GM Deign Chief Michael Simcoe Thinks The 2018 Holden Commodore Will Live Up To Expectations
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The latest General Motors Vice President of Global Design, Michael Simcoe, has humble roots back at Holden, but now he’s overseeing the entirety of GM Design across the globe. Nevertheless, Simcoe is always a go-to guy for the future of Holden, seeing as he’s a native Australian after all.
Drive recently caught up with Simcoe to discuss the 2018 Holden Commodore, and Simcoe did his best to squash worries over how the new vehicle will live up to the current, locally-produced iteration.
“The next generation Commodore will be a vehicle from overseas and I don’t think that will be a problem,” Simcoe said. “If you think, Commodore started its life as a German vehicle, that’s where the name came from. Holden customers will get their pick of [future] vehicles from the total GM portfolio, which is a pretty good thing.”
He went on to say he believes customers will warm up to the imported Holdens after seeing just how well they deliver.
“The only thing that is ubiquitous around the Commodore these days is that it is rear-wheel drive and it’s a large car and it’s fairly well appointed. You won’t miss too much of that going forward,” he added.
The only way we will truly know how Australians take to an imported Commodore will be through sales. And we have some time before that occurs. Holden will wind down production through the fall of 2017 and the 2018 Commodore will go on sale in early 2018.
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early 2018 wtf
Bold claim! Careful GM! Don’t let your mouths write a check your products can’t cash! Just let the next Commodore come as it may; turbo-4/6 cylinder powerplants, FWD-based drivetrain and all! The vast majority of the market is just fine with this! Don’t set any expectations higher than they need to be! Just admit it’s going to be a nice, smooth riding, family sedan; akin to its Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Impala siblings! Skip the so-called performance edge!
I am getting the feeling this is the Audi like Opel we have been waiting for.
Th,ey have attempted it before but always pulled up short could they finally have done it?
From what I have seen this ima not just an Impala or Lacrosse. It also has a better and system and what they had was not bad. The suspension looks to be a step up from what they had.
I think this will be a very good but different car and should have gotten a new name. They should also rename the Regal too as this is not a Regal. Even the present car really is not a Regal and should have had its own name.
As long as the engine is transversely-mounted and the AWD system is front-biased, it will never be Audi-like.
I would not judge a vehicle till you have seen it and driven it.
This car could be a turd but then again it may have the makings of a prime car. Audi’s are FWD based vehicles and actually do pretty well with today’s technology to balance the platforms.
You do realize Audi is a FWD based vehicle?
The key is this is not the same car as the one it replaced but that does not mean it can not still be a world class car.
My hope is they take this car to the next level from where they have been and make it a class leading car vs. just a contending car.
Matter little what direction the engine is. Saab for years had the fly wheel in the front yet they were still good drivers.
Devil’s in the details.
Audi’s are AVAILABLE with FWD, but not FWD-based. The VW Group MLB platform, with a longitudinal engine mounting (allowing powertrain choices not available on mass-market cars, such as I6s, V8s, and W12s in VW group’s case), has way more in common with a RWD platform than a FWD platform. Not to mention, Quattro is widely considered one of the best 4WD systems available, up there with Subaru. Also, Audis share drivetrain components with Bentley, the Commodore shares a platform with a Chevy.
Audi spent billions to engineer their MLB platform to have elegant long dash-axle ratios and driving feel. No company is willing to engineer such a unique setup. They can never make an Audi-like car without dropping serious cash on an Audi-like drivetrain.
Curtnik, you nailed it! No other manufacturer has such a dynamically engineered FWD/AWD chassis which can deliver on both performance and ride comfort! As Scott pointed out, the next Commodore/Insignia may be somewhat Audi-like, but judging by GM’s current FWD/AWD offerings, there’s no reason to believe they’ll effectively hold a candle to Audi! Which is why people shouldn’t get their hopes up with next Commodore delivering on hardcore performance! I’m sure the HSV team will do some great tuning to the product and all, but not enough to put it in an Audi level! Like I said, the market pretty much doesn’t care for a large performance sedan! So they ought not over-emphasize continuing the great legacy of the current, RWD Commodore!
All we can do now is wait and see what comes out of the next Commodore/Insignia….Despite not being RWD and performance oriented, I still believe it’ll turn out to be a great product! The new LaCrosse has a good blend of comfort and handling, and so does the current Impala!
Audi is a FWD AWD company. They share more with VW than Bentley.
Engine direction means nothing as you can put the engine in to fit what ever the need. GM also has done North South engines in the Eldorado and others.
Audi has most models based on VW for economics.
Audi has made their place in the market with advanced AWD and If they wanted to transverse the engine it would change nothing.
VW has done a great job taking many of their products and leveraging them out over several brands.
Do you have any issue with letting the car come to market before we pass or fail it? This car could be a fail but I expect if they improved upon the AWD Opel we will see a very good car here in the likes of the low to mid range Audi lines.
I do not doubt the drive line but I do worry they get the interior and material details right. These are the details the devils need to worry about.
But in the end the Audi cars are FWD based and have been for a long time. Yet it works fine.