Confirmed: GM kills off the rear-drive V8
Motoring
By Marton Pettendy & Todd Hallenbeck
Friday, 14 November 2014
New Camaro won't be sold in Australia and there won't be an imported replacement for Holden's export Commodore
Any prospects of Holden offering a rear-wheel drive V8 model in Australia after it axes Commodore production in 2017 now appear unlikely, following confirmation that GM will not produce a right-hand drive version of the next Camaro or a replacement for Holden's export Commodore, the Chevrolet SS.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity at the SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas last week, a senior GM executive told motoring.com.au that – like the latest C7 Corvette – the new 2016 Camaro will remain a left-hand drive model.
The GM executive said the RHD Camaro program has not been cancelled, but is now "highly unlikely", all but eliminating any hope of it becoming a direct rival for Ford's new Mustang in Australia.
Similarly, the well-placed GM exec said there was no plan to produce a replacement for the Chevy SS after imports ceased from Australia at the end of 2017, which would leave Chevrolet without a large RWD sedan in US showrooms.
More importantly for Australians, the lack of a Chevy SS replacement means Holden will cease to offer any RWD V8 sedan in Australia – despite the fact V8s currently comprise a sizeable 37 per cent of Commodore sales.
Holden had been tipped to continue to sell a V8 RWD sedan beyond the current Commodore's demise in 2017 in the form of an imported replacement for the Chevy SS, built in the US.
Earlier, former Holden chief and now GM North America president Mark Reuss had courted a 'Zeta legacy' plan in which Holden would continue to build the 'Holden SS' in Adelaide and sell it alongside the imported Commodore, which may or may not continue the Commodore name.
As we've reported, Holden will produce the VF Commodore – which will be facelifted for MY16 by this time next year, when the SS should be fitted with HSV's upgraded 6.2-litre LS3 V8 — until late 2017 and expects to continue selling vehicles into 2018.
*Full Article at Link
Motoring
By Marton Pettendy & Todd Hallenbeck
Friday, 14 November 2014
New Camaro won't be sold in Australia and there won't be an imported replacement for Holden's export Commodore
Any prospects of Holden offering a rear-wheel drive V8 model in Australia after it axes Commodore production in 2017 now appear unlikely, following confirmation that GM will not produce a right-hand drive version of the next Camaro or a replacement for Holden's export Commodore, the Chevrolet SS.
Speaking on the condition of anonymity at the SEMA aftermarket show in Las Vegas last week, a senior GM executive told motoring.com.au that – like the latest C7 Corvette – the new 2016 Camaro will remain a left-hand drive model.
The GM executive said the RHD Camaro program has not been cancelled, but is now "highly unlikely", all but eliminating any hope of it becoming a direct rival for Ford's new Mustang in Australia.
Similarly, the well-placed GM exec said there was no plan to produce a replacement for the Chevy SS after imports ceased from Australia at the end of 2017, which would leave Chevrolet without a large RWD sedan in US showrooms.
More importantly for Australians, the lack of a Chevy SS replacement means Holden will cease to offer any RWD V8 sedan in Australia – despite the fact V8s currently comprise a sizeable 37 per cent of Commodore sales.
Holden had been tipped to continue to sell a V8 RWD sedan beyond the current Commodore's demise in 2017 in the form of an imported replacement for the Chevy SS, built in the US.
Earlier, former Holden chief and now GM North America president Mark Reuss had courted a 'Zeta legacy' plan in which Holden would continue to build the 'Holden SS' in Adelaide and sell it alongside the imported Commodore, which may or may not continue the Commodore name.
As we've reported, Holden will produce the VF Commodore – which will be facelifted for MY16 by this time next year, when the SS should be fitted with HSV's upgraded 6.2-litre LS3 V8 — until late 2017 and expects to continue selling vehicles into 2018.
*Full Article at Link