Holden VE Commodore & WM Statesman/Caprice Win 2007 Australian Design Awards

[JoeT]

Australian Design Awards For VE Commodore & WM Statesman/Caprice

GM Holden Limited
14 May 2007
www.holden.com.au

Australia’s love affair with the new VE Commodore and WM ranges continued last night with both winning awards for excellence in design in the Australian Design Awards.

The Design Award winners for 2007 were announced at a special ceremony in Melbourne last night with GM Holden sweeping the board in the Automotive and Transport category for both the VE Commodore range and the WM Statesman and Caprice.

GM Holden Design Director, Tony Stolfo said having the VE and WM both win national awards was a recognition of the differences between the vehicle ranges as well as a celebration of the consistently high design standards that had been achieved across them.

“Automotive design is one of the most challenging of all design disciplines given the long lead times from conception to launch, as well as the number and diversity of individual components, suppliers and processes that need to be seamlessly blended together to create the final product.

“From the architecture that underpins the vehicles through to the exterior and interior look and feel, the design team were challenged to come up with solutions that had the flexibility to accommodate a wide range of model variations - each pinpointing a very specific customer profile - whilst also being capable of being adapted for export.

“These Awards from the wider Australian design community recognise the end result of what has truly been a great team effort,” said Stolfo.

The Australian Design Awards, a division of Standards Australia, is Australia’s only national product design awards program.

The 2007 Australian Design Awards are the latest in a series of accolades that have been bestowed on the new Australian designed and manufactured vehicles which were launched in September 2006. Recognition to date includes:
Winner: Wheels Car of the Year (VE Commodore)
Winner: MOTOR Bang For Your Bucks (VE Commodore SS)
Winner: News Ltd Car Of The Year (VE Calais V)
Winner: Drive.com People's Choice Award (VE Commodore SS V)



2007 Australia Design Awards Winners Announced

Standards Australia
11 May 2007
www.designawards.com.au

VE Commodore

Product Designer/Manufacturer
GM Holden

Product Description and Principal Function(s)

Holden introduces the 2006 VE Commodore – Australia's first $1 billion car program. The culmination of more than six years of planning and development, the new Commodore is safer, offers more technology, features and value than ever before. Striking design, performance and refinement elevate VE alongside the world’s best.
Why does the product represent design excellence and why do you believe it deserves an Australian Design Award?

Innovation, intelligence, cleverness of design
• VE Commodore styled to appeal to millions of Australian car buyers, while matching premium Euro sports sedan performance at a value price.
• Design achievements:
o Balancing proportion with safety
o Minimizing exterior size and maximizing interior spaciousness
o Flexibility and personalization without adding complexity and cost
o Balancing material cost without compromising on quality
o Balancing style with aerodynamics
• Greater flexibility achieved by using a modular design approach, enabling a greater level of differentiation across the range.
• VE sold as seven separate models, ranging in price from $34,490 to $58,490, with each model having its own distinct personality.
• Holden’s personalization strategy can be further adapted for potential export markets around the world.
• Interior designed for RHD and LHD applications – centre stack is symmetrical, allowing easy conversion and the integrated handbrake mirrors across.
• Advanced 3D modeling technologies cut design lead time by 30 per cent.

Visual impact, form
• VE Commodore balances classic proportions, dynamic form and design elements, which gives the perception the car is smaller. Wheels are positioned closer to the corners for great stance and poise.
• It has mature design, which exploits the benefits of a large rear-wheel-drive platform, delivering classic proportion and athletic stance.

Longevity
• VE Commodore is designed for modularity and flexibility.
• Slip planes allow the structure to shorten and lengthen depending on body style, providing endless opportunities to build further rear wheel drive products.
• Colours, textile and grains were selected for relevance and longevity, following four years of intensive research and design.

Quality, design for manufacture
• Modular design minimizes investment and plant complexity, whilst maintaining volume and differentiation.
• GM global perceptual quality “best of the best” practices were incorporated. Achievements include:
o World class fit and finish, “best of best” gaps and margins.
o Consistent switch feel and sound.
o World class interfaces.
o Styled body seals, both A and B surfaces.
o Styled secondary surfaces and underhood components.

Functionality, ergonomics, semantics
• Designers and engineers ensured basic interior ergonomics were simple and intuitive.
• Interior design vision: a spacious and safe cocoon with optimized storage, packaging and ergonomics.
• VE’s architectural vision: maintain excellent interior spatial packaging with a minimum exterior footprint.
• Four-bar deck-lid hinges included for improved trunk capacity.
• Large storage boxes in all doors able to accommodate 600ml drink bottles.
• New pull-bar door handles contribute to a lighter door-opening effort.
• New high-performance flat blade wipers have washer nozzles on the arms.

Safety standards compliance
• VE represents the next generation of global design and engineering trends. High strength steel reinforcements ensure VE meets increasingly stringent impact and occupant safety regulations.

Environmental sustainability
• Recycled bumper fascias in fender liners.
• Use of recyclable materials in place of vinyls.
• Tailor welded blanks which results in very little scrapage.
• Recyclable carpets.
• Efficient aerodynamic packaging contributes to a better highway cycle, despite VE being bigger than its predecessor.

WM Statesman and Caprice

Product Designer/Manufacturer
GM Holden

Product Description and Principal Function(s)
Statesman and Caprice boast the highest ever level of unique design applied by Holden, with virtually every panel and interior feature different from Commodore.
Holden invested $190 million to develop the new generation Statesman and Caprice on top of the $1.03 billion VE program, underlining its importance to General Motors.
Why does the product represent design excellence and why do you believe it deserves an Australian Design Award?

Innovation, intelligence, cleverness of design
• Greater differentiation from the short wheelbase cars than ever before. Result is two stand alone vehicles with distinct identities.
• New high-performance flat blade wipers have washer nozzles mounted on the arms and a high-tech acoustic windscreen dampens glass-borne noise.
• Caprice features Bi Xenon headlamp technology – a first for a locally manufactured car.
• A cleverly designed park brake is integrated into the centre console, allowing a simple switch for LHD and RHD applications.

Visual impact, form
• With a stretched silhouette and wide stance accentuated by flared wheel arches, WM Statesman and Caprice make a powerful impression.
• Major aspects of the interior design, including the instrument pad, cluster, centre console, seating, door trims, fabrics and finishes, are exclusive.
• Longer rear doors are key to the dramatic new proportion, accentuated by a sweeping roofline and substantial wheel and tyre packages.
• Detail highlights include signature LED repeater lamps in the fender vents, striking Led tail lamps and bright chrome accents.
• WM design is designed for personalization – Caprice reflects a sports character whilst Statesman is prestige comfort oriented.

Functionality, ergonomics, semantics
• Statesman and Caprice offer a spacious and safe passenger compartment with optimized storage, packaging and ergonomics.
• The expansive instrument pad is designed according to HMI ergonomic principles.
• Larger dials, displays and font, white illumination.
• Night mode illumination – only minimal functions, such as speedo, remain lit.
• Large storage boxes in doors able to accommodate 600ml drink bottles, sliding armrest tops the centre console compartment.
• Cup holders pop out of the rear seat base and fold-down centre armrest incorporates a storage tray.
• Drivers can access 16 personalization options and functions.
• New pull-bar door handles replace WL paddle-style handles. With an improved door swing, they contribute to a lighter door-opening effort.
• Four-bar deck-lid hinges replace the former gooseneck design. They combine with the straight-sided, flat floor design of the larger capacity boot to provide a flexible, user-friendly load space.

Quality, design for manufacture
• There are 43 panels unique to WM. The side structure is the biggest panel Holden has produced. It replaces the WL two-piece side and delivers quality improvements via dimensional stability and repeatability.
• Dimensional Technical Specification (DTS) is a global GM system that applies to every gap and margin on a vehicle. Holden used it to achieve a standard of dimensional quality on WM Statesman and Caprice that equals the global competitive benchmarks.


Safety standards compliance
• Like VE, WM represents the next generation of global design and engineering trends. It meets increasingly stringent impact and occupant safety regulations.

Environmental sustainability
Model Fuel Economy CO2 emissions
(l/100km) ADR 081/01 (grams/km)
Statesman V6 11.7 281 g/km
Caprice V8 14.4 352 g/km
• Holden uses recycled bumper fascias in WM’s fender liners.
• Use of recyclable materials in place of vinyls.
• Tailor welded blanks which results in very little scrapage.
• Recyclable carpets.

[Dagan81]

Beautiful cars, man.

[KUZCO]

for the life of me i dont know why gm wont bring these cars over and possibly build them here that chinese park avenue is sick

[mikmak]

Wow, nice to get some really positive press. I wonder if Drive is going to mention it or more importantly, the Australian Automotive Clubs Association.

[hq308]

Probably not, it's not in Toyota's best interest

[muayyadf1]

Way to go holden, I love you!

[samkung]

Yeah nice to see Holden winning one after another!

[BigThreeForever]

A well deserved award, I think, for an excellent range of cars. I hope I get the Aussie vernacular right, here goes:

That's bonza news! Good on yer, cobbers!

[Patto1]

Originally Posted by mikmak

Wow, nice to get some really positive press. I wonder if Drive is going to mention it or more importantly, the Australian Automotive Clubs Association.

Drive are so up Toyota's ass it's unbelievable.

Of course they are not going to say anything positive.


GOOD ON HOLDEN

Stick that up ya buzz-box sipping hybrid munching Toyota's Drive

[Patto1]

Originally Posted by BigThreeForever

I hope I get the Aussie vernacular right, here goes:

That's bonza news! Good on yer, cobbers!

Ahhh........ yeah, right

[mikmak]

Originally Posted by BigThreeForever

A well deserved award, I think, for an excellent range of cars. I hope I get the Aussie vernacular right, here goes:

That's bonza news! Good on yer, cobbers!

At least you had a crack champ

[RedHotMike]

Originally Posted by BigThreeForever

A well deserved award, I think, for an excellent range of cars. I hope I get the Aussie vernacular right, here goes:

That's bonza news! Good on yer, cobbers!

Maybe 50 years ago. These days it simply - **** Hot!

Red Hot Mike

[kgratton]

I know a bloke who still addresses his interlocutor as 'Cobber'. Mind you, he's in his sixties.

[Slick_Holden]

Originally Posted by BigThreeForever

A well deserved award, I think, for an excellent range of cars. I hope I get the Aussie vernacular right, here goes:

That's bonza news! Good on yer, cobbers!

Not bad mate almost mickey mouse but cherry ripe