Holden Commodore 2014 News

As Holden's manufacturing future remains under a cloud the Commodore has had its best monthly sales performance in two years.  Preliminary figures show Holden delivered more than 3300 new Commodores in October, an increase of 35 per cent compared with the same month last year. "It just goes to show that there are a lot of Australians out there who want an Australian-made car," said Holden's sales and marketing executive director, Philip Brook. "It's a great result considering it is a soft market." Industry analysts believe new-car sales dipped by 2 per cent for the second month in a row, but official figures are not released until next week. But it was a somewhat shallow victory for what was Australia's favourite car for 15 years in a row, ranking third behind two Japanese imports, the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 small cars. "The market has changed but the results of the VF (Commodore) prove we're building cars that people want," said Mr Brook. Having clocked up its fifth monthly win this year and the second in a row, the Toyota Corolla is on track to become Australia’s top-selling car for the first time ever. In other upsets, South Korean car maker Hyundai pushed Mazda off the podium for third place for the third time this year. And Hyundai's sister brand Kia pushed Honda outside the top 10 for the second month in a row. In a stark example of the impact of the imported competition, the Volkswagen Golf outsold the locally made Holden Cruze small car for the second month in a row. Top 10 cars October 2013 Toyota Corolla 3860 Mazda3 3610 Holden Commodore 3310 Toyota HiLux 3170 Hyundai i30 2380 Toyota Camry 2250 Ford Ranger 2025 Volkswagen Golf 1965 Holden Cruze 1925 Nissan Navara 1920 Top 10 brands October 2013 Toyota 18,130 -- down 2 per cent Holden 10,530 -- up 3 per cent Hyundai 8130 -- up 7 per cent Mazda 7965 -- up 3 per cent Ford 7485 -- down 10 per cent Nissan 5295 -- down 20 per cent Mitsubishi 5065 -- down 5 per cent Volkswagen 4875 -- down 12 per cent Subaru 2860 -- down 10 per cent Kia 2530 -- down 15 per cent Preliminary results. Official VFACTS data due Monday 4 November, 2013. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

Holden is celebrating 35 years of the Commodore with the introduction of a special edition VF Commodore International sedan and Sportwagon, available only for a limited time.Building on the already highly-specified VF range, Commodore International adds additional luxury and sports features including leather appointed seats, 18 inch alloy wheels, blind spot alert and reverse traffic alert. The International badge is fitting for the VF Commodore, which has received critical acclaim as a car that rivals the world's best.Holden's Phil Brook, said the Commodore International added to VFs already exceptional value story. "We wanted to celebrate the anniversary of an icon by introducing even more great value features on the all-new VF Commodore," said Mr Brook. The Holden VF Commodore International is priced at $36,990 (sedan) and $38,990 ( Sportwagon). An LPG option is also available for an additional $2,500.

The year is 1979 and I'm driving in a giant Falcon cavalcade through the streets of Melbourne, with a police escort and every junction blocked as if I was part of a Presidential motorcade. The XD Falcon is the biggest news in the country, even though the giant family fighter is being launched at a time when the world is downsizing its wheels in the wake of global energy crises and Holden has a bright new star with its first Commodore. Ford Australia is on the front foot and the Blue Oval's global boss and family patriach Henry Ford II has landed in Melbourne to put his personal stamp on the XD and talk about his company's aggressive plans for the future. Now it's Tuesday, this week, and I'm one of 850 invited guests at a $4 million Ford function in Sydney billed as 'Go Further - Vision for Australia'. It's a vision without the Falcon and this time the fly-in heroes are Ford's three amigos - global president Alan Mullaly,  chief operating officer Mark Fields and marketing boss Jim Farley. They're all talking big about a future for Ford in Australia with lots of new cars, lots of fresh thinking, and a new focus on customer relationships. Each takes the spotlight to introduce the new models, including the Transit vans and the mid-sized Mondeo that must do a much better job against the Toyota Camry in the mid-sized class. But there are no real answers to a range of questions, including the future of Ford Performance Vehicles and V8 Supercars racing, and no deviation from the prepared message that's been tailored to bring cheers and clapping from Ford employees and dealers. When Carsguide asks about the real future for the Falcon, from the planned facelift in 2014 through to the end of production in 2016, Alan Mullaly is short and not-so sweet. "That's the plan," he says. The Falcon and Territory die soon and Ford is switching to a fully imported lineup, from the baby Fiesta ST to the Mustang as the halo car. The Everest is the real hero, because the seven-seater SUV has been designed and developed in Australia, even though it will be built in Thailand. There is plenty of razzle-dazzle, including a mocked-up "showroom of the future", but no chance to drive any of the promises and no talk about the people in Melbourne who will lose their jobs. As I walk away from the 'Go Further' event I can see what Ford Australia is planning, and the commitment to its new future. But I'm also asking what would be happening in 2013 if the same cash and confidence and commitment that gave us the XD Falcon in 1979 had been applied by savvy management and smart salespeople in the days between then and now. Twitter @paulwardgover

Mazda has surfed the rising wave of small car sales as deftly as 11-time world champion surfer Kelly Slater. It built the right car for the right time, reinventing its successful 323 from the 1990s as a 21st-century compact hero.Two years as Australia's No.1 (and No.2 now in run-out) show its phenomenal attraction. The giant killer, having claimed the sales crown from the legendary Holden Commodore, has always looked good, been finished well and built well, and provided solid value in a class where the long-term winners have been more than just basic transport.It's more desirable than the world's small-car benchmark, Toyota's Corolla, because it's more than just a car and has almost always been bought by real people paying real money. It's not a stripped-down rental runabout or a vanilla fleet car.It has lost its gloss over the past year, as the all-new Hyundai i30 and Corolla have scored hits, helped by the $19,990 price point, but is certain to bounce back in 2014.Digging into the success of the Mazda3 uncovers the long-term strength of Mazda Australia, which has had local CEOs, managers and dealers over three decades. Only Subaru,  also massively over-represented in Australia, has done a similar job.Mazda has never had cheap cars yet the quality and secondhand strength has made them winners even through tough times, including fluctuating currency and a period under the ownership of Ford. The Mazda3 bottom line is simple: it's a car you'd happily recommend to your own family and your closest friends.This reporter is on Twitter: @PaulWardGover 

The automobile industry doesn’t get anywhere near the credit it deserves for the advances in road safety over the last four decades. Although there have been some legislative requirements, the vast majority of innovations have been brought in voluntarily and with competition between carmakers driving the safety of motor vehicles to higher and higher levels. While many of the initiatives have originated in Europe it’s reassuring to see Holden taking the lead with an Australian-made car that’s at the leading edge of vehicle safety. The following features are available in the new high-tech VF Commodore: Blind Spot Alert Regular readers will be well aware of our views on the dangers of driver inattention and the fact that if a driver adjusts their mirrors correctly then there’s no such thing as a blind spot. Nevertheless the reality is that there are such drivers out there, so a system such as Blind Spot Alert that uses radar sensors mounted on each side of the rear fascia to alert them to a car coming alongside may well save the lives of the occupants of both vehicles. The VF Commodore’s Blind Spot Alert flashes an orange warning icon on one or other of the car’s two door mirrors. It is available as an option with the Commodore Evoke and is standard in all other models Lane Departure Warning Another system designed to avert possible crashes it uses a digital camera mounted at the top of the car’s front windscreen to ‘look at’ lane markings on either side of the car and to alert the driver both visually and audibly when the car moves out of the lane. It only operates at speeds in excess of 56 km/h when it has been activated through a steering wheel mounted button and only when the driver has not signalled a lane change. Lane Departure Warning is only available in the SS V Redline, Calais V and Caprice V models. Forward Collision Alert This system uses the same digital camera as that on the lane departure system to monitor vehicles immediately in front of the Commodore and warns the driver if they are approaching such a vehicle too quickly and that a collision is imminent. Unlike some other systems it will not apply the brakes. As with the Lane Departure Warning it’s only available in the SS V Redline, Calais V and Caprice V models. Head-Up Display Now for a feature that assists the alert, rather than the inattentive, driver. A Head-Up Display projects a variety of information onto the bottom of the windscreen immediately in front of the driver thus reducing the need for them to take their eyes off the road. We’ve seen quite a few of these systems in European and Japanese cars, but none with the choice of information in the VF Commodore. Displayed are vehicle speed, the current speed limit, audio functions, vehicle messages and phone information. Too much information? Yes, we think so. The position of the display and its brightness can be adjusted via a dashboard mounted control. Again, HUD only comes with the SS V Redline, Calais V and Caprice V models. Auto Park Assist Auto-park systems are now available in a number of imported cars, with Ford Australia pushing this feature strongly. These use sensors or cameras to detect a suitable parking space and combine with the driver to safely park the car. Most auto park systems are currently in small to medium sedans where the problem of parking is significantly less than it is for the driver of a large family car, so it’s great to see the Commodore using them. According to Holden, the Auto Park Assist fitted standard across the VF Commodore range including the Ute and WN Caprice, is the largest GM car to have such a system. It can be used to park in either parallel or right-angle parking spaces with the driver operating the throttle and brake and the car’s computer doing the steering. Reverse Traffic Alert One feature that will appeal to any every driver who’s ever been stuck, parked forward, between a couple of big SUVs in a supermarket car park. The Reverse Traffic Alert system uses the radar sensors in the rear fascia to send both a visual and audible alert if, when the Commodore is being reversed, it detects a vehicle approaching from either side of the car within a distance of 25m. It operates on angled parking as well as driveways. Love it! IsoFix Child Seat Mounting An advanced method of mounting child seats that locks the seats into a set of anchor points instead of through rear seat belts. Any parent who watches the Holden crash test video and sees how much more secure their children will be is likely to immediately change over. That is, if their car has IsoFix mountings, because the stupidity of regulators in Australia meant they were illegal here for many years. All VF Commodore sedan, Sportwagon and WN Caprice models have three IsoFix child seats anchors although at this stage they are awaiting ADR approval. MyLink Additional safety features such as Enhanced Voice Recognition, Bluetooth hands-free telephone and text messaging to voice operate in conjunction with a range of fascinating new features through Holden’s MyLink system which is standard in every VF Commodore and WN Caprice model. The large 8-inch colour touch screen is placed at the top-centre of the dashboard to minimise the amount of time diverted from the road. Included among the features it operates are satellite navigation with traffic management; Siri voice commands; Smart phone integration with embedded apps such as the Pandora music and Stitcher worldwide radio access.  

Holden says it is still working through redundancies at its Elizabeth car making facility and is yet to formally accept any applications.The deadline for the 400 factory-job cuts is still two months away; Holden extended the deadline to the end of July to avoid forced redundancies.News Limited was told a fortnight ago about 270 workers had made formal applications from about 700 “expressions of interest”.Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt told News Limited the company is “working through the process”. “We have not accepted or decided on any numbers yet,” he said. “We are still working through the process and looking at potential workflow balance.”Holden is ramping up production of the new Commodore VF model which officially goes on sale in showrooms across Australia on Monday.About 230 new Holden Commodore VF sedans, wagons and utes went down the line today. It takes about 20 days to bring the assembly line up to full speed -- to 400 a day -- with a brand new model.However the peak output of 400 cars a day will be shortlived, as the job losses and new shift patterns will see production cut to 335 cars per day, but workers will have fewer rostered days off. The VF is the first new Commodore in seven years and is likely to be the last homegrown Holden.It will bow out in 2016 at the same time as the Ford Falcon. But the Commodore is likely be replaced by a globally-developed front-wheel-drive four-cylinder sedan that it will build alongside the next generation of the Cruze small car until 2022.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

OMG the new Holden Commodore VF can RSVP. As safety experts around the world wrestle with how to stop drivers from reading and sending text messages while on the move, Holden has come up with a simple solution. Every new Commodore comes with preset text messages that enable the driver to reply at the press of a button, or with a short voice command. You can also program your own message. Included among the 15 options are “Can’t talk now, I’m driving”, “I need directions”. There is even a shortcut for a simple “yes” or “no”. There are also 50 spaces for personalised responses, which can only be typed into the Commodore’s system when the car is parked. It’s part of the new VF Commodore’s touchscreen and infotainment system and it is believed to be the first car on sale in Australia with the technology. Toyota displayed a sample of a similar system at last year’s Geneva motor show but the Japanese company is yet to introduce it locally. Commodore drivers also have the option of using voice control that’s been tuned to understand Australian accents. For now, the preset text message responses only work with Android and Blackberry operating systems. Apple’s security settings don’t allow it, says Holden. Instead, iPhone users will need to use Siri to dictate a message. “No matter which device you have, there is no need to touch or glance at your phone while driving,” said Holden technology communications manager Andrea Matthews. “But depending on your device, you can reply by voice or tap the touchscreen to reply with a preset message.” Regardless of which type of smartphone you have, however, the Commodore can read it aloud over the audio system speakers. Holden is working with Apple to enable preset responses for iPhone users. “We have ongoing discussions with all of the phone providers. The preset reply menu is one of things we are talking about with Apple,” she said. Telecommunications figures show smartphones with Android operating systems now outsell Apple’s IOS system both in Australia and overseas. Although Apple sells more phones in most markets, Android-compatible devices accounted for 64 per cent of sales in the first three months of this year across nine countries -- Australia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and North America -- according to a study by Kantar, a British-based firm that regularly researches global mobile phone use. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

The sales success of the new Holden Commodore rests on the shoulders of mums and dads across Australia. Holden is targeting family buyers over fleets with the new model due in showrooms next month.Confidential dealer bulletins reveal Holden is offering bigger discounts to private customers than it is to fleets as it tries to revive interest in the Commodore, which was Australia’s top selling car for 15 years in a row but has slipped outside the top 10 in recent months.Government and fleet sales typically account for more than seven out of every 10 Commodores sold, but with the new model Holden is aiming for a 50:50 split with private buyers.“We’re not going to walk away from fleet sales but we do want to increase our share of private sales,” said Holden’s executive director of sales and marketing Philip Brook, speaking at a media preview in Canberra overnight.Fleet customers will still pay marginally less than private customers for each model, but the discounts are much smaller than before.A bulletin seen by News Limited shows the hidden discounts on secret pricing offered to fleets have been cut from $3500 to $1500, whereas the savings to private buyers are between $5000 and $10,000 off the RRP, depending on the model.The new Commodore range starts at $34,990, about $5000 less than before, but luxury and sports models have been slashed by up to $9800. Holden is hoping Commodore buyers will be attracted by the sharper prices, extra technology and improved fuel economy.As exclusively revealed by News Limited earlier this month, the new Holden Commodore V6 uses less fuel (8.3L/100km) than most versions of the four-cylinder Ford Falcon (8.5L/100km) and is almost as frugal as the Toyota Camry (7.8L/100km).The new VF Commodore, an extensive update of the “billion-dollar” VE Commodore released in 2006, is expected to be the last home-grown model. It is due to be replaced by a globally-developed front-drive sedan in 2016.Holden will attempt to tug on patriotic heartstrings and focus on the Commodore’s export to the US as a Chevrolet in advertising. But the company says it is not going to “guilt” people into buying a new Commodore just because it is made in Australia.“What we’re trying to do is reconnect people emotionally with the Holden brand and try to reignite passion in Australian consumers,” said Holden boss Mike Devereux at a media preview in Canberra overnight.“We want to … challenge people to think a little differently about Holden and change a lot of pre-conceptions about our brand. It is not about guilting people into buying Australian. It’s about … making people feel proud of what we can do in this country.”Holden expects sales of the Commodore to recover with the arrival of the new model, but stopped short of predicting whether it will ever regain its top-seller status.“We expect to sell more Commodores in the second half of the year,” said Brook. “But the market will determine how many we sell.”Holden says it has flexibility to increase production at the Elizabeth car factory if there is a rush on orders, even though output will be cut from 400 cars a day to 335 cars a day from August.The news comes as the new Holden Commodore was yesterday awarded five stars for safety even though the Australian version comes with six airbags, while the US export version will be equipped with eight. The knee airbags for the driver and front passenger are not available in Australia.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

The new Holden Commodore goes on sale in Australia today ahead of its showroom debut next month. As exclusively revealed by News Limited last weekend the sharp new pricing rolls back the cost of a new Commodore by more than a decade.The base model -- now called Evoke -- starts at $34,990 plus on-road costs, $5000 less than the outgoing Omega. The biggest savings are on the sports and luxury models, whose prices have been slashed by almost $10,000.The new pricing reflects the actual transaction prices Commodores have been selling for over the past few years, but now everyone will get a fairer deal, not just those inclined to haggle.The equipment list shows that every model -- including all sedans, wagons and utes -- will come with a rear view camera, front and rear sensors, self-parking technology, and Pandora and Stitcher apps embedded into the sound system, making it the best equipped vehicle line-up ever produced in Australia.Top models will also get a heads-up display which reflects the vehicle speed and other information into the driver’s line of sight, blind-zone warning, forward crash alert and a raft of other features.Holden says it has been able to cut the cost of the new VF Commodore because it is cheaper to build. It uses more parts sourced from General Motors’ global suppliers (primarily the electronic “platform” which runs the car, and key components such as steering wheels, indicator and wiper stalks and other interior items).The top-line Calais and SS models are available with a premium Bose sound system for the first time (it was previously exclusive to the Caprice). However, given that it was developed primarily for the US export version of the Commodore, the premium sound is not available on wagon or ute.In anticipation of new rules allowing the use of world-class ISOFIX child restraints in Australia, all Commodore sedans and wagons will come ready-fitted with the latch points (three across the back seat).Meanwhile Holden has reached a new low when it comes to the Commodore’s fuel consumption. Every model uses less fuel than its predecessor, largely thanks to an average weight loss of 43kg (due to the aluminium bonnet, boot and other parts) which brought each variant into a more favourable category for the Federal Government’s fuel economy test, which is done in laboratory conditions.According to dealer sources the new VF Commodore fuel economy sees the base model Evoke average 8.3L/100km, which is 23 per cent less than the VE Commodore Omega’s 10.9L/100km of seven years ago -- and only 0.3 L/100km more than its four-cylinder Malibu mid-size sedan.The new Commodore sedan is also more slippery through the air (to 0.31cD) thanks to the less pronounced wheel arches on the front fenders, and a more tapered rear end (which in fact makes the VF slightly longer than the VE on which it is based). The rear ends of the wagon and ute -- bumpers, tailgates and tail-lights -- are unchanged.Other subtle changes that helped economy on the base model Evoke sedan included the switch to an electric power steering system, a smaller differential, low friction oils and a recalibration of the engine’s fuel injection system. The 3.0-litre V6 has 5kW less power than before but it has more grunt from lower revs, which helps save fuel in commuter driving, in lieu of a stop-start idle system.The power and torque outputs of the 3.6-litre V6 and 6.0-litre V8 engines remain unchanged (as do the gearboxes and final drive ratios), but they have slightly lower fuel consumption figures in all models because of the weight reduction.Holden in fact cut 72.5kg from the sedan’s body but the net result was a 43kg saving because of the extra technology and features that were added, including extra noise-deadening material between the engine and the cabin, and felt lining in the wheel arches to reduce the noise of water spray on wet roads.Other highlights: all automatic models can be started remotely, before you get into the car. Introduced on the US export version of the Commodore in 2008, it’s designed to warm the cabin in winter or cool it in summer. Another simple innovation: the bootlid (now lighter as it’s made from aluminium) will spring all the way open at the press of a button, without the need for expensive electronics.The only thing the VF Commodore lacks that the US model gains is a seventh, knee airbag. As before, all Holden Commodores will come with six airbags. Holden says the seventh airbag was needed to meet US requirements, where some states still don’t mandate seatbelt use. To make it easy to follow all the key changes, Carsguide has compiled a walk-up of the full model range, including sedan, wagon and ute.Holden VF Commodore: the line-upEvoke3.0-litre V6 engine6 airbagsStability control16-inch alloy wheels (sedan and wagon only)Dual-zone air-conditioning8-inch colour touchscreen6-speaker sound system with Pandora and Stitcher embedded appsElectric power steeringElectric park brakeRear view cameraFront and rear parking sensorsSelf parking technologyCalais (same equipment as Evoke, plus…)3.6-litre V6 engineLeather seats8-way electric adjustment on driver’s seat18-inch alloy wheelsChrome window trimDaytime running lightsColour driver information screen8-speaker sound systemKeyless entrySide blind-zone alertReverse Traffic AlertOption: NavigationCalais V (same equipment as Calais, plus…)Rain sensing wipers8-way electric adjustment on passenger seat19-inch alloy wheelsHeated front seatsLane departure warningForward Collision AlertHeads-Up DisplayNavigationBose sound system (sedan only)Sunroof (sedan only)Option: V8 engineSV6 (same equipment as Evoke, plus…)3.6-litre V6 engineFront and rear sports bumpers18-inch alloy wheelsDaytime running lightsCloth sports seatsBootlid spoilerSide blind-zone alertReverse Traffic AlertOptions: Navigation, sunroof (sedan only), wing spoiler (sedan only), leather upholsterySS (same equipment as SV6, plus…)V8 engineOptions: Navigation, sunroof (sedan only), wing spoiler (sedan only), leather upholsterySS-V (same equipment as SS, plus…)Leather upholstery19-inch alloys wheelsNavigationSensor keyFront Fog lampsColour driver information screen8-speaker sound systemFootwell lampsOptions: Wing spoiler (sedan only), sunroof (sedan only), Bose sound system (sedan only)SS-V Redline (same as SS-V, plus…)Brembo brakes19-inch forged alloy wheelsHeads-up displayForward Collision AlertLane Departure WarningFE3 suspensionBose sound system (sedan only)Sunroof (sedan only)Option: Wing spoiler (sedan only)

Online bookmaker Sportsbet is having another dabble at predicting the unpredictable tastes of Australian new-car buyers. After last year opening the betting for Australia’s top-selling car, it has now turned its attention to top-selling car brands. At the centre of the latest campaign is whether Holden will still be inside the top three sellers by the end of 2013 -- after it was knocked off the podium for the first time ever, by Nissan in February and Hyundai in March. Holden returned to the top three sellers in April, ranking second behind Toyota and ahead of Mazda, but it is third when the year-to-date tally is calculated. Sportsbet is paying $1.50 for Holden to finish second, $2.50 to finish third, $6 for fourth, and $13 for fifth or lower. For the true diehards, the bookie is offering $26 if Holden knocks off Toyota, market leader for the past 10 years in a row and which last month outsold second and third-place manufacturers combined. “It appears unlikely that Holden will boot Toyota from the top spot, priced as a $26 long shot,” says a statement from Sportsbet. But it adds that Holden is likely to recover later in the year with the arrival of the sharper priced VF Commodore, the Trax compact SUV and other models. “Currently holding on to third position, Holden’s sales are expected to accelerate with an aggressive new pricing strategy and finish second in the ranks, priced as the $1.50 market favourite. With sizeable price cuts set to be introduced on new Holden models, the market suggests that prospective car buyers will stay loyal to the Aussie carmaker, and boost Holden’s ranking to second.” This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling