Holden Commodore News

The Gold Coast will be the home of a new shrine to race legend Peter Brock.

Exclusive report reveals one of the biggest factors in the deaths of young drivers.

Strewth! Aussies are now consistently buying more Hyundai cars than Holdens.Figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show Holden finished fourth behind Toyota, Mazda and Hyundai in April – and the two brands are in a bumper-to-bumper race for third place this year.Holden and Hyundai are barely 1000 sales apart in the year-to-date tally but the South Korean brand is closing the gap after beating Holden for the third month in a row and the seventh time in two years.The age-old Holden versus Ford battle is about to be revived – but it will be for the minor placingsThe change in fortunes means the age-old Holden versus Ford battle is about to be revived – but it will be for the minor placings as the former family and fleet favourites are overtaken by imported cars.The Ford and Holden fall from grace comes as the Australian new-car market continues its record-setting pace, up by 3.5 per cent year-to-date.Sales in the first four months of this year are also higher than in the same period in 2013 – the previous record year – with 359,250 new vehicles reported as sold versus 358,165 two years ago.Buoyed by an artificially devalued Yen, Japanese-branded cars continued to dominate.The Toyota Corolla outsold the Mazda3 for the third month in a row in April to remain our top-selling car while three utes made it into the Top 10, including the second-placed Toyota HiLux, fifth-placed Ford Ranger and ninth-placed Mitsubishi Triton.Sales of SUVs (up 15.7 per cent) and four-wheel-drive utes (up 9.1 per cent) continue to drive the market while sales of traditional passenger cars hit the brakes (down 4.4 per cent), according to figures that compare the first four months of this year with the same period in 2014.Mercedes-Benz C Class also outsold the Ford FalconOther movers and shakers include the Volkswagen Golf, which made it into the Top 10, and the Hyundai i30 which nearly overtook the Mazda3.Mercedes-Benz (2654 sales in April) edged out Honda (2559) to make it into the Top 10 for the fourth time in 12 months, and increased its sales lead in the luxury-car class ahead of Audi (1714) and BMW (1554).The Mercedes-Benz C Class (681) was the second best-selling medium-size car after the Toyota Camry (1141) and ahead of the Mazda6 (415).The Mercedes-Benz C Class also outsold the Ford Falcon (446), whose sales are down by 11.9 per cent despite the recent arrival of an updated model.Holden is selling four times as many Commodores as Ford is selling Falcons, but sales are down by a greater margin: 16.8 per cent.New-car sales in May are expected to remain steady as the industry braces for June, the biggest month of the year.Toyota Corolla – 3238, down 2.3 per centToyota HiLux – 2789, up 8.4 per centMazda3 – 2365, down 22.6 per centHyundai i30 – 2298, up 1.2 per centFord Ranger – 2200, up 5.1 per centHolden Commodore – 2043, down 16.4 per centMazda CX-5 – 1868, up 21.1 per centVolkswagen Golf – 1728, up 22.5 per centMitsubishi Triton – 1538, up 12.1 per centToyota RAV4 – 1399, down 9.6 per centToyota – 15,299, up 2.0 per centMazda – 8068, up 4.5 per centHyundai – 7210, down 1.2 per centHolden – 7072, down 10.1 per centFord – 5163, down 18.9 per centVolkswagen – 4572, up 13.6 per centNissan – 4188, up 15.7 per centMitsubishi – 4079, up 11.2 per centSubaru – 3052, up 3.8 per centMercedes-Benz – 2654, up 22.7 per centSales and their percentage change with the same month last year. Source: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries

Holden’s value-packed Commodore Storm edition is returning just in time for the end of financial year. Commodore sales are down around 17 per cent compared to this time last year and Holden hopes the injection of the new Storm models will bring improvements. “The VF Commodore Storm Special Edition struck a chord with customers in 2014 and we are sure that it will do the same in 2015,” said Holden’s sales director Peter Keley. Of course, the Commodore Storm isn’t new, Holden introduced it around this time last year but for a limited time only. Now it’s back priced $500 above the regular SV6 and SS sedan, wagon and ute models. So that’ll be $37,290 for the manual SV6 sedan, $39,490 for the auto and $43,490 for the V8 SS manual. The Storm is back priced $500 above the regular SV6 and SS sedan, wagon and ute models. The Storm adds satnav, fog lights, red contrast seat stitching and unique dark finish alloy wheels to the Commodore’s standard list of equipment which includes auto park assist, reverse camera, reverse traffic alert and MyLink infotainment with eight-inch touchscreen. The Storm also comes with special badging inside and out. The total value of the additional equipment is around $1200, so the $500 premium over the standard car makes the Storm a good value proposition. However, with the 2015 Commodore range being slightly more expensive than last year’s model, the identically-specced new Storm edition costs marginally more than before. 

Australians are buying small cars in record numbers as our cities become more congested -- and we shun large cars and instead take cheap flights to travel between our capital cities.Sales of pint-sized city cars are up by 15 per cent in the first three months of this year -- the same growth rate as SUVs -- as buyers embrace new levels of performance, luxury and safety in a compact hatch.People don't need large cars like they once didCheap domestic flights are indirectly a factor in our shift into smaller vehicles -- because most people fly interstate these days rather than drive, says industry analyst Richard Johns, of Australian Automotive Intelligence."People don't need large cars like they once did," said Mr Johns. "Very few people drive between our major capital cities now that cheap flights have become more widely available."The move to smaller cars has also accelerated as the fringes of our capital cities become more congested and it becomes harder to find a parking spot."Once upon a time one family car had to meet all our needs," said Mr Johns. "Now Australians are buying personal cars that better suit their individual needs."With advances in technology, buyers also don't need to compromise on luxury, safety or performance.The latest crop of city-sized hatchbacks -- or "Light Cars" as the industry defines them, as they are slightly smaller than Toyota Corolla-like vehicles -- includes models that would have once shamed a Holden V8 road car tuned by racing legend Peter Brock.Indeed, with 141kW of power from its turbocharged engine, the latest generation Volkswagen Polo GTI hot hatch has more grunt than the last series of road cars that Peter Brock put his signature on (137kW from a 5.0-litre V8) in 1987.At $30,000, the new Polo GTI might be twice the price of a regular version of the Polo, but Australians can't enough of them.Small cars aren't what they used to beThere is already a three-month waiting list on certain models of the Polo GTI even though it only went on sale last week. Perhaps part of the appeal is that it can reach the 100km/h speed limit in 6.7 seconds -- quicker than a Peter Brock Commodore.Even Ford has joined the hot hatch brigade, with a turbocharged version of its commuter car -- called the Fiesta ST -- as it tries to cash-in on the shift away from V8s and into small performance cars."Small cars aren't what they used to be," said Mr Johns. "People are finding that small cars meet most of their requirements now that the know what they're truly capable of."2015Volkswagen Polo GTIEngine: Turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinderPower: 141kW and 320Nm0 to 100km/h: 6.7 seconds1987Peter Brock Holden Commodore SS Group AEngine: 5.0-litre V8Power: 137kW and 345Nm0 to 100km/h: 7.5 seconds

The latest sales figures show we are now buying almost as many SUVs as we are buying regular cars.In the first three months of this year, SUVs of all shapes and sizes represented a staggering 42 per cent of all passenger cars sold (95,000 of 224,000), according to the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.Sales of SUVs have almost doubled in the past 10 years, from 173,000 in 2004 to 352,000 last year.The industry believes the SUV boom will continue until at least 2020, where they may even overtake passenger cars.It costs little more to get into an SUV these days than it does to buy a hatchbackThe new generation of city-sized SUVs, or "faux-wheel-drives", are essentially a high-riding hatchback — and most lack a proper all-wheel-drive system or sufficient ground clearance to climb a street gutter."Buyers love the tall driving position, and the flexibility of a wagon without looking like they're driving a wagon," says Richard Johns of Australian Automotive Intelligence.Mr Johns said price was also a factor in the popularity of SUVs."It costs little more to get into an SUV these days than it does to buy a hatchback," he said."The most popular SUV models also cost less than the typical $35,000 starting for the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon."Love them or hate them, sales of SUVs are driving the record growth in the new-car market.Last month, an Australian record for car sales in March, SUV deliveries were up by 15 per cent in a market that was up by 8 per cent.Honda sold more HR-Vs than Civic hatchbacks, Hyundai sold more ix35s than it did of its Accent small car, the Mitsubishi ASX outsold the Lancer, Toyota sold more RAV4s than it did Toyota Yaris hatchbacks and Nissan sold twice as many X-Trails as it did Pulsar sedans and hatches.And the pint-sized Mazda CX-3 outsold the Ford Falcon in March, even though the just-released Mazda had only been on sale for the last eight days of the month.The SUV specialist brands are cashing in. Jeep sales were up 15 per cent and Land Rover up 19 per cent last month.The SUV phenomenon has also hit the top end of town.SUVs now account for more than half of the sales for Toyota's luxury division Lexus, and its oddly-styled NX SUV was the brand's biggest selling model in March.The Porsche Cayenne and Macan SUVs each outsell the 911 sports car by more than four to one.BMW this week released a $200,000 high performance version of its 2.2 tonne BMW X5 that can outrun a Porsche 911.Even Rolls-Royce has joined the fray, planning to release an SUV within the next three years, although it refuses to use the term "SUV", preferring instead to call it a "high riding vehicle".Clearly some people still look down on SUVs.

New-car sales hit the accelerator for the second month in a row after the best March result of all time - but former Australian favourites Holden and Ford hit a wall.

The total of 105,054 registrations was one of the best ever and confirms an upswing in February, following a Reserve Bank interest rate cut.The figures, obtained by News Corp Australia ahead of their official release next Tuesday, show a broad-based rebound among private and business buyers and across all vehicle types.One in every three vehicles registered is now a high-rider.SUVs accounted for the bulk of the additional 7800 sales with demand up 15.3 per cent, led by Mazda's CX-5.One in every three vehicles registered is now a high-rider.However, the Toyota HiLux spearheaded a resurgence in light-commercial demand, with 2000 additional private buyers cancelling out a fall in business purchases. Rather than looking to utes, fleets bought an extra 1400 passenger cars over the same month last year in a rare boost for the traditional format.Toyota's Corolla, which was March best-seller with almost 4300 sales, and the company's locally built Camry, with deliveries up 11 per cent over last year, were two of the main beneficiaries.But Holden and Ford's Australian-made vehicles failed to fire, with the recently refreshed Falcon finding only 700 buyers and Commodore sales slipping 18 per cent.Ford's Melbourne-made Territory SUV also missed out on the sunshine, with sales down 15 per cent, while Holden's Adelaide-built small car, the Cruze, slumped 24 per cent.Most mainstream carmakers had a strong month but luxury brands were among the biggest winnersAs all three Australian makers prepare to halt production over the next two years, fewer than one in 12 vehicles sold is made locally.Most mainstream carmakers had a strong month but luxury brands were among the biggest winners, with Mercedes recording a 30 per cent increase and its second-highest number of registrations ever.The new Mercedes C-Class, which this week was awarded the World Car of the Year accolade during a ceremony in New York, is on a roll and outsold all other mid-size cars at any price except the Camry.Most premium makers outperformed the overall market, with demand for Lexus and BMW both up 14 per cent. Land Rover was up 19 per cent, Audi 22 per cent, Porsche 87 per cent and Maserati tripling its sales compared with March last year.

Holden is going back in time to make sure the Commodore makes it to the end of the production line.

As the Australian economy shows signs of slowing, sales of new cars got a boost in February – the first solid increase in five months – as dealers cleared last year's stock and buyers continued to cash-in on record low interest rates.Deliveries of new cars rose by 4.2 per cent in February to 90,424, compared to the same month last year, figures from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show.Prior to last month, new-car sales had been stable or in slow decline for the better part of a year.Discounts across most mainstream brands have been particularly aggressive in response to price cuts from Japanese marques after a new Free Trade AgreementPrivate buyers – not business fleets – were the driving force, pushing sales up 6 per cent among those who pay for their own cars, and accounting for more than half of all new vehicles sold in the month.The turnaround in car sales is likely due to a combination of low interest rates which have enabled many buyers to update to a brand-new model with the same – or lower – monthly repayments.Furthermore, the discounts across most mainstream brands have been particularly aggressive in response to price cuts from Japanese marques after a new Free Trade Agreement axed the 5 per cent tariff on the landed wholesale cost of every vehicle from Japan.The adjustment typically saw price cuts of between $300 and $900 on Japanese cars in the $15,000 to $40,000 price bracket.For example, the Mazda3 price was trimmed from $20,490 to $19,980 and the Toyota Corolla hatch went from $19,990 to $19,490 plus on-road costs.Sales to fleets were down by 3.0 per cent while government departments also had the handbrake on (down 0.5 per cent).Sales to rental companies were much higher than average (up a staggering 59 per cent for the month), however this is more likely a sign that some brands "pushed" cars out at heavily discounted rates, rather than being indicative of a boost in tourism.Seven of the Top 10 brands posted increases. But former market leaders Ford and Holden were hit hard – with sales declines of 20.1 per cent and 10.2 per cent respectively – as they adjusted to weakening demand for their locally-made vehicles in the lead-up to their factory closures in 2016 and 2017.A sign of the times – and our changing taste in cars – luxury brand Mercedes-Benz rounded out the Top 10 for only the fourth time ever.Most luxury marques continued to shine, with Audi (up 9.4 per cent), BMW (up 14.8 per cent) and Porsche (up 14 per cent) all posting increases that outpaced the overall market.The Toyota Corolla overtook the Mazda3 to become the nation's top-sellerPrestige brands customarily account for 8 per cent of car sales globally; in Australia they make up more than 11 per cent of new vehicle deliveries.Other highlights for the month of February: sales for small-car specialist Suzuki were up 20 per cent while ute and SUV specialist Isuzu was up by a massive 54 per cent.Meanwhile the Toyota Corolla overtook the Mazda3 to become the nation's top-seller – but the Mazda3 still leads the sales race in the year-to-date tally by a narrow margin of just 90 cars.The two small cars have been duking it out for Number One for the past four years after the Mazda3 ended the Holden's Commodore's record 15-year winning streak in 2011.The Mazda3 went on to lead the new-car market for two years in a row, but was overtaken by the Toyota Corolla, the world's biggest selling car, in the two years that followed and is currently the reigning champion.With no other challengers to Number One in sight, the year 2015 looks set to be a repeat of the past two years with the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 battling for top-seller status.Toyota 16,243 – up 0.3 per centMazda 9057 – down 1.2 per centHyundai 8003 – 2.6 per centHolden 7809 – down 10.2 per centMitsubishi 6242 – up 33.3 per centFord 5022 – down 20.1 per centVolkswagen 4889 – up 11.7 per centSubaru 3223 – up 3.3 per centHonda 2901 – up 9.0 per centMercedes-Benz 2744 – up 15.5 per centToyota Corolla 3939 – up 18.2 per centMazda3 3598 – down 9.3 per centToyota HiLux 2861 – down 14.5 per centHolden Commodore 2517 – down 9.4 per centHyundai i30 2126 – down 10.4 per centMazda CX-5 2085 – up 19.0 per centMitsubishi Triton 1988 – up 62 per centFord Ranger 1953 – up 2.7 per centToyota Camry 1767 – down 6.6 per centVolkswagen Golf 1735 – down 2.5 per centSource: Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries