Confirmed: The Holden Rodeo Is Dead! Chevrolet Colorado To The Rescue

[MonaroSS]

Originally Posted by ctaylorzl1

What I still don’t get is why you guys do not buy full-size pickups? Wouldn’t full-size trucks be popular is AUS?

You know how everyone says that GM only makes a profit selling it's trucks and not it's cars. Ever wondered what that meant, and why it was true?

Well the simple answer is that it costs GM nearly as much to make their NA cars as they sell them for, which makes them a good buy - real bargains. But they sell their trucks for a lot more than they cost to make, meaning more than they are worth, much more. Enough in fact to subsidize all GM's other car business. Ever wonder why the US has no tariff on vehicles except for a 25% tax on foreign trucks? Notice how they call it the “chicken tax” so people never take it seriously and realise it’s there to protect American makers ability to rip off American consumers of trucks.

Obviously the rest of the world see American full size trucks as not worth their purchase price for the rough simple vehicles they are, nor worth their running costs for the work they can do, which is no more than smaller foreign vehicles.

So the real question is; "Why do Americans buy those large trucks and pay way more for them than they should? And why are Americans the only people on the planet that do so in such numbers?"

I think it must be the greatest success of mind control through mass marketing ever achieved by modern man. After all the whole point of marketing and advertising is to falsely create a need in a person to purchase something that they otherwise would not. The full size pickup must be the greatest success of the Madison Avenue Marketing Machine & TV. Now they just have to spread that to the rest of the world.

For the rest of us watching Americans saying how great their full size trucks are is kind of like watching that person the TV Hypnotist has just told to eat the toilet paper and tell everyone how it tastes like the best steak they ever had. We watch them telling us it is steak when we know its toilet paper. And we realise they believe fully what they are saying is true at the time they say it; but it’s only because their belief system has been messed with.

[JoeT]

GM Holden Plans Light Commercial Replacement

GM Holden
19 March 2008
www.holden.com.au

GM Holden has announced it will introduce a new light commercial vehicle later this year that will replace the long-running Rodeo.

The new Colorado range will feature many of the attributes that has made Rodeo so successful, including the choice of petrol or diesel engines, 4x4 or 4x2 models, and numerous body styles such as Single Cab, Space Cab and Crew Cab.

Current Rodeo owners will continue to be covered by GM Holden’s 3 year/100,000km warranty and Roadside Assistance for the first 12 months of ownership.

GM Holden Marketing Manager for LCV, Teresa Basile, said GM Holden is moving to a new exciting product with more details to follow in the coming months.

“The light commercial segment is a significant market for Holden and with this exciting new addition we will remain a major player with a highly competitive new entry,” she said.

“And Rodeo owners can rest assured that Holden remains committed to providing superior customer service and parts availability to the current range.”

The new Holden Colorado will be available from Holden dealers nationally later this year.

[mikmak]

holden colorado? that's a bit lazy if you ask me.

[paul8488]

Why not still call it the Rodeo? If it's such a popular, well-loved vehicle, why lose all that goodwill by bringing out basically the same vehicle as a replacement with a differnet, unknown name? That seems silly to me.

What does seem good is that they're going to offer a full range in Australia. Who knows, maybe the flatbed would find it's way back to the US someday!

[AnthonyHSV]

Originally Posted by paul8488

Why not still call it the Rodeo? If it's such a popular, well-loved vehicle, why lose all that goodwill by bringing out basically the same vehicle as a replacement with a differnet, unknown name? That seems silly to me.

What does seem good is that they're going to offer a full range in Australia. Who knows, maybe the flatbed would find it's way back to the US someday!

Read the O/P again Paul

Once Australia’s top-selling light commercial vehicle name, the Rodeo badge will become history from about June because Isuzu, which manufactures Australia’s Rodeo in Thailand, owns it and will prevent Holden from using it following the formal separation between Isuzu and Holden’s parent company General Motors.

[roteague]

Originally Posted by MonaroSS

Obviously the rest of the world see American full size trucks as not worth their purchase price for the rough simple vehicles they are, nor worth their running costs for the work they can do, which is no more than smaller foreign vehicles.

Most full size trucks, light duty, are far from rough, simple vehicles. Their interiors are on par with some cars.

Originally Posted by MonaroSS

So the real question is; "Why do Americans buy those large trucks and pay way more for them than they should? And why are Americans the only people on the planet that do so in such numbers?"

Because we can.

[paul8488]

Originally Posted by AnthonyHSV

Read the O/P again Paul

Ah right, skipped right over that. I'd even read about that earlier! Thanks!

[Odin]

Fair enough if they cant sell the Rodeo anymore, but why did they not keep the name? Does Isuzu own it? Rodeo has a lot of brand recognition here, and all that is for nothing if they using the name Colorado. Could of picked a better name too.

It's not like GM sells a truck in the USA called the GMC Victoria, or GMC Queensland.

[Black AH CDX]

Odin, the whole reason that they are dropping the Rodeo name is that Isuzu owns the name and no longer allows Holden to use it. This is mostly because GM sold its stake in Isuzu.
The car we are getting is basically the same car as the Rodeo with a slightly different look and a different name.

[MonaroSS]

Originally Posted by roteague

Most full size trucks, light duty, are far from rough, simple vehicles. Their interiors are on par with some cars.

[We buy them] Because we can.

My point is that the basic construction and technology of a US truck and SUV hasn't changed in 50 years. Put a 55 pickup on a hoist and you will see a pushrod V8 sitting in a steel frame with leaf spring (OK some SUV's may now use those super modern coils) rear live axle and a steel tub on the back and apart from style changes the same cab structure too. Yes there are some nicer materials inside and some gadgets from Wal-Mart inside like CD, Sat nav etc. but these things cost little to make which is why they are the profit engine of GM.

The raw elemental materials in an Accord cost maybe a few hundred bucks, throw in a few hundred more and you have a Silverado Crew Cab. Plus or minus 10%: It costs the same to stamp a small panel as a big panel. It costs the same to weld them together, to cast a V8 block or a V6 cylinder block, to build a seat for a Suburban or a Mini. Think of the same interior in a Suburban or a Civic wagon. Apart form more square footage of material, which is a low cost, the seats need to perform the same and humans are the same, the radio/CD/satnav is the same the instruments to the same job, they each have 4 door handles inside and 4 outside, the number of electric window buttons or window winders is the same. The pieces of glass are the same, the number of hinges are the same. Locks, lights, trim pieces etc etc. The cost of scale is nowhere near what people perceive it to be.

GM Trucks and SUV’s sell for their over inflated prices because Americans have been conditioned to believe that bigger is better and should cost more. That is why so many Americans just don't understand French Cuisine when juxtaposed against a KFC Family Bucket.

It costs virtually the same to make a small car as to make a large car. Just like it costs the same to make a beautiful car as to make an ugly car. And that is why GM has resisted making small cars, because their customers think most like KFC eaters. The French Cuisine eaters all buy Honda’s or Audi’s.

[Elk]

Originally Posted by MonaroSS

My point is that the basic construction and technology of a US truck and SUV hasn't changed in 50 years. Put a 55 pickup on a hoist and you will see a pushrod V8 sitting in a steel frame with leaf spring (OK some SUV's may now use those super modern coils) rear live axle and a steel tub on the back and apart from style changes the same cab structure too.

And if you put a 1973 Civic on a hoist you will find a SOHC transverse engine mounted in a unibody chassis with an independent suspension and front disc brakes, just like today’s Civic. But just like your pickup comparison you’d have to be blind to not see that technology has changed.

If you really want to talk about vehicles being sold with outdated tech for a high price let’s talk about the Astra and it’s awesome twist-beam rear suspension.

[Robert Ryan]

Thats a good point I guess! But I could never do my farm work with a Mitsu truck like that! I could never cross a ditch, especially loaded with seed in something like that! But then again I am one of the few who uses their truck to potential. Famring is big in AUS, rite? Do they also use trucks like that Mitsu? I bet if people here had a clue about Utes/small trucks(especially if equiped with trays) they might get alot more use.

The whole thing I noted about Commercial vehicle usage in the US, is the lack of variety of types of vehicles and body options compared to Australia IMO. You seem to have either Heavy front engined Trucks(long distance /heavy general industrial work) and every variety of on a theme of Pickups known to man.Yes you are right a a tray option would make a lot of vehicles much more desirable as work vehicles. Most Pickups like the base Silverado and F150 are used as "cars" or a substitute for the long forgotten station wagon.






General Carrying

[Robert Ryan]

Isuzu 5th wheel used by a rural family



Ute Show

[Robert Ryan]

Hay Baling

Seed Spreader

[Butz]

Colorado is basically the Rodeo, so I don't see the big deal