V8 Family: Chevrolet circles VF Commodore Sportwagon

[JoeT]

Chevrolet circles VF Commodore wagon

Stephen Ottley
16 February 2013
www.drive.com.au

The new V8-powered Holden Commodore VF SS-V will be sold in the US as the Chevrolet SS.

Former Holden boss and now General Motors North America chief Mark Reuss has left the door open for the VF Commodore wagon to join the sedan in the USA, where it is sold as a Chevrolet SS.

But the bad news for American ute lovers is that Australia’s answer to a two-door sports car isn’t headed overseas.

Reuss ruled out importing the ute to the US because it would too hard to price and position the ute alongside the SS sedan, which is being pitched as a premium performance car.

“It’s a little bit late for Ute,” Reuss said. “[But] some people think it would really a really cool thing to do.”

Advertisement Crucially though, he didn’t say the same thing for the Sportwagon, saying there is space for it to be sold at a premium above the sedan, which would make it more viable.

“It’s not too late for the wagon,” Reuss said.

General Motors had originally planned to sell both the ute and wagon in the US during the Pontiac G8 program and it is understood all the engineering and design work was done. However, the global financial crisis forced GM to kill off the Pontiac brand and axe the G8 ute and wagon imports.

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[buick59]

I for one would have bought a new El Camino....Maybe they are basing this on how well the CTS wagon has sold.....makes sense in GM's world.

[JBsZ06]

Best marketing plan would bring in the El CAmino not for sales but rather all the magazine covers etc...chevy wants to resonate with young buyers being cool..

The El CAmino would do it.

How many do you guess that GM would sell?

2000 a year? So if they lost 2 grand on each one big deal...the marketing advantage with all the free coverage would be worth 100 million dollars of cool for the brand...

Tough business decision but the right one....

Manual or automatic only....which one should they bring in?

I say automatic for the spread

[JBsZ06]

Besides the austral Ian plants underutilized anyway...

PS I'd never buy one....not my thing

[Hitman1970]

Wagon with a tan interior and a 6.0L engine has me listening.

[JuMPy]

Reuss.......... Please don't be blowing smoke up our collective Wagon fanboy azzes. We have had nothing but disappointment after disappointment. We get tickling little articles like this only to get slapped later on when we're told no Wagon because the market won't support it

[Cajun G8]

Disappointed to say the least about the Ute, but at least we have a firm answer. Time to move on. Now, the wagon has my interest. Hope this isn't BS.

[WildGMFan]

So does this mean GM is shutting down Chevy? Kidding aside, quit teasing us and build the wagon. I was all set with the Pontiac wagon but you cut the brand.

I can't afford a new Cadillac wagon and they aren't building them anymore. So what are we supposed to do? Sure I would buy a used one. But this Chevy wagon would be the only Chevy I would buy.

Until you actually have these on dealer lots I don't believe a word you are saying GM.

BTW, I'm 33 and drive a used 2008 Cadillac SRX sport AWD. It is our family wagon. I grew up riding in wagons 1976 Oldsmobile diesel wagon and a1983 Pontiac wagon with the rear facing third row... yes I am still alive! SUVS are too big and ugly with poor handling.

PS... please don't talk about the ute anymore. Stupid idea and I would never buy one. Coming from someone who also grew up in an early 80s el Camino. Cool then, not so much now.

[EJD1984]

This sounds like GM of North America is now finally serious about rwd sedans (and wagons) for Chevrolet. Hopefully this could also signal a production shift to a rwd platform here in N.A. once the VF runs it's course.

Now Buick needs just needs a rwd Regal Grand National model to get into the game.

Is there ANY word that there might be a lower cost SS model, say the $33-35K range? The rumored/speculated $45k+ is just way out my price range.

[spyderman61]

This sounds like GM of North America is now finally serious about rwd sedans (and wagons) for Chevrolet. Hopefully this could also signal a production shift to a rwd platform here in N.A. once the VF runs it's course.

Now Buick needs just needs a rwd Regal Grand National model to get into the game.

Is there ANY word that there might be a lower cost SS model, say the $33-35K range? The rumored/speculated $45k+ is just way out my price range.

Lets see only 5k are coming over, expensive to import, I do not see any discounts coming your way.

[KingElvis]

Probably wise not to associate what is ostensibly Chevy's first real 'premium' car with a utility/work vehicle. And we all know that hinting about maybe...just maybe a station wagon will come means we'll never see it. Without the dayum third row of seats it's a non starter.

[EJD1984]

Lets see only 5k are coming over, expensive to import, I do not see any discounts coming your way.

I know, I know. Was just being hopeful. I think that this is the problem of the name SS. If Chevrolet wanted to offer lower price/performance models of the car, how would they be named?

If I don't get a Caprice with in the next year, I may just look for a used SS.

[neuronbob]

There is a market for SS wagons. It is small, but it is there. I know, I have a 6MT CTS-V wagon. Yes, I am one of those weirdos who has one. And it is the coolest car purchase I've ever made.

I dunno if selling it at a premium will work, though, given the limited market. An SS wagon is not a CTS-V wagon, after all. Further, given the SS sedan will not be coming with a manual transmission, I can't in any universe imagine an SS manual wagon....cool as that would be.

[Motors Man]

HA! Really? Does anyone think that GM is going to bring a SS wagon to the U.S?. Haven't seen a Cruze wagon yet and the CTS wagon is going buh-bye soon enough. Now if it's a CUV you want GM will give you those in bucket loads,because the American public has said the wagons are for sissies and CUV's are for the most manly of men.

[neuronbob]

HA! Really? Does anyone think that GM is going to bring a SS wagon to the U.S?. Haven't seen a Cruze wagon yet and the CTS wagon is going buh-bye soon enough. Now if it's a CUV you want GM will give you those in bucket loads,because the American public has said the wagons are for sissies and CUV's are for the most manly of men.

Sad but true.