Holden Commodore News

Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux said the company was building a world-class car for local and export markets. "The VF represents a sea-change in terms of the type of vehicle we can create in this country, it's a class above anything that we've ever done or has ever been done in this country, we're very proud that you can export things from Australia - they have to be world-class and this fantastic manufacturing facility and the team that put the VF together have delivered on that," he said. The car is being unveiled well before it goes on sale in June as the export version - the Chevrolet SS - is being revealed in the US tomorrow. The export model, which supplies the body aesthetics for the Chevrolet NASCAR competitor, will debut at the upcoming Daytona 500, unveiled by former Holden boss, now GM North America president Mark Reuss. Mr Devereux has again defended the co-investment strategy with the state and federal governments, which was expected to reap $6 billion of local economic benefit - through component suppliers and down to workers wages - during the life-cycle of the next-generation products out to 2022. Mr Devereux said the company was conscious of providing value for the governments’ $275 million co-investment package. "It's two billion for VF and four billion for the next-gen models, between 2016 and 2022 in economic activity and injection in the Australian economy, he says. "The country understands what manufacturing means to the country, we need to fight for our right to be able to have high-tech manufacturing," he says. "We take our taxpayer assistance very seriously and we want to make sure we provided a great return on investment for everybody in the country and we believe we're doing just that," he said. SA Premier Jay Weatherill believes the $50 million co-investment in Holden's manufacturing future represented value-for-money for tax payers. "We've invested $50 million and it's going to leverage the future of 16,000 jobs in SA, I think on anybody's reckoning that is a great deal for this state - a billion worth of investment through until 2022, that's the agreement that has been reached."  

It's the SS-V muscle car that will become the next Holden hero and, in another landmark Carsguide exclusive, our five million readers are seeing it first.The V8-powered VF flagship packs all the breakthrough features of the first Commodore makeover since the arrival of the VE - from self parking and anti-collision systems to an Audi-style luxury interior - with new front and rear panels including a lightweight aluminium bonnet and boot.No-one outside Holden is driving the VF for another six weeks, but the Carsguide crew has seen the car and climbed all over both the SS-V and the impressive new Calais luxury runner. Our early verdict? It's a sure-fire winner.The VF also proves the Commodore is not dead yet, even before a fresh commitment to the car that now stretches out beyond 2020. The pricing and lineup are still a closely-guarded secret, but it's inevitable that so much new technology in the VF will mean a rise from today's $37,990 starting point.The SS-V is the standout, from its signature ‘Fantale’ hero colour and optional 20-inch black alloy wheels to a driver-focussed cabin and a tiny spoiler sitting on top of the boot. But it's the basic changes - especially in the cabin - that elevate the car way beyond anything that's worn a Commodore badge in the past.“We're back,” says Holden's president, Mike Devereux, as he introduces the VF at a secret press briefing ahead of customer deliveries in June. “This is the most technologically-advanced car ever created in this country, without a doubt. What is different about today's vehicle is both the sophistication, technology and refinement.''The arrival of the VF means the end of the working-class Commodore, as all the changes for 2013 push the car upmarket and away from its humble start in 1978. Holden admits it's now chasing people who want a Commodore on their own terms, not workers who were forced to take one as a company car. “This is a no-excuses car,'' says Devereux.Holden has spent more than $500 million to design and develop the VF, which looks more muscular and modern despite what are relatively-minor exterior changes. The mid-section of the car carries over, although you would hardly know it from the contoured bonnet, aggressive nose, raised boot and the cabin renovation that brings a new dashboard and a whole suite of new electronics.Holden has even managed to crib some extra visibility by trimming down the A pillars which have been a VE bugbear, although the mirrors are still the same and still undersized by world standards. “I wouldn't say it's more extreme, but the persona has changed a little bit,'' says Holden's hero designer, Richard Ferlazzo, talking about the SS-V.“It's not about scaring women and children, it's about looking purposeful. You don't have to apologise for this. All cars have some sort of connection with speed. It's not all anti-social, it's enjoyable.''But he also knows what wins hearts -- and buyers -- who are also considering Euro luxury cars and full-loaded SUVs. “The interior is what everybody is going to be talking about. Not just in the technology, but the premium content and the fit-and-finish,'' Ferlazzo says.The look is completely new and dominated by an eight-inch colour touch screen that controls everything from new-generation satnav to automotive Apps. There is a similar smaller screen set ahead of the driver - and standard on all models - but the Commodore now gets a heads-up display. The quality of the materials in the car is a huge improvement, the window switches are moved from the console to the driver's door, and there is an electronic parking brake. On the safety side, the VF is a landmark local car with everything from blind-spot warning to front and rear anti-collision systems, a rear-view camera and a self-parking system that works for both parallel and reverse slots.The changes to the VF reflect the changes in the Australian automotive landscape, as the car faces incredibly tough opposition on all fronts. It's not good enough in 2013 to bowl up a car that's basically just an FJ Holden for everyone. It has to be targeted, and the SS-V is laser-locked on shoppers who want Euro-style quality with Aussie muscle.“We’re back, better than ever. It's game on," says Devereux. But this is just the first chapter of a story that will run for months, so stay tuned to Carsguide for the next instalment on the mechanical developments, ahead of the all-important first drive.New look front and rearAluminium bonnet and bootLED daytime running lampsNew wheelsNew dashboard with 8-inch colour touch-screenHeads-up display for driverElectric power steering and electronic park brakeSelf-parking systemFront and rear collision warningsCommodore or Falcon, Ford or Holden? That was the only real choice in new-car showrooms for nearly 20 years. But things have changed massively over the past decade and the old-time family favourites are now retreating faster than dinosaurs facing the ice age. So, what's the VF Commodore up against in 2013 and how does it rate against  rivals that are similarly priced - or costlier - in a fragmented showroom stoush?Here are the likely suspects for the Commodore's new-age cross-shopping contest:MASTER BLASTER: BMW M5 - $229,500The SS-V is finally on the right page for luxury buyers, thanks to that gorgeous cabin. The 6-litre V8 is old-school against the twin-turbo BMW, but the Holden hero is a bargain by any measure. And there are HSV VFs to come.FAMILY HAULER: Hyundai Santa Fe - $36,990If you really need seven seats you don't want a Commodore, but lots of families have forgotten that motoring can still be fun. The VF delivers, with the promise of better efficiency than a hulking people mover.DOWNSIZER DREAM: Mazda6 - $33,460A medium-sized car delivers similar cabin space to a Commodore in 2013, and the 6 is only a little shorter overall than the Holden. The challenge now is to deliver an ownership experience to rival a Mazda or Honda or Subaru dealership.EURO SNOBBERY: Mercedes-Benz A Class - $35,600Badge buyers love the Germans, and the new Benz-BMW-Volkswagen babies are great little cars at tasty prices. They will make things tough for the Calais, but cannot match its V8 pace or cabin space. 

... the Holden Racing Team’s 2013 V8 Supercar – was designed by a woman.Holden colour and trim designer Charlene Spiteri, who drives a Holden Barina, normally spends her week working on the Commodore’s interior upholstery and exterior colours.But the Melbourne RMIT graduate in textile design has also worked on the designs of the last six Holden Racing Team race cars – in her own time after hours. “It’s a labour of love,” she told News Limited.Although matte paint has appeared on exotic supercars, and even a $32,000 Hyundai coupe, the matte white finish on the 2013 HRT Commdore is the believed to the first on a V8 Supercar. The new livery also marks the return of the Holden lion on the bonnet since 2009.“Matte paint is a trend in performance cars these days,” says Spiteri. “You see it on Lamborghinis and BMWs and there’s no reason we shouldn’t put it on our best Commodore. Matte paint is the elite of exterior paint. The technology has improved to the point that we can finally put it on the race car.”But Holden says there are no plans to use matte paint on its road cars anytime soon. Unlike some matte finish cars (which reflect 20 per cent of light as opposed to 80 per cent on a gloss finish), the HRT Commodore racer is painted rather tan covered in adhesive wrap.“Contrary to perception, although has a silky finish, it’s still just as slippery through the air as a gloss paint,” Spiteri said. “The boys have nothing to worry about.”Spiteri has done the last six HRT cars but she's most proud of this one. “They’ve all been awesome but this is my favourite. When people see it at the track I think they’ll take a second look.”This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Holden Racing Team drivers Garth Tander and James Courtney took the covers off the new Commodore that will spearhead their 2013 V8 Supercar championship. Both drivers are hoping for a reversal of fortunes after the team’s first winless season in 20 years; HRT has not won a championship in 10 years. “We’ve hit the reset button,” says Tander, who last won Bathurst two years ago, and a championship in 2007 for another Holden team. “The new Car of the Future rules means new opportunities.” This year will mark the arrival of two new manufacturers – Nissan and Mercedes-Benz – thanks to revised reglations that allow teams to fit any sedan body over common underpinnings. Everything except the V8 engines are standardized across all teams this year. “I think we’re in with a great shot, testing has been going really well,” said Courtney, who is yet to win at Bathurst but won a championship while driving for Ford in 2010. “I think the shake-up we had last year has really prepared us for this year.” HRT tested the new VF Commodore V8 Supercar today at Calder Park Raceway on the outskirts of Melbourne, before loading the car onto a truck for the official unveiling inside the lobby of Holden’s Port Melbourne head office. Holden repeated its commitment to V8 Supercars after speculation about the future of the company’s role with the road-going Commodore likely shifts to front-wheel-drive in 2017. The new rules would allow Holden to race any sedan body, regardless of the road car’s mechanicals, just as Nissan has done with its V6 front-drive Altima, which will be unveiled in Melbourne tomorrow. “HRT has been a mainstay of Australian motorsport and will continue to be a mainstay of Australian motorsport,” Tander said. Both drivers are looking forward to getting behind the wheel of their new V8 Supercar at next Saturday’s pre-season test at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway, which is open to the public. But they’re more focused on the opening round, Adelaide’s Clipsal 500 in three weeks. “We’ve had a fantastic off-season and we’re ready to get on the track and size up against the competition,” says Tander. “Adelaide has always been strong for Holden and HRT. It’s an important race for us. It’s the start of the season and, with the new rules, we’re all going into it with more unknowns than any season before.” Despite Holden's flagship team HRT being overshadowed by the performance of Triple 8 Racing, which switched from Ford to Holden in 2010, the Commodore has had an unbeatable racing record since Peter Brock drove the first one to championship and Bathurst victory in 1980. Of Holden's 29 Bathurst wins, 22 were with the Commodore; the VE model has won the last four Bathurst 1000 races and was the first car in Australian motorsport history to win 100 championship races. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

To quote Prime Minister Ben Chifley when he unveiled the original Holden in 1948: “She’s a beauty”. Social media is buzzing with people questioning just how ‘new’ is the new VF Commodore – but it’s a moot point. It’s as new as Holden and General Motors could afford in their financial circumstances amid falling large-car sales. The core of the VF Commodore is the same as before – the roof, doors and glass are carryover parts, only the front and rear appearance have changed. But as the saying goes, if it aint broke don’t fix it. The Commodore’s body is already big enough, so Holden gave the VF a high-class nose job and bum tuck, and added lashings of chrome for good measure. The VF looks wider because the headlights have been moved outwards – losing the previous Commodore’s bulging front fenders – but it is still exactly the same width as before. The VF looks a little longer – because it is a little longer. The designers moved the rear roof pillars further back and lengthened the bootlid for better aerodynamic efficiency at freeway speeds. It’s an elegant, BMW-like execution. The hundreds of millions of dollars Holden didn’t waste on building a new-from-the-ground-up car was wisely spent on adding technology and removing weight – about 40kg from the car’s overall mass. Which is why even though the V6 and V8 engines carry over from before, the new Commodore will also be about 10 per cent more fuel-efficient. Sure, the wagon and ute don’t come in for much love (their exteriors are largely unchanged from the windscreen back). And the crash alert system won’t slam on the brakes like it does in some European cars (the Holden system will flash and beep until you hit the brakes). But once they see it in the metal – and judge for themselves how different it looks – I reckon the VF Commodore will exceed the expectations of most Australians and Commodore defectors across the country. Holden’s done the hard yards to build the best Commodore ever – and the most advanced car designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia. The only challenge now is to convince buyers to give it one last chance when they’re in the market for a new car. This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling VF Commodore by the numbers Two The number of 12V power sockets in the new Commodore (one in the centre console as before, and a new one in front of the gear lever). $39.8 million Taxpayer dollars into the VF Commodore’s weight-saving technology such as the aluminum bonnet, boot and underpinnings. $2 billion How much economic activity Holden claims the new VF Commodore will create during its three-year lifespan. 70kg How much weight Holden managed to trim from the new VF Commodore’s body and structure. 30kg How much weight Holden put back into the car in the form of new technology such as self-parking, lane-keeping, crash alert and blind-spot warning. 40kg The net weight saving after taking some out and putting some back into the car. 2016 The year the homegrown rear-drive Commodore bows out to make way for a four-cylinder front-drive car that Holden says will wear the Commodore badge.  

What's new:Self-parking technologyForward collision warning in low-speed trafficHeads-up display on high grade modelsInternet music radio service PandoraLarge infotainment touch screenSensor key with push button startElectronic park brakeAluminium boot, bonnet and underpinningsAbout 40kg less weight overallWhat's not:The sedan's body, doors and glassThe door handlesThe side mirrorsThe V6 and V8 engines (but they are 10 per cent more efficient)The rear of the wagon and uteThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

The new Commodore will likely push Holden’s Elizabeth production line into overtime when it goes into production mid-year – but right now it is experiencing the calm before the storm. Holden has dramatically cut Commodore production in the first six months of this year as buyers wait for the new model. The company plans to build just 2000 sedans, wagons and utes each month – less than last year’s record-low sales rate, and a fraction of the 8000-a-month during its peak in 1998. But Holden is likely to make up for lost ground in the second half of this year, by at least doubling production as demand picks up in Australia, and as exports of the Commodore to North America recommence in November. Holden would not reveal its sales and production forecasts. However, News Limited understands Holden will build more than 4000 Commodore sedans, wagons and utes each month from June onwards, with a contingency to add overtime shifts if required. “We will be able to build however many cars Australians and, frankly, Americans want to buy from us,” the chairman and managing director of Holden Mike Devereux told News Limited. “We’ve got a lot of overtime shifts, we’ve got a lot of flexibility that we can put into our production plan.” Car factories typically plan at least 12 months in advance how many cars it will build. When asked if Holden had enough parts supply to cope with a sudden surge in demand, Devereux said: “I would love to face that problem. Give me that problem to solve and I will solve it.” The doubling of production in the last six months of the year is, however, unlikely to return the Commodore to top-seller status for the calendar year. “The time for any one vehicle … to sell one tenth the cars in any country is an illogical assumption to make,” Devereux said. “No model of anybody selling any car in this country will . The market is so fragmented now.” At its peak in 1998 Holden sold more than 94,000 Commodores (in a year Australians bought 807,000 new cars). Last year Holden sold just 30,000 Commodores, its lowest tally ever, despite a record 1.1 million new-car sales. But Holden workers should feel more pride than ever before about the new Commodore, the most technically-advanced car to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia, Devereux said. “I think is going to change people’s minds about what we can do in this country,” he said. “Australians should say ‘look at what we can do, look at how good we can be, we do punch above our weight, big time’. “Every feature that we could cram into this car, and frankly every feature that you can find on any car, is in this one. If you’re going to sell a car in San Francisco and in Sydney, or and in Miami and in Melbourne, or in Atlanta and Adelaide, it has to be world class. This is a no-excuses car.” This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

Australians will be in for a pleasant surprise when they open the door to the new Commodore. At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking you’d pressed the wrong key and stumbled into a BMW, such is the finish of the materials and the technology that’s evident.With Australians buying European cars in record numbers, Holden designers benchmarked the best from Germany to help them come up with the VF Commodore’s new interior, which shares only the console lid from the old car.Everything else is new, from the steering wheel to the indicator stalks. The clumsy handbrake is gone, replaced by an electronic switch. The colour touch screen is almost as big as a handheld tablet. The topline Calais model comes with a heads-up display, which reflects vehicle speed and other key information into the driver’s line of sight.Meanwhile few drivers and passengers will be able to resists rubbing their grubby hands on the suede material on the dash, bordered by stiched leather. The good news, though, is that the suede is synthetic, so it wipes clean with a damp cloth.The door pockets are smaller than before but the cup holders near the centre console are bigger, and there are more small pockets, including in the door-pulls on each door. There are now two 12V power sockets (one under the air-conditioning controls and another in its original place, the centre console), and dual-zone air-conditioning standard across the range.The seats are new, front and rear, but the headroom and legroom are the same as before because the core of the car has been carried over from the VE Commodore released in 2006. The roof, doors and glass are the same, but from the driver’s seat, everything looks brand-new.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling

It was a launch so big Holden even flew-in mystery driver The Stig from Top Gear – race driver Ben Collins – to help unveil the new Commodore to dealers at a secret meeting last Thursday. Today, it’s the public’s turn to see it. The new “world-class” Holden Commodore has arrived – and it is the most technically-advanced car ever designed, engineered and built in Australia. Holden finally took the covers off the new Commodore at a media preview in Melbourne this morning before it goes on sale in June. It has been seven years since the last new Commodore – the longest gap in the model’s 35-year history – and it will be the last of its type. When this VF Commodore bows out in 2016 it will be replaced by a large front-drive sedan based on new global underpinnings that will be adapted for local conditions. Holden showed only the luxury Calais version of the new Commodore range today – the fleet models will be unveiled in the coming months – as the company tries to win back buyers with technology. To combat the perception that the Commodore is too big to park in some cities, every new Commodore will come with a self-parking system – sensors in the bumpers measure the size of a parking space and guide the car into position. The driver only needs to select reverse and apply the brakes. The new Commodore will also be available with technology that alerts drivers if they are about to crash into the car in front in stop-start traffic, wander from their lane without indicating, or if there is a vehicle in their “blindspot” (the view over the shoulder not covered by the side mirrors). Top-line Commodore models will also have a heads-up display that reflects the vehicle’s speed and other key information in the driver’s line of sight, similar to that used on BMWs. The internet music service Pandora – and its talkback equivalent Stitcher – will also be available. “No other car created in Australia is as technologically advanced, and we’re very proud,” said Holden chairman and managing director, Mike Devereux. “Our aim … was to create a car that challenged some of the broader perceptions people have about the traditional Australian-made large car. It will offer levels of quality and sophistication to rival some of the best cars in the world.” Holden is confident it will get a sales boost with the new model but stopped short of saying whether the new Commodore would ever reclaim its status as Australia’s top-selling car, after losing the crown it held for 15 years in 2011 to the Mazda3. “We’re back, better than ever, it’s game on,” Devereux said. “I think this is going to change people minds about what we can do in this country. Australians should say ‘look at what we can do, look at how good we can be, we do punch above our weight, big time’.” But, Devereux said, the Commodore would never again reach its all-time high sales set in the late 1990s. “The time for any one vehicle … to sell one tenth the cars in any country is an illogical assumption to make. No model of anybody selling any car in this country will . The market is so fragmented now.” At its peak in 1998 Holden sold more than 94,000 Commodores (in a year Australians bought 807,000 new cars). Last year Holden sold just 30,000 Commodores, its lowest tally ever, despite a record 1.1 million new-car sales. “Every feature that we could cram into this car, and frankly every feature that you can find on any car, is in this one,” Devereux said. “If you’re going to sell a car in San Francisco and in Sydney, or and in Miami and in Melbourne, it has to be world class. This is a no-excuses car.” Holden will keep the performance V8 SS Commodore under wraps for one more week. Holden’s North American counterpart Chevrolet will unveil that car at Daytona Speed Week next weekend, where the Commodore will also make its debut as a Nascar before being sold as a Chevrolet SS from November. “ will also be exported to the USA for GM’s biggest brand, Chevrolet,” Devereux said. “But you’re going to have to wait .” In the meantime, News Limited has created a computer-enhanced illustration of what it will look like. The ‘new’ VF Commodore is in fact a redesign of the VE Commodore released in 2006; the company could not justify investing in an all-new model in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis and with sales of large-cars falling to record lows. Instead, it invested heavily in technology. The front and rear appearance have changed – and the interior is completely new, with a much more upmarket appeal – but the core of the car (the doors, roof and body) are the same as before. The new Commodore is a little bit longer than the last one because the designers stretched the edge of the boot and rear bumper for better aerodynamic efficiency at freeway speeds. It looks wider because the headlights have been moved outboard slightly – and the front fenders are not as pronounced – but the new Commodore is the same width as the last. Even the side mirrors and exterior door handles are the same. The V6 and V8 engines are carried over from before but the new model is expected to be about 10 per cent more fuel efficient due to the use of weight-saving aluminium in the bonnet, boot and underbody, said to trim 40kg from the car’s overall mass. The flagship Holden Caprice will get the Commodore’s new interior but only a mild external makeover. The fleet versions of the new Commodore – and the wagon and ute – are due to be unveiled closer to the June on-sale date. The new Holden VF Commodore: What's new: Self-parking technology on all models Forward collision warning in low-speed traffic Lane-departure warning Blind-spot alert Heads-up display Internet music radio service Pandora Large infotainment touch screen Sensor key with push button start Electronic park brake Two 12V power sockets instead of one Cruise control switch moves to the steering wheel Other menu controls move to the indicator/wiper stalks Aluminium boot, bonnet and underpinnings About 40kg less weight overall What's not: Sedan body, doors and glass External door handles Side mirrors Centre console lid V6 and V8 engines (but they are 10 per cent more efficient) The rear ends of the wagon and ute are unchanged Caprice limousine only gets a mild makeover but new interior This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling  

When Holden pulls the covers off the new VF Commodore at 10.45 today it will mark the beginning of the end of one era – and open the door to another. It will be the last Commodore as we know it: a big, hearty, rear-wheel-drive sedan with performance credentials to take on the world’s best. In terms of metal for the money, nothing comes close.But phasing out the VF Commodore in 2016 does not spell the end of Holden’s design, engineering and manufacturing talents in Australia. If anything, life after the Commodore (as we have come to know it) will bring Holden more closely in line with their global General Motors counterparts.It means Holden in Australia will be building globally-relevant vehicles that can take advantage of world-class technology – securing design, engineering and manufacturing jobs until at least 2022.The boss of Holden Mike Devereux shocked reporters – and his senior executive team – when on a spur of the moment he said on Friday that the Commodore name would live on beyond the 2016 horizon of the current car.Devereux said this to finally put an end misguided speculation about Holden building an SUV, and to convey to Australians that Holden is here to stay – after his ‘Commodore to go in 2016’ comments in Detroit caused an almighty stir and the media began reporting that the next Commodore will be the last.For the record, I don’t think Holden should put a Commodore badge on the car it builds alongside the Cruze in 2017. I don’t think Australians would let the company glue such an iconic badge onto a four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive car similar in size (and pizzazz) to a Toyota Camry.Holden insiders argue that the Commodore’s switch to front-drive is inevitable and that naysayers need to “get over it”. Chevrolet went through the same heartache when the iconic Impala sedan (Chevrolet’s equivalent to the Commodore) switched to front-wheel-drive in the year 2000 – after 34 years as a rear-drive car.But those inside Holden who want to call the 2017 front-drive sedan a “Commodore” seem to forget that senior General Motors executives in Detroit regretted letting go of rear-drive cars. It’s one of the key reasons GM in North America is so quick to embrace the Commodore again at the end of this year.I remember the likes of Rick Wagoner and Bob Lutz – two of GM’s most senior executives – being thankful that Australia had ‘kept the faith’ with rear-drive cars while America switched to front-wheel-drive for its big sedans.So congratulations to Holden for finally indicating what the secret second model will be alongside the Cruze from 2017 to 2022 – but I wouldn’t be placing bets on the Commodore name sticking.Holden boss Mike Devereux said emphatically yesterday “there is no debate” about the name. But I’ve heard senior levels of the company are still split 50:50 on the naming issue.GM typically rotates its leaders every three years or so. Mr Devereux marks his third anniversary as the boss of Holden next month, but he says he is around for five years – to 2015 – so his kids can finish school here.So by the time the 2017 “Commodore” arrives, Mr Devereux will have likely been promoted to another senior position in the General Motors world, just as his predecessors have.Closer to 2017, Holden could quite easily say it changed its mind about using the “Commodore” badge on the front-drive replacement for the VF after getting “customer feedback”.In other words, what Mr Devereux said yesterday was designed to give the VF Commodore its best shot by trying to extinguish the “Commodore is dead” headlines.So don’t bet your house just yet that the Commodore badge will appear on a homegrown, locally-made car after this one. There may be no debate in Mr Devereux’s mind, but there is plenty of dissention inside Holden.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling