How long do you expect holden to make commodores in aus?

[mattrobbo26]

I'm not sure if there is a thread here already but if there is feel free to delete this one.
Now I'm sure we all heard the big wigs at Holden say the Commodore will be around until 2022. Realistically how long do you think Holden will be producing Commodore in Australia? After reading about all the tech and weight saving and everything else that has gone into the vf and it selling at a much lower price than the ve how is it financially viable? Also having spoken to a dealer be it a Ford dealer, he said that Commodore will only be around for the next 3 year's but because of the release of the vf they don't want to make any announcements as they see it as bad publicity.

[GQ_Smooth]

Pretty sure Holden have already announced the VF will be the last AUS engineered RWD Commodore, after VF they will assemble the Malibu and re-badge it as a Commodore.

[stevanford]

2016. The Zeta platform will be replaced by a FWD platform built in Asia after that.

[mattrobbo26]

Thanks for the responses and clarifications.

[BDA074]

As above... Commodore as we know it will be dead in 2016 as well...

[MethodX]

Isnt there an option to make it on the next Alpha platform?
Alpha cheaper version that the Camaro will use.

[Nikked]

The Commodore as we know it is already dead...

Got a RWD epica instead...




*Disclaimer, the above comment is in a non-serious, non-factual nature. It in no way represents my entire feeling towards the Commodore.

[Joe5619]

I hate the double standards of some people on this forum. Holden has confirmed NOTHING about the next all new Commodore (other than there will be one & it will be a global plant form). "We" as Ford fans did not like what others tried to joint dots about the Falcon, so don’t do it Commodore. For all we know Commodore could continue on as a global RWD plant form, just like it is today.


As Australians, lets hope there is no "used by" date & they continue to build them forever!!

[ebv8]

I read 2017 the new GM world car will be released in Aus and it will be FWD, the new impala is a V6 FWD so probably that.

[FNQracing]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

As Australians, lets hope there is no "used by" date & they continue to build them forever!!

Would love to share your enthusiasm, but its pretty clear the large car market is on its last legs. The sales graphs tell the story that even blind Freddy can join the dots.

[82XD393.3v]

they are obligated to make the current vf till 2020 aren't they ??? due to the government hand outs even if the use all that money sponsoring v8 supercar teams

[GQ_Smooth]

Originally Posted by 82XD393.3v

they are obligated to make the current vf till 2020 aren't they ??? due to the government hand outs even if the use all that money sponsoring v8 supercar teams

From memory they are obliged to keep local manufacturing until 2020 (or 2022 not sure), what they make/assemble is up to them, hence why no more RWD after the VF.

[82XD393.3v]

well there current model will only need a badge and different rims to be sold as a series 2

[GQ_Smooth]

If it proves a run away success, they would be silly not to keep the current platform and update the styling (although I suspect the decision in Detroit has already been made). If however the large car segment continues to shrink, better they start making something else and keep the production staff employed.

[82XD393.3v]

good point

[Papa Smurf]

Who cares about GMH products?

[GQ_Smooth]

Originally Posted by Papa Smurf

Who cares about GMH products?

5000 manufacturing, transport and distribution workers (and their families).

[Pepscobra]

To answer the original question....... For the sake of local manufacturing and industry, I hope a very long time.

[DJR-351]

Originally Posted by Papa Smurf

Who cares about GMH products?

I'll put that down to hitting the keyboard before the brain was in gear.....

[poppa smurf]

thats all we need more job down the gurgler.......I hope they revitalise Ford and Holden and they both live forever.

cant see it though, I give it 10 years and we will all be driving imports.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by FNQracing

Would love to share your enthusiasm, but its pretty clear the large car market is on its last legs. The sales graphs tell the story that even blind Freddy can join the dots.

I don’t agree.


I consider Camry & Commodore to be competing for the same market (despite what some sales report classes them as). Camry lives with a large export market & a strong local one, why can’t the Commodore? There is no reason why Commodore can't be around for 100 years!!

[davenl5l]

Originally Posted by poppa smurf

thats all we need more job down the gurgler.......I hope they revitalise Ford and Holden and they both live forever.

cant see it though, I give it 10 years and we will all be driving imports.

not me poppa.old fords never die....CLEVO'S FOREVER

[GQ_Smooth]

Unfortunately the current Commodore is a dead in the water. GM will not allow GMH export markets that potentially eat into US exports (not to mention our dollar for the 10 millionth time). There is already a back lash in the states with the Chev SS not being made in the US, along with a verbal commitment from Detroit that the next one will be. Local volumes of large cars aren't enough to justify continuing production.

I don't want to be negative, but I can't see it lasting.

The Camry/Aurions are global cars where the engineering, design, testing were done in Japan and all the cost's associated with it are atomized globally, yes there was local tuning, but most good Auto makers do local tuning. It doesn't cost Toyota Australia anywhere near as much to make a Camry as it does Holden a Commodore (and they still made a loss), scary stuff for the Auto Industry.

[mik]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

I don’t agree.


I consider Camry & Commodore to be competing for the same market (despite what some sales report classes them as). Camry lives with a large export market & a strong local one, why can’t the Commodore? There is no reason why Commodore can't be around for 100 years!!

did you see the article were toyota has made a loss in oz for the last 3 years????

[buggerlugs]

How will Holden be able to compete when you see the wages in Australia compared to China / Thailand ? It might be a few years but I'm sure they will follow Mitsubishi and Ford........

[Brazen]

I reckon Zeta has about another decade at least in her. They are still using the same doors and body from VE so there is plenty of life left in terms of tophat changes.

Plus the Commodore plugs into the global electronics, global transmissions, global engines and global features of the GM empire so it should pick up 'free' upgrades as it goes along.

20% of Commodores are exported so that should pick up if the fall in the Aussie dollar continues.

Anything can happen though and there has been talk of a two-pronged Commodore approach. With a FWD sedan supplemented by the VF SS/Caprice continuing alongside it.

I do think that the platform upgrades to VF means that is has a lot more than 3 years left in it.

[GQ_Smooth]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

How will Holden be able to compete when you see the wages in Australia compared to China / Thailand ? It might be a few years but I'm sure they will follow Mitsubishi and Ford........

Without an open and frank discussion between the Auto Maker, AMWU and the Government, I don't see how they can. It's not just one thing that needs to change, everyone needs to make changes in order to make it viable long term.

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by buggerlugs

How will Holden be able to compete when you see the wages in Australia compared to China / Thailand ? It might be a few years but I'm sure they will follow Mitsubishi and Ford........

They closed due to the cars not being bought - nothing to do with wages.

They didnt start importing the 380 from Asia when the Adelaide plant shut, and they are not moving Falcon production to Thailand.

Wages are a tiny part in a capital intensive industry with high robotisation and high costs.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by mik

did you see the article were toyota has made a loss in oz for the last 3 years????

No one said it was going to be easy. When the dollar drops, things will turn around.

I wish Toyota & Holden luck as they take the harder option of trying to make a profit in this country!! The easy option is to close the front door & give up!!

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

No one said it was going to be easy. When the dollar drops, things will turn around.

I wish Toyota & Holden luck as they take the harder option of trying to make a profit in this country!! The easy option is to close the front door & give up!!

And they are benefiting the component industry - Toyota are exporting around 7,000 Camrys a month, this is helping some component makers with scale.

I think it will be a good thing if/when Toyota makes the Rav4 here. It seems to be where the market is heading too.