Confirmed: Commodore to live past 2017

[LoudPipes]

Confirmed: Commodore to live past 2017

Date: 20 January, 2015

Stephen Ottley
Deputy Motoring Editor

Holden will carry on its most famous nameplate after local production stops.

The Holden Commodore will live on.

General Motors International boss Stefan Jacoby has confirmed that the Commodore nameplate will be used on the replacement for the current car after the locally-made model ends in 2017.

"I will make the announcement that we will continue with the nameplate Commodore," Jacoby said. "There will be a Commodore successor.

"Commodore is embedded into Holden, it is very much part of the Holden history, it's part of what Australian customers want to have and we listen to our customers.There will definitely be a very strong Commodore in the future."

Holden has made no secret of its plans to replace the Commodore with a new large sedan in 2018, after production of the current VF Commodore ends in 2017. While it hinted that Commodore would continue it had yet to commit to the name for the imported replacement.

"The Commodore successor will have the Commodore name," Jacoby said.

Jacoby already confirmed that the 2018 Commodore is already testing at Holden's Lang Lang proving grounds.

"We are driving this car already in Lang Lang," Jacoby told Australian journalists at the 2015 Detroit motor show.

Jacoby hinted that the new Commodore will switch to a front-wheel drive layout, rather than the current Commodore's rear-wheel drive platform. It is expected to be based on a new German-deigned Opel Insignia sedan, the styling of which was previewed in the Opel Monza concept.

"I'm coming from a front-wheel-drive group, the VW/Audi Group [Jacoby was previously CEO of VW America], with this company we don't believe there is a true disadvantage between a front-wheel-drive Audi, at the time, towards a rear-wheel-drive BMW," Jacoby said.

The Commodore nameplate was introduced in 1978 for the replacement for the larger Kingswood and was based on a European-sourced Opel. Much like the original Commodore, Jacoby wants the new model to offer fuel economy savings with a smaller, lighter car and more modern technology.

"We understand what Commodore is and we understand that better than anybody else and it is very obvious that the Commodore successor needs to be stronger than today's model – and we will do everything to do that, with modern technology," Jacoby said.

"With today's technology, especially with downsizing, we can over perform a traditional six- or eight-cylinder."

Ford, meanwhile, has confirmed it will retire the Falcon name when production of the FG X ends in 2016.

http://www.drive.com.au/motor-news/confirmed-commodore-to-live-past-2017-20150120-12tem3.html?rand=4765791#comments

[WHYME]

Front wheel drive ay, let's see what HSV can do with this.

[08FGXR8]

Even though I'm sad to see the Falcon name die, I think it's best to retire it rather than put in on a front-wheel drive sedan, something that the name has never been associated with.

[FormulaFG]

All aboard............

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by Fully6

Front wheel drive ay, let's see what HSV can do with this.

Read somewhere that the performance model will be AWD

[malazn mafia]

They might as well do a reverse toyota lexcen, and just license the Camry V6 as Holden Commodore. At least they will get reliable motoring as a result.

[CyberWasp]

Commodore to live past 2017......for about a few months

[2011G6E]

Anyone else old enough to remember the great wailing and nashing of teeth surrounding the axing of the "big" XC Falcon and the introduction of the "small" XD? Completely different styles cars (much the same underneath of course), but they kept the "Falcon" name when they could just as easily have changed the name.

Now Holden is being mocked for doing the exact same thing...different style of car, same badge...that's life...


FWD, RWD...? Implying that more than a couple of percent of customers even care which end is doing the driving. As I've said before, when we bought our G6E I asked to see under the bonnet and the salesman said I was one of maybe only two or three other people in the last six months who had even asked to look under the bonnet. People want to know "how many cylinders" and "manual or auto"...and that's about it for mechanical stuff. It's irrelevant these days.

If Holden brought in the Chevrolet Impala people wouldn't know what hit them...front wheel drive or not. It's a great car to drive.

[new2ford]

The VAG group FWD analogy is a bit false. At the large SUV product-level, the VAG products (like Touareg, Q7) are 4WD so, while VAG does excellent FWD platforms at the smaller car model-levels, they don't carry it through to the larger vehicles - which is sort of the reality about FWD.

BMW on the other hand is able to carry a 2WD (RWD) option successfully right through to the top SUV levels (up to X5). I note that in many road tests where they're comparing a BMW SUV against an Audi or similar FWD SUV they always give the driving/handling gong to the BMW.

FWD on a larger car is never going to be as good as RWD. He's basically kidding to justify FWD.

[Moby Vic]

So now they'll slap Holden badges on Chevrolets. Circle of Life.

[LoudPipes]

As 2011G6E has already said, the percentage of new car buyers who will care if Commodore is front or rear wheel drive is miniscule.

The only gamble I see here for Holden is, if the current crop of Commodore owners are in the main only interested in RWD and they stop buying, will there be any renewed interest from others who long ago abandoned the badge.

I doubt if the SUV crowd will come back which means the 2017 Commodore will have to be well priced to compete with the similar Asian product and not overpriced where potential customers will say for a few dollars more we can buy a German or some other supposedly flashier badge.

[Mighty Reds]

The should kill off the Commodore name and replace it with Camira.

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by Mighty Reds

The should kill off the Commodore name and replace it with Camira.

Yes that would be appropriate. The Camira makes the Cruze look like leading edge FWD!

Put your foot down and the steering was immediately whipped into a dead straight line, which was fine until a curve came up when you'd be fighting with the wheel like a giant to keep it on the road. Really good engineering that one.

[superyob]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Anyone else old enough to remember the great wailing and nashing of teeth surrounding the axing of the "big" XC Falcon and the introduction of the "small" XD? Completely different styles cars (much the same underneath of course), but they kept the "Falcon" name when they could just as easily have changed the name.

Now Holden is being mocked for doing the exact same thing...different style of car, same badge...that's life...


FWD, RWD...? Implying that more than a couple of percent of customers even care which end is doing the driving. As I've said before, when we bought our G6E I asked to see under the bonnet and the salesman said I was one of maybe only two or three other people in the last six months who had even asked to look under the bonnet. People want to know "how many cylinders" and "manual or auto"...and that's about it for mechanical stuff. It's irrelevant these days.

If Holden brought in the Chevrolet Impala people wouldn't know what hit them...front wheel drive or not. It's a great car to drive.

I don't remember this at all. First I have heard of it. They have an identical wheel base and dimensions don't they? I do remember the debate relating to the Kingswood and the smaller Commodore...

[Venomous1]

Seems the current sales are worrying them when factory comes to halt which model will catch the sales up?

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Mighty Reds

The should kill off the Commodore name and replace it with Camira Kingswood.

Would be funny seeing all the nostalgia sales pour in. We are an ageing population aren't we?

[new2ford]

Originally Posted by malazn mafia

Would be funny seeing all the nostalgia sales pour in. We are an ageing population aren't we?

I think Mighty Reds was being ironic in commemorating Holden's first klutz of an effort at a FWD car. I believe they haven't succeeded since either, if my experience of Barina and Cruze are anything to go by.

[ebv8]

the only thing Holden have that is decent is the commodore, I can't think of any other Holden sold here that i'd be happy to own.
At least ford will have a Mustang , Ranger and Everest
If Holden don't bring on the Camaro I can see them being competitive in any market

but that just my opinion

[fgpsi]

What a joke

Nothing commodore about it

[290GTP]

The only good thing about a Commodore is the fact that its RWD. Lol if it becomes some FWD **** box ala Toyota Avalon.

At least the Falcon's dying with some dignity.

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by fgpsi

What a joke

Nothing commodore about it

Could be, if they use the concept designed by the Holden team for the next Opel Insignia - http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthread.php?t=11430974

[neptune blue]

The only people that will be affected by the car not being rear wheel drive are guys like us. If it looks good, goes good , is priced correctly and fills the gap in the large "aussie sedan market" that ford has abandoned who knows. The name lives on , unlike the falcon

[Nikked]

While this new comes across as funny punchline to most of us, we have to remember that this decision was made from the marketing departments head, not an enthusiast heart. We all understand the difference of drive-train orientation because we are enthusiast, its in our heart.

There are still people in the market that wouldn't know what FWD or RWD mean, all they understand is Bluetooth, Pandora, L/100km etc. I'll dob my wife in (only because she wont see this haha), she didn't know what it all meant, and that my falcon and her Mondeo were driven at different ends...

Time well tell if this is marketing genius or a misfire, but Holden are the king of spin and they might just transfer some Commodore buyers onto this new, unknown product. Unless the closure causes them to question where the car comes from, or what it is...

[fgpsi]

Aussie design but built in China

Could work

[dragons90]

"With today's technology, especially with downsizing, we can over perform a traditional six- or eight-cylinder."

Does that mean it will be a 4 cylinder.

[DFB FGXR6]

Anyone else think that Buick was to be the next actual Commodore/Caprice?

[johnydep]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

Anyone else think that Buick was to be the next actual Commodore/Caprice?

Yes

The Opel Insignia is a large family car engineered and produced by the German automaker Opel. Production of the Insignia began in 2008 as a replacement for the Vectra and Signum. The vehicle is known as the Vauxhall Insignia in the United Kingdom, and as the Buick Regal in China and North America. http://www.fordforums.com.au/showthr...1430974&page=2

[Windsor220]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Anyone else old enough to remember the great wailing and nashing of teeth surrounding the axing of the "big" XC Falcon and the introduction of the "small" XD? Completely different styles cars (much the same underneath of course), but they kept the "Falcon" name when they could just as easily have changed the name.

Now Holden is being mocked for doing the exact same thing...different style of car, same badge...that's life...


FWD, RWD...? Implying that more than a couple of percent of customers even care which end is doing the driving. As I've said before, when we bought our G6E I asked to see under the bonnet and the salesman said I was one of maybe only two or three other people in the last six months who had even asked to look under the bonnet. People want to know "how many cylinders" and "manual or auto"...and that's about it for mechanical stuff. It's irrelevant these days.

If Holden brought in the Chevrolet Impala people wouldn't know what hit them...front wheel drive or not. It's a great car to drive.

The problem is aren't half of the Commodore sales v8s? I'd say RWD is quite important to their customers. They would be losing the performance buyers which is all they really have left.

[Bossxr8]

Not engineered or made in Australia + FWD = not a Commodore.

The only reason to use the Commodore name is to fool idiots who have zero clue about cars, and are probably stupid enough to think it's a real Commodore and not a pretender.

But no wagon (probably), no V8 and no ute means sales will be ***** anyway.

[Elks]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Not engineered or made in Australia + FWD = not a Commodore.

Rubbish = commodore = who cares