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Holden fans slam use of ‘Commodore’ name on German import

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#1 ·
Holden fans slam use of ‘Commodore’ name on German import
Gold Coast Bulletin
Joshua Dowling
October 28, 2016



Australians don’t want the new Holden Commodore name to be used on the model imported from Germany when the locally-made version reaches the end of the line in late 2017 — after 39 years.

Holden confirmed this week the Opel Insignia medium-size sedan will be renamed Commodore when it goes on sale in February 2018.

The response on Twitter was direct: “Commodore name should probably be retired and call it something else,” said Craig Pea****.

“Holden need to end the Commodore era and start with something new,” wrote Tommy Jones.

“I’d rather … it be called a Holden Insignia. The Commodore is dead,” said Reece Martin.

“The major flaw in the car is that it’s the size of a Mazda6,” wrote Nick Russell. “While the Insignia is a nice city car … it’s still not a full size (sedan),” referring the new model going down in size.

For its part, Holden says the Commodore name is here to stay.

“We did extensive research with existing Commodore owners, Holden owners and non-owners, and with every group it was clear the car should be called a Commodore,” said Mr Keley.

The new generation Holden Commodore from Germany will be unveiled without its disguise in December 2016, 15 months before it is due in local showrooms.
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#11 · (Edited)
Except that those cars do not exist. After the demise of the Chevrolet SS, only RWD V8 passenger cars from Chevrolet are the Camaro and Corvette. The only RWD V8 passenger car from Ford is the Mustang. Despite the current relatively low price of fuel, BTW, each of these cars is dropping in popularity.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Holden has tried several times to convince buyers to accept md sized FWD cars
and has lttle success with Vectra, Epica, Malibu and Insignia - none of them sold
in numbers anything like the RWD Commodore.

To say that pre-VE clinic showed a willingness for buyers to try a FWD car has been
to be proven to be quite inaccurate, I think that result was steered to get the answer
GM's own people wanted to hear / see so as to justify the eventual ending of local
manufacturing and involvement in lucrative V8 RWD cars.
 
#20 · (Edited)
But that Commodore was heavily re-engineered by Holden and was a merge of German
Commodore and Senator's longer front end, there were many upgrades done to get the
car in shape for the Australian market place..

I see none of that happening with this next offering from Opel, this is more like a Camira
in as much as , Holden will force it on buyers, claim that Australia is now a FWD market
and that everyone is wrong.

Pfft...
 
#29 ·
You are arguing about who is the tallest midget. The Commodore may be Holden's most popular model, but it is No. 6 in the Australian market overall. By a significant margin, the Toyota Camry beats it for No. 5 with the Corolla, the Camry's smaller sibling, firmly holding fort at No. 1.
 
#28 ·
...and rightly so. Just as I'm not a huge fan of the Impala name being stuck on a FWD car, even though the latest is a good car, one I considered buying this time around.

GM NA did all they could to keep people from buying Holden made cars in the U.S. short of putting a pit bull around them in the showroom. I couldn't believe selling the Caprice here only as a police car, when having civilian version on offer would have meant increased profits per unit, and given some camouflage for the police cars.

My next question is just what am I supposed to do should I decide to move on from my SS? Are they really going to try to convince me that a six cylinder turbo in a FWD/AWD chassis is a substitute for the current Commodore/SS? Do they really expect me to step up to a Cadillac for the pleasures of RWD? So now RWD, in sedan form at least, is now a privilege of the wealthy?
 
#32 ·
So now RWD, in sedan form at least, is now a privilege of the wealthy?
Or at least those prepared to put more $$$ in rolling stock. Effectively, the 4 door performance sedan will be vacated to the likes of MB/BMW/Audi/Lexus/Jag & Caddy in the US due to platform pricing alone. No-one is prepared to pay US$60k for a Chevy. Look at Camaro volume. At least there's a Mopar or two you could consider.

You are arguing about who is the tallest midget. The Commodore may be Holden's most popular model, but it is No. 6 in the Australian market overall. By a significant margin, the Toyota Camry beats it for No. 5 with the Corolla, the Camry's smaller sibling, firmly holding fort at No. 1.
Are you surprised cheaper cars sell in greater volume? Everyone would be driving E63s if they were priced @ AUD$50k. The rest are commercial vehicles with trade/tax advantages.

Close - for me it is no RWD and no performance model.
At least not with a Commodore badge/price. Even if Camaro SS is offered within reason (AUD$65k), they'll sell low numbers as a coupe. See Mustang.
 
#35 ·
So putting aside the emotional part of the discussion, let's look at who might be interested in this car:

SV6 buyers may be interested enough to give the transverse V6 car a go and so long as it
has plenty of punch, handles reasonably well and is pretty thrifty, I think some will buy it.

The TTV6 version is interesting, combine that with AWD and Holden might have a new era
performance car, not like the SS V8s but still enough power and grip to give a good account.
 
#36 ·
Yes but as they've all said, the ttv6 won't fit. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: personally idon't believe them but that's what they said. I'll be trying the V6 and it might be halfway decent to replace our wagon, but remember, our wagon could be had for as low as 39k! Retail prices are even lower. The V6 would have to be well south of 50 just to compete with used V8s.
 
#53 ·
I am really hoping Holden can change my mind about where I look for my next car but at the moment there's nothing in Holdens range now or from they have told us is coming that will, never thought I'd ever buy anything without a Holden badge.
If you have said to me 5 years ago when I bought my Captiva that this would be the last Holden I ever own I would have laughed at you.
 
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