Post by HDT05 on Feb 8, 2013 18:47:46 GMT 10
Holden boss Mike Devereux confirms the new VF Commodore will not be the last.
The Holden Commodore isn't dead after all.
The Australian car maker confirmed that the long-running nameplate will live on well into the next decade and continue to be built at its Elizabeth plant in South Australia.
Company chairman Mike Devereux dropped the bombshell today during a media preview for the heavily revised VF Commodore that it will reveal publicly on Sunday morning.
There has been plenty of speculation that Holden would drop the Commodore name when the VF is replaced by an all-new vehicle, based on a global General Motors model, that will be manufactured in Australia at the end of 2016.
"A lot of folks have been speculating about whether this is the last Commodore ... I can I categorically tell you we have already begun working on the Commodore that comes after this one," he said.
"People love this nameplate. We're going to have another one of these," Devereux said. "General Motors has started working on it, the team here is obviously involved in that as they are working on all sorts of different things and I will say no more of it.
"We will launch another Commodore after this one," he said. "This thing will run through end of '16, after that time we're going to be putting two architectures into the plant ... one of them will underpin the Commodore that replaces the VF.
"It's a huge year for Holden - we're back," he said.
But the new Commodore will be a very different beast from the one that goes on sale later this year. It is likely to be smaller and could be based on General Motors Malibu mid-size car, which could mean a switch to a front-drive layout and four cylinder engines.
There was speculation that the second vehicle to be built alongside the Cruze small car would be an SUV, but Holden believes that despite their popularity, an SUV would not generate enough sales to justify production.
Devereux has continually said that a second car on the company's production line would have to be a top-ten seller and last year there were no SUVs on that list. That means the next Commodore will compete against Toyota's four-cylinder Camry, which outsold the Commodore in the last three months of 2012.
With only two days to go until Holden reveals all about the new VF Commodore, which is expected to be the most advanced Australian-made car ever.
Here's what we know so far:
- Holden will export the VF Commodore to the US America where it will be badged as the Chevrolet SS and be the basis for the company's Nascar model.
- Holden will trim the VF Commodore range to reduce complexity and focus on luxury models.
- The VF Commodore will use General Motor's new MyLink infotainment system, that made its debut in the Holden Barina CDX, that provides greater smartphone integration.
- The VF Commodore is part of a $1 billion investment by Holden in Australian manufacturing until 2022.
- The VF Commodore will go hi-tech with a focus on luxury and gadgets, believed to include self-parking and forward-collision avoidance.
- The VF Commodore will use aluminium for panels, including the bonnet, to save weight and reduce fuel economy.
- Holden will update the Sportwagon and Ute to include the new front-end styling and interior luxury upgrades.
- You may be able to monitor some function and eventually control the VF Commodore via your smartphone.
Watch the live reveal of the VF Commodore at www.drive.com.au on Sunday morning from 10.30am.
news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/holden-commodore-will-live-on-20130208-2e358.html
Best news I've heard all year! ;D
The Holden Commodore isn't dead after all.
The Australian car maker confirmed that the long-running nameplate will live on well into the next decade and continue to be built at its Elizabeth plant in South Australia.
Company chairman Mike Devereux dropped the bombshell today during a media preview for the heavily revised VF Commodore that it will reveal publicly on Sunday morning.
There has been plenty of speculation that Holden would drop the Commodore name when the VF is replaced by an all-new vehicle, based on a global General Motors model, that will be manufactured in Australia at the end of 2016.
"A lot of folks have been speculating about whether this is the last Commodore ... I can I categorically tell you we have already begun working on the Commodore that comes after this one," he said.
"People love this nameplate. We're going to have another one of these," Devereux said. "General Motors has started working on it, the team here is obviously involved in that as they are working on all sorts of different things and I will say no more of it.
"We will launch another Commodore after this one," he said. "This thing will run through end of '16, after that time we're going to be putting two architectures into the plant ... one of them will underpin the Commodore that replaces the VF.
"It's a huge year for Holden - we're back," he said.
But the new Commodore will be a very different beast from the one that goes on sale later this year. It is likely to be smaller and could be based on General Motors Malibu mid-size car, which could mean a switch to a front-drive layout and four cylinder engines.
There was speculation that the second vehicle to be built alongside the Cruze small car would be an SUV, but Holden believes that despite their popularity, an SUV would not generate enough sales to justify production.
Devereux has continually said that a second car on the company's production line would have to be a top-ten seller and last year there were no SUVs on that list. That means the next Commodore will compete against Toyota's four-cylinder Camry, which outsold the Commodore in the last three months of 2012.
With only two days to go until Holden reveals all about the new VF Commodore, which is expected to be the most advanced Australian-made car ever.
Here's what we know so far:
- Holden will export the VF Commodore to the US America where it will be badged as the Chevrolet SS and be the basis for the company's Nascar model.
- Holden will trim the VF Commodore range to reduce complexity and focus on luxury models.
- The VF Commodore will use General Motor's new MyLink infotainment system, that made its debut in the Holden Barina CDX, that provides greater smartphone integration.
- The VF Commodore is part of a $1 billion investment by Holden in Australian manufacturing until 2022.
- The VF Commodore will go hi-tech with a focus on luxury and gadgets, believed to include self-parking and forward-collision avoidance.
- The VF Commodore will use aluminium for panels, including the bonnet, to save weight and reduce fuel economy.
- Holden will update the Sportwagon and Ute to include the new front-end styling and interior luxury upgrades.
- You may be able to monitor some function and eventually control the VF Commodore via your smartphone.
Watch the live reveal of the VF Commodore at www.drive.com.au on Sunday morning from 10.30am.
news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/holden-commodore-will-live-on-20130208-2e358.html
Best news I've heard all year! ;D
