Commodore safe from axe for now

Last year, the Commodore retained its title of Australia’s best selling car for the 13th year in a row, albeit by a diminishing margin. And, badged as a Pontiac G8, more than 15,000‘Commodores’ were sold in the US in the last nine months of last year. The original target was about 30,000 sales annually.

However, in the circumstances, GM says the export program is a success.

“Considering the North American market has experienced the weakest new vehicle sales since World War II, we are very satisfied with sales of the Pontiac G8,” said Pontiac spokesman Jim Hopson.

“The car has been very well received and to sell as many as we have in this climate and in these circumstances, quite frankly, is a testament to the vehicle.”

The Pontiac G8 was a finalist in numerous North American Car of the Year awards and has also been named as one of the models to be protected in the restructure of the Pontiac brand.

The head of General Motors product planning, Bob Lutz, said the Pontiac model range would be rationalised to two or three models: the Vibe hatchback, Solstice convertible and G8 sedan.

“Pontiac is one of the brands under strategic review,” said Lutz. “We’re going to focus the Pontiac brand to just a few entries and the G8 is one of those.”

Holden has already begun work on the next generation Commodore, due some time after 2012, and Lutz also confirmed its future was safe.

“Holden is very much a key part of GM’s rear drive future,” Lutz said. “There’s going to have to be a replacement for the next generation Camaro … and Cadillac sedan and for those cars you’d really hate to switch over to front-wheel-drive.”

Beyond the next model, in 10 years time the Commodore could be smaller and lighter and capable of being powered by four-cylinder, V6 and V8 power, as well as being capable to accept hybrid technology, Lutz said.

The 2009 Detroit Motor Show