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Holden SS firms
Alpha platform tyre shredder and longer Insignia to jointly succeed Commodore post 2017Holden is keeping its cards close to its chest, but the latest news out of Fishermans Bend hints the company will cater for Commodore fans with two successors after production closes down at the Elizabeth plant in South Australia.
"I'm not going to disclose our future products... we still have a few ways to go..." Holden MD Gerry Dorizas declared during the launch of the company's 1.4-litre turbo Trax last week.
"We do have a very good product portfolio that will be coming... picking from the best from our portfolios around the world; and be sure that it will be in line with the consumers' tastes and needs within the Australian market."
Given the strength of Commodore sales in Australia – even in the aftermath of Holden's announcement it would end local manufacturing in 2017 – "consumers" in Australia want more of the same, it would seem. And since the company's high-performance Commodore variants have been consistently popular and lucrative over the years, that points to a market niche that could be plugged here by the next-generation Chevy SS.
As we reported back in January, the replacement for the current (VF Commodore-based) SS is expected to be built on a cost-effective version of the Alpha platform that underpins Cadillac's ATS model (pictured), which is rear-wheel drive. GM in the US plans for Alpha to be adopted for the next Camaro, but a North-American SS on the same architecture – and built on the same production line as Camaro – would be affordable and would offer a practical alternative to the coupe for those who admire the Camaro but need four doors for the family. Alpha is arguably the strongest prospect for V8-powered Holdens and HSVs after 2017. And of course, by 'Alpha' we also mean Camaro as well as a sedan.
The other alternative, which has been the source of speculation in the USA, is that the V8-powered rear-wheel drive model to replace the current Commodore counterparts and HSVs would be based on the Omega platform that will form the basis for an S-Class rival from Cadillac. This, however, seems less likely for Australia than an Alpha platform model.
With Holden's Dorizas having committed to pushing Toyota off its number one brand dais from 2020, the GM brand will not walk away from the volume sales Commodore's lesser models have delivered up to now. That explains the emergence of a (likely Insignia-based) front-wheel drive model as Holden's Commodore replacement in the VFACTS large car segment after 2017. For that to happen, post-2017 Insignia would need to be longer in the wheelbase than the current model, offering a roomier interior. The alpha platform sporty sedan would sell alongside it, and presumably in the medium car segment, since ATS is smaller than Cadillac's CTS – which is slightly smaller than the VF Commodore.
Holden is understood to have cast in concrete its model line-up through to 2020, with more halo models (aspirational cars) being sourced from Europe and the USA. During the launch Dorizas would only admit to refreshed Opel models coming next year.
"For the short [term] we do have some halo models coming in, from Europe..." he said.
With the relationship re-established between Holden and Opel – and with GM's plans for Chevrolet to be the corporation's global brand now scrapped – the way forward is open for Holden to source new models from the German GM brand, including possibly the Opel Vivaro van and the Zafira people mover, to name a couple.
What this suggests for Holden's current Korean-sourced products (and the Thai-built Colorado LCV and Colorado 7 SUV) remains to be seen, but presumably the company will continue to source cars from the Asian countries when price sensitivity is an issue.
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Written byKen Gratton
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
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