• First test drive of the imported replacement for the Holden Commodore
    13 replies, posted
2016 Holden Commodore SS; last V8, rear-wheel drive Commodore and one of the last cars to be made in Australia: [t]https://www.holden.com.au/Satellite,qblobcol=urldata,ablobkey=id,ablobtable=MungoBlobs,ablobwhere=1237440788592,assbinary=true,a.pagespeed.ce.YsUadk77CQ.jpg[/t] Artist's impression of 2018 Holden Commodore, front and all-wheel drive with four or six cylinders, as an imported and re-badged Opel Insignia: [t]http://s3.caradvice.com.au/thumb/770/382/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2018_holden_commodore_liftback_rendering_01-3.jpg[/t] [quote]Don’t worry, you don’t need to get your eyes checked. You read it right, we’ve just driven the 2018 Holden Commodore, in prototype form – and it’s a cracker. The next-generation Commodore will be based entirely on the Opel Insignia. In fact, it won’t receive any panel or body changes, aside from Holden badges. But, don’t think that means Holden’s Australian engineers won’t have anything to do with it. As it does with many General Motors cars, Holden has been involved with the next Commodore (Opel Insignia) for the past six years. Holden’s involvement stretches from design all the way through to engineering, with the vehicle’s potent performance engine driven into the program by Holden.[/quote] [url]http://www.caradvice.com.au/492846/2018-holden-commodore-review-new-opel-insignia-driven[/url]
[QUOTE=fredstin22;51263135]:vomit: and thus the legacy of the Commodore ends[/QUOTE] ...it's not a horrible looking car though?
...yeah, I'd drive an AWD straight-six (V6 maybe) powered Commo. Especially if they make a ute version for us. Not nearly as bad as I expected.
[QUOTE=fredstin22;51263135]:vomit: and thus the legacy of the Commodore ends[/QUOTE] It's funny actually. The first Holden VB Commodore was somewhat based on several Opel models, including the original Commodore - The Opel Commodore. That similarity lasted for more than a few years, to the point that even the Lotus Carlton was a cousin of the Commodore (it even borrowed its diff from the V8 Holden Commodores).
[QUOTE=fredstin22;51263152]Sure it looks fine. But it's FWD. Like most of the other cars I see these days.[/QUOTE] Apparently Holden has been looking at importing the Chevrolet Camaro. Even if Chevrolet themselves don't design a version for right-hand drive, I imagine at the least that HSV would import some and convert them to RHD, then sell them as HSV Camaros.
[QUOTE=fredstin22;51263152]Sure it looks fine. But it's FWD. Like most of the other cars I see these days.[/QUOTE] "front and all-wheel drive, with four or six cylinders" FWD is an option according to the article. Did you even read the OP?
Unfortunately the vast majority of Australians want a car that just works, and don't care that much about FWD/RWD, much less V6/V8 (unless they want to tow something.) On that note, apparently Kia will soon announce their twin turbo V6 RWD sedan, so maybe we will see a replacement for the Falcadore soon...
A Holden isn't a Holden if it isn't made here, fuck off. A true Aussie brand and it's going to shit, sadly.
I don't want australia's insane car culture to die out. I need to hear more stories about that white supra with blacked out windows that's annihilating 1200hp gtrs
So does Britain get this bad boy with a Vauxhall badge slapped on it? [editline]26th October 2016[/editline] Oh wait if it's just a re-badged Opel Insignia then yes most definitely. I will say it's sad to see the V8 die in Holden though.
[QUOTE=Araknid;51263519]A Holden isn't a Holden if it isn't made here, fuck off. A true Aussie brand and it's going to shit, sadly.[/QUOTE] It's simple. If more Australians bought Holdens, Holden wouldn't have had to close down. Surviving off of exports was never a viable option because every other key market was already being served by other GM subsidiaries, and in the case of the Chevrolet SS, output was artificially restricted so as to not leach too many sales away from American GM models. Ford and Holden would have shut down way earlier too if it weren't for fleet sales, such as to the police, acting as life support. It's not entirely the fault of Australians though. Ford and Holden didn't build cars that most Australians wanted. Most Australians didn't want large sedans; they wanted SUVs, cars with very low fuel consumption, very high quality build etc. The Falcon and Commodore could have survived if Ford and Holden downsized and adapted their economies of scale of their operations to that like boutique British makers such as Aston Martin. But no, they persisted with large manufacturing plants intended for high volumes and low margins.
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