.
But if it is true then the people making these decisions must be simply lazy, incompetent and stupid! Ford made the effort to globalise the Mustang and designed it from the start for L and RHD. From what I have seen of it so far Ford have absolutely nailed it and it is going to be a success. If Ford can do this then I’m sure GM can with Camaro and other Alpha based cars.
Toyota a few years ago released a dual cab version of the 79 series Landcruiser in Australia. Not long after just one major mining company said they were only going to buy 5 star ANCAP rated cars, which the 79 series isn’t. Toyota said after that if they knew this before hand then they wouldn’t have bothered developing the dual cab. They pretty much developed it with our market almost exclusively in mind.
If Toyota can do this then I’m sure GM can build some cars with the steering wheel on the other side. I thought Alpha was designed for RHD from the start?
It’s not that hard. Pretty much every other car manufacturer does this without any problems even for low volumes.
Holden is the excitement side of General Mortors… Now there’s only Dodge left… Long live Hellcats!
First GM kills Pontiac (my favorite division), now Holden. I just wonder if GMC has a future…
The “excitement” division of GM? The era of “themed car brands” is long dead. Holden and Dodge are not carrying on any torches of excitement; they’re just car brands.
You read too much into the whole “we build excitement” ad campaign, didn’t you?
I wouldn’t worry about GMC though, it makes money whereas Pontiac, for its last 10 years, did not.
GM is trying to cater to the local tastes and sell Australians what they want. It is obvious Australians do not want RWD Commodores and Utes by looking at the sales figures, they want Corollas, Camrys, and 3s. Trying to be a niche car maker in the small and world’s most expensive market is not going to work. Importing vehicles from low cost countries will and that is what GM will do.
Tastes maybe changing but guess what? That strategy of dumping cheap Asian vehicles on the market is not going to work for GM here. Holden moved 96 Malibus last month vs 396 Mazda 6s and 1908 Toyota Camrys.
Those Asian brands that do well here have a higher perceived quality and image than GM’s Asian stuff, have appropriate profitable niche halo models (that includes things like Toyota’s tough reputation 4WDs e.g. 79 series Land cruiser) to build brand image or both.
Ford understand this and that is why they have started early with product planning and have made announcements in regards to what they will bring here. Cars like the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo are perceived as being Euro and semi-prestige. The Mustang is a great vehicle that will be profitable and will draw people into show rooms who will leave with other vehicles in their range.
They don’t seem to have a problem with putting the steering wheel on the other side. Same with Hyundai and the Genesis. They understand that it is an image builder so they are bringing it here. Chrysler can manage to bring the 300C here including the SRT8 despite being dominated by Commodore and Falcon at the moment in that segment.
Building a batch of vehicles in RHD is not hard if the vehicle is designed for it from the start. I’m sure GMNA’s assembly workers aren’t retarded and can do this.
There is an article Carsguide that I read this morning that said the sports car segment in Australia is growing, accounting for 1 in 20 vehicle sales. This does not account for sales of performance variants of regular models. It is also stated that buyers are willing to fork out more money than expected for them.
Cars like Malibu, Cruze and whatever you call the Barina may do well in America but that won’t translate into sales here. It’s not a case of whatever is good for GM in America is good for everywhere else. I’m sure there are people in GMNA that have this attitude or an attitude of whatever good stuff we have we won’t bother building in RHD because it is too hard. If what is stated in this article is true then these people better snap out of it and change their attitude before they watch GM turn into another slow moving train wreck like six years ago.
Just over a decade ago GM accounted for 22% of the market here which in the million vehicle a year market it is today accounts for 220, 000 sales. Today it is 13%. After manufacturing shut down it is going to slip even further. You do the maths, we maybe a small market but these are significant losses in sales. GM are going to have to have appropriate product here to arrest the slide.
Personally I don’t care anymore. Brand loyalty is out the window like it is for most Holden fans so it comes down to who has the best product.
I couldn’t have said it better myself, Michael. Although Joe G. has a point, it’s true that performance oriented vehicles are serving as a means of attracting buyers. Even in today’s market there lies an uptick in sales and appeal. For Ford to make the new Mustang global also solidifies this. But as Michael also mentioned, GM simply doesn’t have the brand image to simply import and leverage their existing products that are being produced in regions outside the U.S. Perhaps over time this could change, but as of now GM ought to be focusing on globalizing what they’ve been developing with the Cadillac brand!
Maybe because GM has bestowed American quality on the brand: My (employer’s) well maintained 2012 Caprice has two current recalls, but none that address the faulty airbag light, faulty tire sensor (both faults have happened to ALL Caprices in our fleet, no wrecks), or the strange radio reset that happens when the stability system activates.
Michael you have captured my thoughts very well. When Holden ceases Commodore production there is nothing in the showroom that interests me. Unless that changes over the coming period, I will shop elsewhere. I have put my money where my mouth is by taking delivery of a new VF in August. Bankruptcy has not helped but the closet looks really looks thin here in Oz particularly in the performance segment. Another area where I believe GMH is failing customers is dealer servicing. I need my SS (my other Commodore) serviced next month and are not sure where to go. My last experience was bad, having to take it back twice. When I provided feedback directly to Holden they did not care! Overall, GMH is at the crossroads here in Aus/NZ, with better targeted products required or Holden/Chevy will become a minor bit player!
Pablo I stay clear of the dealers. I have a myopic view that all Car dealers and Real estate agents in this country are crooks and deserve the contempt they receive. 😀
You should have no problem getting your warranty servicing done at a mechanic of your choice. If there is a mechanic in this country that doesn’t know how to service a Commodore then I wouldn’t take any car to them.
I have a 2013 VE SS and I’ve only taken it to the dealer for the free 3000km inspection and the wiper motor recall. The log book servicing I get done at a local independent mechanic that my family have been taking our cars for servicing to since before I was born. Probably charge a bit more than a dealer but they take great care and do a proper job in compliance with the warranty and I never have to take the car back.
If you can find yourself a good operator like that I recommend going down that route.
Commodore is the 3rd best selling car in Aus and Holden’s best seller by far…
I would recommend letting this playing out more.
Too often GM makes one announcement but rarely is in a place to reveal the whole picture.
Let just see what they do offer and just how it works out. Too often it is what they did not tell you that comes back to answer all the questions.
How often does GM announce something that gets everyone in an uproar only to have an later announcement that answers why the first one was made?
Besides even if it is gone how many other companies sell cars there that are not RWD? Like almost all but the most expensive brands. Even if the Mustang goes the numbers will be less than they sell here in one state anyways. They will not be cheap.
I deal with the guys that import these cars and you have to have money to do it. Also in the eastern part of the country you have to have the money to converter them. The guys in the west get away with LHD.
I was expecting you to chime in here at some point Scott. 🙂
You are right. Let’s see what happens. Like I said in my first post before my rants this is nothing official or verifiable.
But I stand by my point that mediocrity will cause GM to sink more rapidly than what they already will in this market and they need to stand out to arrest this slide. The easiest way to do that is to have those niche products that appeal to their traditional/enthusiast market to bring people into show rooms.
Their is no excuse for just giving up and selling mediocre products. Genesis, Mustang, 300 etc. There is your answer. They are making the effort. It’s not that hard.
This market does have a weird relationship with coupes however in that most only seem to last a few years before tailing off to dismal sales but I think that all could change when local production of four door performance vehicles end.
In regards to LHD vehicles I am very sure you cannot import new LHD vehicles here in Western Australia for road use. State government regulations say no newer than 15 or 30yo depending on the usage. Some mining companies import LHD US pickups for use on the mines only and that is where they stay. There maybe some people who import for track usage.
Michael
You may be right on the age as most of the people I deal with are working on cars from the 60’s and 70’s. I just noted that most of the photo’s I get from Perth and the West all have LHD while the guys in the East all had conversions.
One customer told me they do not enforce it out west since they are more isolated.
Many of them work on oil platforms and gold mines so they are making good money.
While you may call GM mediocre it really just has to do with your disappointment as an enthusiast. We have seen the same thing play out here as we left behind a RWD heaven for a FWD hell inspired by the American public embracing Honda and Toyota.
I see much of the same down under as while the Holden was still the third best selling car the Ford RWD dropped off the face of the earth sales wise. Also the #1 last I saw was a Mazda three. Now you want to talk mediocre there you have the definition but the fact is it sells. Same for the Accord and Camry, Boring but they make money and are increasing in sales every year vs. the Holden that has been dropping.
The fact is the Australian market is just becoming too small to support vehicles only sold there. The economics of scale are affecting all market even the largest. When the largest MFG in you country is selling mostly FWD cars and small truck at 200K+ units a year it is telling. Also note that most all those models are also sold else where.
The reality is here in the state we can sell more cars in one state than your market sells all years. But yet we can not support selling a special single model just for say Texas.
At this point this report is a unconfirmed GM person. Second GM stated they are not able to comment. This is key as if they were killing something off totally they generally state so as they can not hide it. But when they say they can not comment often that means there is a plan and they can not revel it yet. If you watch how GM makes statement this is how it normally works.
I also recommend watching what GM does in NASCAR next year and the Supercar series. They have to seek approval for a new car later next year once they stop making the Zeta. They will have to work about a year ahead do we should get some hints at what they may be thinking.
GM here has been very clear that their Cup cars be RWD bases. I do not see the Camaro moving up as NASCAR wants to keep them in the lower series.
We have gone thought the GM Performance division being broken up. While many cried this was horrid they failed to realize these same people were integrated into all the platforms and now make the cars handle right from the start. Also they are still tuning cars like the Z/28 to the top of many list.
The end of one thing is not always bad as it often is the beginning of a new thing. I would just not get too excited and let this one play out a little more. You need to Give Mark Ruess a little more credit as he know Australia well and I get the feeling he will not leave you hanging with nothing to like.
While things may change some I still do not think you will be totally disappointed.
I have played this game several times with GM here and they always end up exceeding my expectations if you just give them the time to let their plans play out. The new GM does not dictate their moves 6 years ahead anymore and often it is 18 months before we get a hint.
While I am not saying it is a slam dunk that all will work out I am saying the odds are in yours and our favor.
Just look GM said no Colorado for the United States when you got yours. Well it was partially true. We did not get yours and we got a even better one now. The same kind of deal may be playing out here too.
A company that is getting ready to do a very up performance version of the SS is not just looking like it will cut bait and run on the SS yet.
The things we don’t know are what will surprise you.
While we may not always agree I enjoy the debate. You use some good sense with many of your arguments. Keep em coming!! Cheers!