Future bright for Commodore

The locally-bred family fighter is also getting backing from Detroit despite the latest uncertainty over the future of the rival Ford Falcon in motown.  There are no details of the car that follows the VE Commodore, which is itself set for a major lifecycle tweak in 2010, but designers are already talking positively about the program.

"I think that's already in development. In terms of styling we are working on something," says Ondrej Koromhaz, one of the lead designers at Holden and the man responsible for the all-new Barina being previewed at the Detroit Motor Show this week.  "We want to find a clever solution. That's what we're working on right now."

Koromhaz is a transplanted Czech with 12 years on the General Motors' payroll, including time in Korea and China, but has just returned to Australia.  He is vague about his latest job following the Barina program but is clearly close to the next Commodore. And he also has Holden history, as his concept for the VE Commodore finished as runner-up to the design by Mike Simcoe - who now heads external design for all GM cars in North America - which eventually went into production.

Koromhaz admits Holden has challenges with the design but says they are no different to Ford.  "We have the same problem, the same challenge. We want to protect the size and proportions," he says.  "I'm hoping we can complete it and protect it and move it on. It will be ... where it has always been."

"We are still seeing the Commodore as an Australian family car. (But) I don't think we're going to the same extreme (on a reported front- drive switch) that Ford has."

But Simcoe, who is tapped into the top management levels in Detroit, rules out any switch from traditional rear-wheel drive.  "Holden Commodore going front-wheel drive is not on the books right now. For the foreseeable future that I know about," says Simcoe.