Holden Cruze News

As Holden warns that car-making costs are unsustainable and the industry demands a new plan to save 16,000 positions, he vowed to make jobs and living standards the top priority of his resurrected prime ministership.Mr Rudd said he wanted to give manufacturers a “fighting chance'' and also flagged plans to help create jobs in agriculture, food processing and the services sector.Holden has called for wage cuts and more assistance following Ford's shutdown announcement. “The first priority for me is the economy, jobs and living standards,'' he said. “I am acutely aware of the impact of the global economy on the traditional manufacturing centres of Victoria and South Australia,'' Mr Rudd said.“I've never believed manufacturing to be an old industry.'' Long-time Rudd supporter Nick Champion, the Member for Wakefield, said he was confident the government would support Holden and SA manufacturing.“I think if you look at the Rudd Government's track record, if you look at Holden, they got the Cruze platform up in the middle of the financial crisis and in the middle of General Motors' broader problems,'' said Mr Champion.The Coalition's industry spokeswoman, Sophie Mirabella, has flagged cuts in support for car makers, saying it is time to end the “embarrassing cap-in-hand approach to government'' for subsidies. About $500 million would be cut by 2015 - but the Coalition adds Ford won't be needing a handout.Last night, she pointed out that Labor's Industry Minister, Greg Combet, stood down when Mr Rudd took over. “Rudd is a snake oil salesman riding the caravan of confusion,'' she said.“He doesn't even have an Industry Minister and his clueless party broke $1.4 billion worth of promises to the car companies and Ford collapsed under their watch. “They've failed car workers for six years - nothing will change now.''Mr Rudd said the end of the Chinese resources boom and the decline in the value of the Australian dollar created the chance for manufacturers to expand to new markets and find technological breakthroughs.But he said the economy was at a “delicate stage'' and warned Coalition leader Tony Abbott would “throw the economy into recession through an austerity drive''. 

Darebin Mayor Tim Laurence's council car is a Holden Cruze, but he said only about 50 per cent of the city's 10,0120 small vehicles were made locally. In a bid to support Melbourne's car manufacturing industry, the council last week voted to buy only Aussie-made new fleet and salary-sacrifice cars.When buying specialist operational vehicles, they agreed to also preference Australian manufacturers. Cr Laurence said there are still Darebin residents working for car manufacturers Ford, Holden and Toyota in Melbourne, and for associated auto parts suppliers across the northern suburbs.“In Darebin, Whittlesea, Moreland and Hume, the auto and food industries are probably the two sectors that underpin the economy,” he said.Thomastown and Reservoir-based parts manufacturer Diver Consolidated Industries supplies aluminium parts for Holden's VF Commodore and employs about 100 staff. Company chief executive Jim Griffin welcomed the new policy and hoped other councils would follow Darebin's lead.Mr Griffin, also president of the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers, said only about a third of the estimated 60,000 vehicles owned by the federal, state and territory governments were made in Australia.“The effect of the (high) Australian dollar has been felt greatly across the industry (and as a result) vehicle production volumes have dropped,” Mr Griffin said.

So much for the push towards greener cars. In automotive terms Australia is about to become the 51st state of the USA.Australians are moving closer to North Americans in their taste in vehicles. For the first time ever there is now almost an exact 50:50 split between the sales of passenger cars – and utes and SUVs. The same ratio seen for decades in pick-up and SUV-loving USA. Twenty years ago passenger cars accounted for more than 70 per cent of all new vehicles sold in Australia.Official figures released today confirm January 2013 was the strongest start to a year in Australian automotive history, eclipsing 85,000 deliveries for the first time – and the previous January record set in 2008 before the Global Financial Crisis.The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries reports 41,957 passenger cars were delivered in January compared to 41,595 utes, vans and SUVs – a slim gap of 362 sales, or the equivalent of just three days of deliveries for the top-selling car, the Mazda3.“The trend towards SUVs and away from classic passenger cars is all to do with their style and versatility and mass-acceptability,” says David Chalke, a cultural change analyst with AustraliaScan. “Everybody’s doing it, there’s now a fear of being left out.”Chalke says SUVs are no longer the heathens of the road thanks to their new levels of fuel-efficiency. “The new ones use comparatively so little fuel most people don’t think they’re driving a 4WD,” he said. “In fact in many cases they’re not. They are often two-wheel-drive with the appearance of a 4WD.”FCAI chief executive Tony Weber says the mining boom is also driving ute and SUV sales. “Part of is the mining boom, part of it is private buyers seeking new levels of flexibility and cars that better suit their needs.”Australia’s three local car makers – Toyota, Holden and Ford – failed to cash-in. January is typically a slow month for sales of locally-made cars but they dropped by 28 per cent to an all-new low.Just 2722 Australian made cars were delivered in January – which means the combined sales of the Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon, Ford Territory, Toyota Camry and Toyota Aurion ranked third -- an unprecedented status. Mazda3 was the top-selling car (3345 sales), followed by the Toyota Corolla (2960), the Toyota Hilux (2747), and the Nissan Navara (2474).The Ford Focus (2364) had its best month ever -- and helped drive Ford to a 33 per cent sales increase – but it outsold the Falcon by three-to-one. The Falcon (778 deliveries) is now selling at the same rate as the Mitsubishi 380 in the year before the factory closed. Ford’s Broadmeadows throughput is topped up by the production of Territory (up 44 per cent) and ute (down 22 per cent), but sales of both models are well down from their peaks.Holden says it has scaled back production of the Commodore (1650 deliveries) ahead of a new model due in showrooms in June. Toyota sold just 557 Camrys and 227 Aurion V6 sedans (down 57 and 77 per cent respectively). The FCAI’s Weber dismissed the weak sales of locally mades cars as “just one bad month, let’ see where it goes”. “We’re going to continue to see more and more market segmentation,” Weber said. “We won’t see just one car reach the massive volumes of years past.”In other highlights:Toyota was down 5 per cent but is set to lead the market for the 11th year in a row;Mazda outsold Holden to be second in the market for the fourth time ever (previous monthly second-placings: April, September and Dec 2012);Nissan is closing-in on Ford, less than 500 sales behind, threatening to push the Blue Oval brand to sixth;Honda had a blinder month, up 141 per cent from a low base – but still well down on its best year;Audi outsold BMW for the fourth January (previous wins were in ’09, ’11, ’12) and the sixth time ever (after previous wins in Feb ’11, Oct ’11) but Mercedes was top luxury brand;Sales of passenger cars fell by 1 per cent in a market that grew 11 per cent driven by surges in utes (up 43 per cent) and SUVs (up 20 per cent);The delivery of 1878 heavy trucks (up 10 per cent) takes January tally to 85,430.Top selling cars in January 2013Mazda3 3345Toyota Corolla 2960Toyota HiLux 2747Nissan Navara 2474Ford Focus 2364Hyundai i30 2006Holden Captiva 2155Mazda2 1665Holden Commodore 1650Holden Cruze 1630Mazda CX5 1625Top selling brands in January 2013Toyota 13,375 down 4.9pcMazda 8912 up 5.1pcHolden 8811 down 2.8pcFord 7721 up 32.3pcNissan 7248 up 35 pcHyundai 6816 up 4.7pcMitsubishi 4449 down 2.6pcVolkswagen 3824 up 13.6pcHonda 3816 up 141pcSubaru 3104 down 3.2pcThis reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

The much anticipated sibling to the locally-made Cruze hatch and sedan will join the popular line-up early next year delivering a highly specified, flexible and safe, stylish vehicle.Cruze Sportwagon will be available in two models, a CD with the choice of two fuel efficient engines, a 1.8 litre petrol engine or a 2.0 litre turbo diesel, or a premium CDX with a 1.8 litre petrol engine.The entire range boasts generous load space, Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition, cruise control and iPod integration with steering wheel controls as standard. The versatile Cruze Sportwagon boasts the same safety features and robust body structure that earned the Cruze sedan and hatch a five star safety rating from the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP).Safety features include six airbags, rear park assist and electronic stability control including anti-lock braking system and traction control. Prices and full specifications and features will be announced closer to the start of sales. 

Following a similar recall in the US, 9547 loally-built Cruzes have been recalled to fix a defect that could see oil dripping from the engine and catching fire if it contacts hot engine parts.The recall applies to all Cruze sedans and hatches with the 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engineThe recall statement cited a condition that “in some instances” could see the oil drip appear “if an oil change is not done properly. If oil makes contact with hot engine parts such as the exhaust manifold or catalytic converter, a fire could occur.”The recall overseas affected close to half a million vehicles built in the US, with 413,418 of those sold there, 61,299 in Canada and a 700 in Israel. The Holden recall also affects about 600 Cruzes in New Zealand. The Holden statement says there have been no reported cases of fires in Australia or New Zealand traced to the defect.“However we will always err on the side of caution when it comes to initiating safety recalls and campaigns.  Even if there have been no reported cases in our market we will take action to assure our customers and their vehicles are safe,” Holden director of warranty, customer satisfaction and quality Craig Porritt said in the statement.Holden is contacting potentially impacted customers directly, and will modify the defect at no charge.  Concerned customers should call their local Holden dealer or the Holden Recall centre on 1800 632 826. 

The lift comes as manufacturers offer sweeteners such as hefty discounts or free on-road costs in the end-of-financial-year sales war.

"It's business as usual," Opel spokeswoman Michelle Lang says of the Australian launch schedule, due some time in the second half of this year. It is the Opel business itself that is worrying parent company General Motors.Opel lost almost $750 million last year on sales of 1.2 million vehicles. And recent history isn't any better - the German-based company has lost around $15 billion in the past 12 years.GM Opel head Karl-Friedrich Stracke's projections the company hopes for 15,000 annual sales in Australia by 2015 makes the local division a barometer for the company. If it succeeds it will become a blueprint for a limited-volume export planand give the Euro-focused brand renewed incentive to push into new markets.Lang is aware of the grilling the media gave GM vice-president Steve Girsky over Opel's future at the Geneva Motor Show last week but says is has no impact on the Australian start-up. "It is a non-issue for us," she notes. "We report to Germany and it is all systems go."GM's most recent move to prop up the ailing Opel brand came last month with a $380 million (304 million euro) spend on a seven per cent stake in PSA Peugeot Citroen. The alliance partners have agreed to share vehicle platforms and engines and use economies of scale by jointly buying commodities and services.They project $2 billion in annual savings within five years from the alliance but analysts say it doesn't address the issue of overcapacity by either company. And it is that oversupply - too many cars, too few buyers - which is affecting all European carmakers.It was a point Girsky noted at the Geneva Motor Show last week, admitting the revival of Opel would have to occur in a depressed European market. "We're not sitting here hoping the market is going to get better," he told journalists, adding that "Any talk of GM not being committed to Europe should be off the table."At the same time, Mr. Girsky wouldn't rule out plant closures as part of the restructuring plan GM is now thrashing out with European unions. The British plant at Ellesmere Port and Bochum in Germany are the two oldest and most inefficient sites but political pressure has stopped Opel from closing them.WHO IS OPEL?The Opel car company is owned by General Motors and based in Russelsheim, Germany. It has 11 factories and a workforce of around 39,000 that produced around 1.2 million cars last year.It has traditionally competed against Volkswagen in European markets and is responsible for developing small and mid-sized platforms for the global GM family.The company was founded by Adam Opel in 1862 and has been building cars since 1899. GM took a majority stake in 1929 and bought Opel outright in 1931.Opel was nearly sold off in the aftermath of the GFC and GM's bankruptcy in 2009 but concerns over proprietry technology led GM to hang on to the business and in 2010 it announced it will spend around $15 billion over the next five years as part of its strategy to restore the company to profit..LAUNCH MODELSThe well-recognised and well-regarded Astra nameplate will spearhead Opel's Australian launch in the second half of this year. Holden has already done the hard work to establish the model, having sold Opel-derived Astras from 1996 to 2009, when it launched the Holden Cruze.Opel Australia plans to have wagon and three-door and five-door hatch variants of the Astra, topped by the performance-oriented OPC version. The range will also include the Corsa light car and Insignia medium car. Pricing hasn't been announced but Carsguide expects it to be comparable to similar-spec models from Volkswagen, so Polo, Golf and Insignia.

The latest VFACTSs report has found the resource states - in Queensland and Western Australia - are driving a sales bonanza in new cars bought as rentals, meaning there should soon be a flood of quality used cars hitting the market.While the nation has recorded a 5.2 per cent increase in new car sales so far this year, Queensland is scorching ahead with a 13.5 per cent rise, ahead of Western Australia on 10.1 per cent. Adam Le Fevre, boss of Suzuki Auto Co which imports Suzukis to Queensland, said the growth in vehicles sales was mainly in rental vehicles which were up 91.6 per cent in Queensland and 65.3 per cent in WA.''If you look at where the growth is, it's in the rental market and that's from the mineral and energy boom,'' he said. ''Companies would appear to be renting vehicles on demand rather than holding the asset. ''They are probably being sold at a corporate level in NSW or Victorian company headquarters and registered in Queensland and Western Australia.''Mr Le Fevre predicted the boom in rental cars would lead to a flood of bargain-priced used cars in the next few years. ''These cars have got to come back into the market at some stage as good-quality, low-kilometre, well-maintained cars.'' While that might be good for buyers, Mr Le Fevre said it would have a negative impact on new car sales.''Unless we can find a market offshore for these vehicles, like New Zealand or Papua New Guinea, then it is going to make it difficult for new car dealers,'' he said.Mr Le Fevre said the rental boom more than offset the 3.9 per cent decrease in government spending on cars as departments put sales on hold during the Queensland election campaign. The Queensland increase came after three years of being one of the worst-performing states.Small cars and utilities were the favourite choice with the Mazda3 (1306 sales) the most popular, ahead of the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Navara, Toyota HiLux and Hyundai i30. The Holden Commodore languishes in sixth place in Queensland.FEBRUARY TOP SELLERSMazda3 3733Holden Commodore 2991Toyota Corolla 2991Holden Cruze 2880Hyundai i30 2433Toyota HiLux 2272Nissan Navara 2017

The wagon will join Holden's Cruze line-up within a year, and will be imported as the third Cruze variant.It aims to combine the practicality of a wagon with high-tech features and sporty style -- and to capitalise on the success of the Cruze sedan and hatch, which have quickly become Holden heroes The Chevrolet version makes its global premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this March.The latest Cruze bodystyle complements sedan and hatch which have sold in excess of one million vehicles globally since the carline was launched in 2009.The new wagon will feature generous storage space and a high level of standard features and safety.Cruze wagon, at 4,675mm, is slightly longer than the hatch (4,510mm) and sedan (4,597mm) models. Load space ranges from 500 litres up to the window line in the rear to nearly 1,500 litres up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down.The exterior design features a tapering single arch roofline and comes with roof racks as standard, providing convenience while maintaining a poised and sporty look. More details will be released closer to the launch date.