Holden Commodore News

Where will it all end? Australian automotive manufacturers and importers are hoping the answer is: right here, right now.For the first time in months, there's a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel that may not be another oncoming train.The Federal Government's cash handouts have helped the Australian economy dodge a recession on a technicality, consumers are spending again and car showrooms are beginning to fill with a whole lot of shiny new offerings.With a fresh financial year dawning, something in the order of 60 all-new or refreshed models are waiting in the wings before the end of 2009.Ranging from the first of the Chinese invaders to a couple of machines from the supercar stratosphere, these are the recession-busters the automotive industry is relying on.Here are a handful of the key players in this revival.Great Wall Motors AFTER what seems an age of yes-we-are, no-we-aren't games, the first of the Chinese-made brigade will be in showrooms next month.A pair of workhorse utes — the 4x4 V240 (known as the Wingle in China) and the 4x2 SA220 — will come as single-specification models with prices expected to be "around two-thirds of their logical competitors".That could mean a starting figure of $17,000 to $19,000.Alfa Romeo MiToTHE classic Italian marque's new baby, which arrives next month, has the task of taking on BMW's iconic Mini in the quest for buyers with more cash than responsibilities."It's a growing market as people downsize their cars to achieve better fuel economy but don't want to give up performance or style," Alfa Romeo Australia's Edward Rowe says."Our aim is to beat the Mini on both price and equipment."To that end, Rowe says the newcomer — which sits on a Fiat Punto platform — will launch as two models: the 88kW MiTo and a sparkier, 114kW MiTo Sport.Both have turbocharged, 1.4-litre petrol engines with six-speed manual gearboxes. Expect a starting price in the low $30,000 range.Hyundai i20AFTER the success of the i30 hatch and wagon, Hyundai has high hopes for its German-designed, Indian- made small car.Expected to hit showrooms towards the end of this year, the three-door and five-door i20s will sit at the higher end of the light-car segment, beginning at $16,000 to $17,000.This will leave the popular Getz as Hyundai's entry-level model, but will likely spell the end of the Accent.VW Golf GTITHE sixth-generation Golf GTI arrives in October with all the shiny new technology seen on its more mundane stablemates but lots more go.With 155kW driving through a new limited-slip differential, it promises all the attitude of its predecessors wrapped into a more refined package."It has all the safety and enhancements of the Golf VI and more power than the outgoing GTI, yet it's quieter and more efficient," VW Australia's Karl Gehling says.Pricing isn't yet set, but should be close to the outgoing model's $39,990.Holden VE CommodoreTHE first mid-life makeover for GM-Holden's "billion-dollar baby" is likelyto be remarkable for what ishappening under the skin rather than for any cosmetic body changes.A founding member of the Large Family Car segment — the hardest- hit sector of the industry over the past couple of years — the Commodore will celebrate GM's survival with a much more focused and fuel-efficient engine package.Although a four-cylinder option isn't on the cards, a smaller V6 is. That could be a three-litre or even a version of the 2.8-litre that has recently been shipped to Mexico for the Cadillac SRX.Expect to see it around October.

The new car is hiding more under the skin than on top. A new, high-tech direct-injection V6 could be destined for the big sedan late this year when the car gets a refresh. The VF Commodore is likely to get a range of improvements designed to lift fuel economy and further develop the company's ‘Ecoline’ strategy. Visually the car may also borrow some design elements from Holden's Coupe 60 concept car, like the repeaters in the rear view mirrors, deeper grille and restyled lower bumper air intake to give a smoother look to the front end. The interior is also likely to get a styling make-over to better compete against the FG Falcon's stylish interior. GM-Holden is not revealing details yet but the company has a choice of two DI engines of either 3.0-litre or 3.6-litre capacity that substantially reduce emissions and improve fuel economy. The 3.0-litre delivers 190kW/298Nm, which is 15kW more than the current 3.6-litre Commodore engine but 27Nm less torque. The bigger 3.6-litre DI engine delivers 225kW/369Nm and is available in GM's Cadillac models. However in an effort to respond to changing consumer tastes, GM-Holden may also choose to downsize the Commodore V6 by introducing a smaller capacity 2.8-litre version of the Alloytec engine that could be badged ‘Ecoline’, part of Holden's solution to tackling fuel efficiency. The entry engine could be available as a ‘fleet’ model on the base Omega to help bolster Commodore sales. A 2.8-litre V6 with variable valve timing is available in some General Motors vehicles and generates 151kW at 6800 revs and 246Nm at 6300 revs. More economical V6s are just some of the initiatives GM-Holden chief, Mark Reuss, is instituting to lure buyers back to the Commodore and ensure the car rebuilds its credentials from the current car slump. These include E85 ethanol engines, dedicated LPG cars and frugal turbo-diesels. The DI engines could be mated to six-speed automatic gearboxes to deliver sub-10.0 litre/100km fuel economy. GM's direct injection technology not only improves fuel economy but quietness. Rubber isolators are used with the fuel rail to eliminate metal-to-metal contact that would otherwise transmit noise and vibration from the high-pressure fuel system. Along with direct injection, the 3.0-litre gets variable valve timing to improve power and economy. GM-Holden is confident the new engine technologies for the V6 can deliver fuel economy comparable to some of the larger capacity Japanese four-cylinder engines. The facelifted Commodore may also have gone on a diet to help improve economy.   GM-Holden's high-feature Alloytec V6 is truly a world-class engine... Apart from powering a family of Commodores, versions of the company's Fishermens Bend engine finds their way into various Cadillac, Saab and Alfa Romeo models. The Saab engine is a single turbo 2.8-litre variant developing 188kW/350Nm. A 294kW twin-turbo version was developed for the Saab Aero-X concept car. Alfa Romeo's 190kW/322Nm 3.2-litre version of the Holden V6 is heavily modified and uses direct injection and lean-burn technology.  

Some people have attacked us for bias, particularly when we point out Ford's failings with its locally-made Falcon and Territory, but a lot of people want to know what's really happening at Fishermans Bend.Holden has survived the giant purge which came when General Motors filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy but there is a lot more to come than just a 'jobs are safe' declaration from the trump.Mark Reuss has done a great job since he became chairman at the red lion and he makes a lot of sense as he talks about everything from the future of the Commodore to the financial situation at Holden.But he really gets riled if you ask about the need for a car industry in Australia and the support the industry gets from Canberra."We pay $420 million a year in R&D . . . create almost 7000 jobs and we pay wages of $500 billion back into the economy every year," Reuss says."We make Commodore here and we pay a lot of wages here and we actually create a tax basis for the industry. That's what manufacturing's all about, it's about making things."I'm not sure this is looked at the right way . . . this is a reinvestment in the scheme of things to make sure that jobs pay back into the tax basis here."It gets really negatively reported, unfortunately, by people who don't really understand the dynamics of how the business creates value in Australia and it creates huge value."If you don't make cars and you don't make wages and people don't make livings then you can't really buy things.”      

The Carsguide diary has been full for more than a year with the latest and greatest from the 40-plus brands with showrooms in Australia, but June is quiet. And it's not just the winter chill.We're seeing things go quiet as all the big brands concentrate on doing big numbers through one of the two biggest months of the year. They know June is the time to cash-in on end-of-financial-year splurges, boosted this year by the Federal government's 50 per cent investment allowance.June is also the time to take stock and plan for a second-half splurge, with Toyota and Holden planning major back-end action on the Camry and Commodore and everyone from Alfa Romeo to Volkswagen — the MiTo and Golf GTi — promising something good before the end of 2009.We're also moving into the mid-summer launch season in the northern hemisphere, and will be reporting soon on everything from the new Kia Sorento coupe to the Porsche Panamera and BMW's super SUV, the X6.And then there is Great Wall, which is just about to preview the first Chinese utes and cars to be sold in Australia.So it's quiet now but the chill will fade fast in coming months.

Even an economical compact like the Hyundai Getz pokes a $100 hole in the weekly budget.

Despite new entrants coming into the market, the preference for hybrid vehicles has fallen 74 per cent among private buyers this year, according to the latest VFACTS industry figures on fuel and buyer

Company chairman and managing director, Mark Reuss, said the yesterday local operation was one of three "vital subsidiaries in the Asia-Pacific" and a key part of the "new GM" empire.GM-Holden is bolstered by its close association with GM-Daewoo and Shanghai GM in China, two areas of GM's old empire that continue to grow.After months of speculation over its local operations, a clearly relieved Reuss, was upbeat about the future as GM filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday.“We are safe, we are part of the new GM," he said.Reuss said no more jobs would be lost in Australia ‘right now’."This is an opportunity for the parent company to restructuring and create the `new GM', of which Holden is a vital part of."Reuss said GM-Holden was cashflow positive and "we're on the verge of turning a profit here this last month, even in a down business".He said Holden had been operating as a "stand-alone" business here and created its own luck.As part of the "new GM" the company will now more aggressively seek new export markets for its cars after the axeing of the Commodore-based Pontiac G8 export program to North America and downturn in Middle East business.Reuss said GM-Holden had a viable, sustainable business here in the long term despite continuing concern by some analysts of how a smaller, leaner General Motors would impact the local company when it traded out of bankruptcy protection.GM expects to move out of bankruptcy protection in 60 to 90 days.Reuss said 50 per cent of GM-Holden's business was export.Of that percent 85 per cent were cars shipped to the United States.With GM-Holden confirmed as one of the ‘good GM’ corporate entities, Reuss reaffirmed the move to actively seeking new markets for locally built Holdens, including possibly the Commodore and Statesman.An export hatch version of Holden's new Cruze four-cylinder could also be on the cards when local manufacturing starts in Adelaide early next year.Reuss was reluctant to talk about specific markets but confirmed the company is "going to recoup our export losses with new programs". GM-Holden had expected to export 30,000 Pontiac G8s to the US when the deal was announced in 2007.However, sales fell well short of forecasts. At the end of last year only half of the 24,000 exported cars were sold. Over the past 18 months Holden has reduced its workforce and production capacity in response to the downturn in car sales.GM-Holden current builds 310 cars a day at its Elizabeth plant in Adelaide, about 66,000 vehicles a year, which will increase when the new small car comes on line. The factory has a capacity of about 100,000 vehicles a year. Apart from that there are another 2500 V6 engines out of Melbourne that will be allocated to Mexico to go in the Cadillac SRX.

As the country moves into recession mode, official VFACTS car sales figures are tipped to show a 3 per cent reversal of the depressed car sales market.GM-Holden managing director and chairman, Mark Reuss, said yesterday sales were being bolstered by Federal Government's small business tax incentive.“Some of the tax relief for small business is beginning to take hold,” he said.“So you'll see the market off around 17 per cent rather than 20 per cent.”Reuss also said that Holden dealer confidence was up but demand for large sedans, including the Commodore, has softened as buyers opt for smaller, more economical four cylinder cars.Up until April, the overall local market had slumped 20 per cent on the back of the global financial crisis and shift away from large cars.In year to date terms about 340,000 vehicles have been sold this year.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries is forecasting a total market of around 855,000 sales this year.  

It will continue normal operations in Australia and New Zealand and does not expect changes to its business after GM announced it has taken court action in the US to launch a competitive New GM, citing debts of $215.8 billion. However, the company has not come out of the GM crisis unscathed.It has cut Commodore production in half and lost a lucrative export deal to the United States when GM axed the Pontiac brand.GM-Holden chairman and managing director, Mark Reuss, said "operations are unchanged in Australia and New Zealand and we expect it to remain that way"."GM has clearly stated that all of its businesses in the Asia Pacific region, and that includes Holden, continue normal operations and are not directly impacted by this process in the US. No operations outside the US are included in the court filing or court supervised process."Holden is a subsidiary of GM but we are a corporate entity in our own right, an independent company under Australian law."Beyond that, GM has indicated that Holden will be an important part of the New GM. We intend to maintain our focus on Holden product programs and activities."That means technology improvements to our best selling Commodore range, launching the all-new Holden Cruze this month, and the introduction of our locally-built fuel efficient, four cylinder small car next year."We continue to run full operations at Elizabeth and Port Melbourne, producing cars for our 300-strong independent dealer network. We don’t anticipate this decision will have any direct impact on Holdens workforce, dealers, or suppliers. Holden customer warranties are not affected and we continue to deliver the sales and service experience that our customers expect."We wouldn’t normally issue statements to highlight nothing has changed, but we appreciate that customers will naturally ask questions about this sort of announcement from the US."GM president and CEO, Fritz Henderson, said early this morning that the bankruptcy protection filings in the US would have "no impact" on GM-Holden's operations. He said the New GM plan was "an exceptional opportunity to reinvent the company".In a globally televised speech early this morning Henderson said his promise, and that of GM, was to "to deliver a business that can create value and create a future … Do it once and do it permanently," he said.GM-Holden's Reuss said Holden would remain informed of developments in the US, a process which had been determined to reinvent the company."The process being used in the US is unlike Australian and New Zealand law. It is a fast, court supervised process that permits the sale of selected assets to a new entity," Reuss said."Unlike court-controlled processes in many other countries, US chapter 11 allows GM to deal with the financial issues that have built up over many years and for New GM to emerge as a healthier business, better able to deal with the challenges of today and tomorrow. It does not mean ceasing to trade."The New GM is expected to emerge from bankruptcy protection within 60 to 90 days. GM-Holden is consider the jewel in the crown of the GM empire but it has suffered speculation that it, along with other assets like Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac, Saab and Opel, would be sold off. The decision to build the Cruise small car is believed to have been instrumental in saving the local operations.GM has previously indicated it is negotiating with prospective buyers for the Saab and Hummer brands. GM is working closely with dealers, including those in Australia and New Zealand, to continue delivering vehicles and maintaining aftersales and servicing requirements.GM Group vice president and president of GM Asia Pacific, Nick Reilly, said: "We believe this step which was taken with the support of the US Government is the most efficient and effective means for New GM to emerge with substantially less debt and lower operating costs, and with our operations positioned for long-term success."

So says mother and car fanatic Lauretta Salis, 35, of Scarborough, who has fought back by starting her own car club. "I have been in other car clubs and they weren't very family or female oriented," she says."I've always been into cars and car clubs and they are all the same; they don't welcome females. It's a very male-dominated world. "A lot of car clubs run computer forums and when females ask questions they tend to get shot down."So she formed East Coast Commodores in October and already has more than 200 members from around South East Queensland "plus a couple from Perth, a couple from northern NSW and one in Victoria". "We have about 30-40 per cent females and they're aged from about 25-40," she says."Other clubs have younger members who don't have families and events don't cater for kids. "Our club does cruises, events that kids can go on, picnics and car shows."Lauretta has always been into cars. "When I was a child I had loads of toy cars and used to play under the back stairs and make tracks in the dirt," she says. "My daughter Brooke is nine and she takes after me. She's got more toy cars than dolls."Her son is also a reflection of her love for Holdens. He's named Storm "like the ute" and his initials are SS "like the SS Commodore" "He's our club mascot."It's not always been Holdens for Lauretta whose first car was a 1976 Corolla station wagon she bought for $700. "It was pretty dodgy," she says. "It needed an engine rebuild and new paintjob which my dad, Russell, and I did. "He taught me everything about cars. I can work on all the old-school engines but not fuel injection. "When I met my husband he had a VL Commodore and I changed the spark plugs for him."She sold the Corolla after three years and began her love of Holdens with a HR Holden and a 1979 Gemini panel van. Since then she has owned two more Geminis.But she also has a soft spot for VW Beetles having owned three and being a VW Club member. "I bought a 1969 Beetle in 2002 for $5500 and sold it in 2006 for $3500 because I needed a family car," she says. "But I told the guy who bought it to ring me if he ever wanted to sell it and he did and I bought it back a year later for the same price."She still has it but her main love remains Holdens and she avidly supports the HRT V8 Supercar team. However, she does admit to owning one Ford. "It was an XM which was a classic so that's ok."Her latest love and the inspiration to found her club is a VY Commodore she bought in 2007 for $18,000. She has since spent about $5000 on mags, body kit and a paintjob. "I haven't done the interior yet but it will come. I'll end up spending another $10,000 on it," she says. "They are my favourite Commodore because of the lines and they do up very well."Naturally, her dream car is another General Motors product; a 1957 Chevy costing anywhere from $30,000 to $130,000. "They are just beautiful American muscle cars," she says."I've tried to buy one from the States to bring over and restore but money is always the problem. Family situations pop up and you just have to let it go."