With the demise of the Zeta based, rear-wheel drive Holden Commodore, the brand’s storied history in utes (that’s Aussie lingo for “pickup”) is coming to a close.
The Holden Colorado will manage those looking for true utility, but the charming, two-door Commodore ute will be long gone come 2017. If there were an automaker we’d think to fill this void, it certainly wouldn’t be a German one. Nor, a premium, German brand at that.
Motoring reports BMW is watching the ute space “closely”, after BMW Australia Managing Director, Marc Werner, made some intriguing comments.
“Never say never,” said Werner at this week’s BMW M3/M4 Competition launch in Queensland.
“We’re watching the space closely.”
Granted, a BMW ute would likely play closer to a traditional pickup truck, but these are strange times indeed. BMW stated the lack of a commercial division plays a factor into a proper ute introduction, but the report states its close relationship with Toyota could make a Hilux-based ute more of a reality.
Comments
If BMW seeks world domination, they’ll sell it at $27k, and watch the pony car buyers defect in droves… like me.
Will only work if:
a) it’s a V8 and;
b) it’s based on a 5 series; if they don’t follow the past VW logic of simply rebadging a Hilux. That way, they’d have their own niche market like Holden does currently with the Commodore utes in SS form. Would’ve loved to have seen a Calais ute for the final couple of years, though!
A) No. I’ll take a V6 with that any day. Same reason the ATS-V has a blown V6… they work.
B) A 3 series would be fine, a modern 3-series is wide and has excellent legroom. I’m begging, not choosing… and so should you.
Need extended cab. I like that it is closer to the ground. Wonder when the Colorado and Canyon will get a facelift. I don’t like the looks.
They could easily do this but it would not be cheap in any form.
Also the service of the car would drive up the cost of ownership over the Holden too.
It would find a few niche buyers but that is all. Price and cost of ownership are just going to be too high.
Now what it could do is maybe Spur GM into doing something more affordable if there is demand unfulfilled by the higher priced BMW.
If Cadillac has the Colorado based truck…………
I would like to see a Unibody like the Omega made into a vehicle like the original Denali show car. A ute but lighter and a little more SUV like. It would be kind of a Cayenne for the common man.
That would give you a powerful model that could yet be sporty and at a price someone could consider. Also the weight would be much less than the much over weight Porsche and VW.
The original Denali was very well received everywhere it was shown.
So I actually lived in the Australian bush for years, drove 770kms every week around Cowra, Forbes, Condobolin, Murrumburrah-Harden, etc etc in western NSW. If you really want to meet Aussie ute drivers, get y’self out to a Bachelor & Spinsters’ Ball (B&S)! Young 18-30 year olds rent a tux or sew up a taffeta dress and drive their Utes to a farm. They set a huge bonfire, a country-rock band sets up in the shed (Aussie sheds are huge, like American barns), and the young farmers and welders and shearers kick up their heels and dance and eat and drink, and drink, (and drink), and then “mingle” in each others’ ute trays for the rest of the night…
In this crowd, a BMW ute would be like getting a T-1000 Terminator, the liquid-metal one from the second movie, to shear the sheep. Sure, it’s impressive, but why wouldn’t you spend your money on having five more Commodore/Falcon utes? One for driving to town, one for piggin’, one for circle work in the back paddock, one for the sheilah, and one for pulling the tractor out of the dam.