Jump to content
Create New...
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    Holden Will Have Access To More Models From Other GM Brands

      Why you could be seeing more U.S. models arrive in Australia with Holden badging

    As Holden transitions from a local manufacturer to importer, this brings up the concern of what kind of vehicles will be available to brand. Previously, Holden had a limited choice of vehicles to choose from due to the requirement of being right-hand drive. But now, General Motors is promising a larger selection of vehicles for Holden to choose from. This could open the door for various models from the U.S. and other countries.

    This change comes down to GM's vehicle architectures becoming more flexible and used globally, along with a new way of thinking as GM's design boss Mike Simcoe explained,

    “Where we see there’s a need to have right-hand drive, yeah. We’ll have the ability to make a choice but the architecture will accommodate left- and right-hand drive”

    “The reality is as we reduce the total number of architectures they are going to be more global. We don’t design a vehicle specifically for North America anymore, because you always get caught out if you do. The numbers of those is reducing,” Simcoe went on to say.

    A key example is the GMC Acadia heading down to Australia as a Holden - due in 2018. 

    That doesn't mean Holden will be able to pick any model they want freely. They still have to make a business case as to why they need a particular model.

    "I think it is looking at what are the global applications because in certain vehicles, like Camaro, there would be markets outside Australia and New Zealand, and understanding looking through it a lens of; does this make business sense? Does this make customer sense? Is it the right thing to do from a competitive perspective? So it's really a mix of variables that we take into account," said Lowell Paddock, head of product planning for General Motors International.

    Source: Drive.com.au, Wheels

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    For the love of...NO!  NO PERFORMANCE CUVs...Not for Chevy. Not for GMC. Not even for Cadillac.

    OK...yes for Cadillac.

    Unless we are talking about off roading performance. I could see a lifted version of the Trax filling the shoes of a Tracker. If its platform could handle that transformation that is.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    This is interesting to see. I knew this was going to happen.  GM is becoming a global company fast and quick. They are really integrating the brands globally. I want to see how this plays out.  If Pontiac and Oldsmobile had lived, they could have more fun with Holden and other brands globally.  Just thinking out loud.  I wonder if they will replace Holden Caprice with something.  I can see looking at GM globally the brands are:  Chevrolet, Opel, and Cadillac.   GMC, Vauxhall, Holden and Buick feed off the other brands.  The only models unique to Buick are  La Crosse and Enclave.  Buick and GMC are given unique trim and some styling cues.  GM is leveraging its brands globally to suit the market globally. 

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    That GMC is the laziest rebadge job since GM built their last minivan for 4 different brands. All they had to do was give the holden version its own grille, but they were like "No, solid chrome rectangle is fine."

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 4:33 AM, cp-the-nerd said:

    That GMC is the laziest rebadge job since GM built their last minivan for 4 different brands. All they had to do was give the holden version its own grille, but they were like "No, solid chrome rectangle is fine."

    Expand  

    True, but why change the car when it looks good? Sometimes it's not worth changing something just for the sake of it.....

    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 2:40 AM, oldshurst442 said:

    For the love of...NO!  NO PERFORMANCE CUVs...Not for Chevy. Not for GMC. Not even for Cadillac.

    OK...yes for Cadillac.

    Unless we are talking about off roading performance. I could see a lifted version of the Trax filling the shoes of a Tracker. If its platform could handle that transformation that is.

    Expand  

    :o What is wrong with a corvette based SUV? Trailblazer AWD SS that I own is a blast to drive. The GMC Typhoon was a blast. We need a V series Escalade. That would get me to trade in my current one. For those of us not fitting into performance cars, we need performance SUVs.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 4:31 AM, NINETY EIGHT REGENCY said:

    This is interesting to see. I knew this was going to happen.  GM is becoming a global company fast and quick. They are really integrating the brands globally. I want to see how this plays out.  If Pontiac and Oldsmobile had lived, they could have more fun with Holden and other brands globally.  Just thinking out loud.  I wonder if they will replace Holden Caprice with something.  I can see looking at GM globally the brands are:  Chevrolet, Opel, and Cadillac.   GMC, Vauxhall, Holden and Buick feed off the other brands.  The only models unique to Buick are  La Crosse and Enclave.  Buick and GMC are given unique trim and some styling cues.  GM is leveraging its brands globally to suit the market globally. 

    Expand  

    My 16 Malibu drives and feels unlike any of the old GM products.  GM is truly designing for global platforms and feel.  And it's great.

    AU has not much more than only a 1 million vehicle sales a year.  Their products they were building were not in line with what was going on globally.  I think if their buyer base gets more in line with global offerings, and maybe they improve their ability to be a manufacturer again, then maybe Holden won't have to rebadge.  The global GM offerings are far better than any homecooked AU stuff.  (That comment would exclude the SS / commodore high performance models, which are niche products anyways)

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 4:12 PM, dfelt said:

    :o What is wrong with a corvette based SUV? Trailblazer AWD SS that I own is a blast to drive. The GMC Typhoon was a blast. We need a V series Escalade. That would get me to trade in my current one. For those of us not fitting into performance cars, we need performance SUVs.

    Expand  

    What is wrong with a Corvette based SUV? Trailblazer AWD SS?

    Its because it dont exist anymore!!!

    But then again, a Trailblazer was not CUV...

    A Trailblazer was a midsized real Sports Utility Vehicle capable of real Sports Utility Vehicle kinds of stuff.

    Image result for off road chevy trailblazer

     

    A small Tracker, was also a real Sport Utility Vehicle capable of real Sport Utility Vehicle kinds of stuff.

    Image result for off road chevy tracker

    Making these types of vehicles ripe for any performance oriented pleasures.

    Image result for trailblazer ss.

    Or this guy for that matter...

    Image result for chevy typhoon

     

    Or this guy...

    Image result for grand cherokee offroad

    Image result for grand cherokee hellcat

     

    But this guy, just seems sooooo fake to me...CUV/SAV...not good!!!

     

    Cadillac needs to attract the faker, wannabes. Minus a few dudes that actually know what the V Series stuff is all about, just like the M stuff from BMW enthusiasts. But now, fake latte swilling wannabes just buy badges. Cadillac needs that type of buyer...

    Chevrolet's performance cars and trucks on the other hand, are for the REAL car and truck enthusiasts.

    Over simplified and generalized theory I know.

    Im not writing a thesis paper for Harvard...sarcasm for laughs is what this is...including and especially the last bolded sentence I wrote in this post...

     

     

    Edited by oldshurst442
    • Agree 1
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 4:39 PM, oldshurst442 said:

    What is wrong with a Corvette based SUV? Trailblazer AWD SS?

    Its because it dont exist anymore!!!

    But then again, a Trailblazer was not CUV...

    A Trailblazer was a midsized real Sports Utility Vehicle capable of real Sports Utility Vehicle kinds of stuff.

    Image result for off road chevy trailblazer

     

    A small Tracker, was also a real Sport Utility Vehicle capable of real Sport Utility Vehicle kinds of stuff.

    Image result for off road chevy tracker

    Making these types of vehicles ripe for any performance oriented pleasures.

    Image result for trailblazer ss.

    Or this guy for that matter...

    Image result for chevy typhoon

     

    Or this guy...

    Image result for grand cherokee offroad

    Image result for grand cherokee hellcat

     

    But this guy, just seems sooooo fake to me...CUV/SAV...not good!!!

     

    Cadillac needs to attract the faker, wannabes. Minus a few dudes that actually know what the V Series stuff is all about, just like the M stuff from BMW enthusiasts. But now, fake latte swilling wannabes just buy badges. Cadillac needs that type of buyer...

    Chevrolet's performance cars and trucks on the other hand, are for the REAL car and truck enthusiasts.

    Over simplified and generalized theory I know.

    Im not writing a thesis paper for Harvard...sarcasm for laughs is what this is...including and especially the last bolded sentence I wrote in this post...

    Expand  

    :roflmao: Thanks that was a good response and yes we need real performance based AWD / 4x4 trucks and SUV's. Caddy needs the wannabe's on V for the added profits it helps the company with, but no reason to not also let the CUV have some fun.

    I agree that I hate the BMW Coupe X series, ugly, useless in regards to the examples you supplied.

    But then I would never take my SS off road and I doubt anyone would take their GC SRT off road also. Kinda like the Porsche SUV. :P

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 4:31 PM, regfootball said:

    My 16 Malibu drives and feels unlike any of the old GM products.  GM is truly designing for global platforms and feel.  And it's great.

    AU has not much more than only a 1 million vehicle sales a year.  Their products they were building were not in line with what was going on globally.  I think if their buyer base gets more in line with global offerings, and maybe they improve their ability to be a manufacturer again, then maybe Holden won't have to rebadge.  The global GM offerings are far better than any homecooked AU stuff.  (That comment would exclude the SS / commodore high performance models, which are niche products anyways)

    Expand  

    Yes AU has always been behind the curve on hardware and styling. They because of a small market have often just gotten left over designs and out going things. 

    Lets face it the Zeta was old but it was good it was around after GM killed RWD here and needed a quick fix. It worked till they got things sorted. 

    The RWD market like the rest of the world is shrinking. In AU sales have continued to decline year after year. GM was the last real hold out of a non imported model. 

    Moving forward they will get the new stuff like the rest of us. It should prove to be a better sales option to dis throne the Mazda 3 and other imports that were taking the sales. 

    The enthusiast there may not think this but as for the future of Holden and the GM market there it is the only way they will survive. I just hope the next gen Camaro can be converted to a Holden model for them. 

      On 1/21/2017 at 4:12 PM, dfelt said:

    :o What is wrong with a corvette based SUV? Trailblazer AWD SS that I own is a blast to drive. The GMC Typhoon was a blast. We need a V series Escalade. That would get me to trade in my current one. For those of us not fitting into performance cars, we need performance SUVs.

    Expand  

    Nothing wrong with a sport model CUV but only as long as it is profitable and you can sell more than 5K units per year. I love my HHR SS but lets face it they sold so few it was not really worth the effort. Also they would need to have a quality AWD system. 

    The Jeep is cool but I bet they make little to no money with as few as they sell. 

    As for Corvette leave them out of it. A Corvette is not a brand and it is a 2 seat sports car. If you want to do it and do it right make it a GMC and get the higher price. Make the Denali name really mean something there other than some chrome and stitching. 

    I know Porsche has some but they are not call 911 as it too is a model and where else would Porsche sell them. Chevy is the established brand as is GMC so let them so the work. It would enhance their entire line. 


    Note too if you do the CUV sport packager do it all right. All we need is some guy thinking he has a sports car and all he has is a over powered top heavy CUV that will roll and he will sue your ass for it. 

    Edited by hyperv6
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    WOW, Had no Idea how small the AU market was till I read some of the stories on the links and got pointers to the 2016 final numbers for Holden. They placed 4th dropping out of the top 3 positions with only 94K auto sold. They lost 3rd place by just a few more Camry that were sold, first time ever Toyota beat Holden in AU. 

    Holden responded that this was due to the shift from cars to CUV/SUVs and that their Dec numbers placed them above Toyota solid in the #3 spot and that their shift from a car dominance to a CUV/SUV will allow them to take back their market share and best brand sold in AU.

    Gonna be interesting is all I can say!

    The Final product line of V8 RWD inspired Local built Holdens are hot!

    https://www.wheelsmag.com.au/news/1701/sprung-hsvs-final-model-line-up-caught-in-the-wild

    Love the Ute, too bad it never made it here.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    It's great that the Holdens are finally getting some love.

     

    Also, I think for a change, it's interesting that their cuv/suv offerings look like they came from completely different manufacturers.

     

    None of that "every vehicle is just a variation of the same sausage."

     

    Well, niche market, so the cost cutting way actually gives them variety. YES!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/21/2017 at 5:06 AM, daves87rs said:

    True, but why change the car when it looks good? Sometimes it's not worth changing something just for the sake of it.....

    Expand  


    I'm talking about the way they didn't even make a new grille for the Holden emblem. They punched out GMC and just filled it with chrome.

    Holden_acadia.jpg

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/26/2017 at 3:24 PM, cp-the-nerd said:


    I'm talking about the way they didn't even make a new grille for the Holden emblem. They punched out GMC and just filled it with chrome.

    Holden_acadia.jpg

    Expand  

    I totally agree with you, how hard would it have been to use the mold, change the center section to remove the rectangle and have a properly centered Holden logo. This just screams old GM cheap to me. I would question the wisdom of this when they could have so easily redone the grill that fits in there with a proper Holden badge.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

      On 1/26/2017 at 3:24 PM, cp-the-nerd said:


    I'm talking about the way they didn't even make a new grille for the Holden emblem. They punched out GMC and just filled it with chrome.

    Holden_acadia.jpg

    Expand  

    Probably just a Photoshop someone spent 5 min on, adding the tiny license plate and badge.  Note that it's LHD>..

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites



    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • google-news-icon.png



  • google-news-icon.png

  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • I was upgraded in a rental contract and, while going up by one category is not a big deal, getting to try out the new hybrid Camry was somewhat of a big deal.  The latest and current Camry only features hybrid powertrains.  The base 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine, which was previously naturally aspirated, continues forward, but is assisted by an electric motor.  To make the powering on and off work, a CVT is now the standard transmission, when Camry had an excellent 8-speed automatic transmission for many years.  This vehicle had front wheel drive, but AWD is also available.  The V6 engine and ICEs are no longer available. Getting used to this car doesn’t take much time.  Having already driven another rented hybrid – a Honda Accord – all I needed to know is that turning the key does not fire up an engine, but makes the car ready to move in EV mode, at least initially. With 2.5 liters, the Camry pulls away nimbly and with agility, even with a minimally feathered pedal.  It doesn’t take much.  It’s fun to watch the centered power display setting move between eco and power modes.  If stomped on, the engine responds very quickly.  Surprisingly, stomping on it produces a more notable than expected engine hum.  The cabin remains mostly quiet and handling is predictable, neither firm nor vague, with some rougher pavement making it less quiet.  The transmission feels very much like a CVT, but a well behaved one.  Still, drivers with old school tastes can lament the absence of the very last slick shifting 8-speed automatic that came standard in the Camry.  I know I do.  However, the current CVT behaves well because it doesn’t have that “stuck” feeling when pushed, but the spool is more of an exhaust node than the winding out and high rpm droning caused by the variable gearing. The Camry’s exterior was freshened up and they worked off the last model.  It’s a compendium of small changes that, together, amount to a lot.  The front lights are narrower and cleaner.  The “appliance” grille is more understated than it once was.  (Sadly, it’s the more expensive versions where the grille is more flared, and even overworked.)  The rear lights are thinned out, complete with a boomerang effect, as they wrap around the rear fender edge and add to the horizontal look of the rear lip and the monolithic bumper panel.  Also, the almost retro, and not too effective, sweep of the rear pillar (think ‘72 Caprice coupe) is gone and the side profile of the windows is cleaner, perhaps a larger rendition of what was done with the Corolla.  Most of the vantage points look better than those of the previous Camry. Inside, the Camry is also much improved.  The dashboard is organized in cleaner volumes.  The dash has a simple main instrument pod.  In its center is a round dial, whereby the upper part displays the speed and eco/power, and the lower part, through toggling, provides other information – direction, tire pressure, trip information and mileage, or even graphics of the flow of energy involving the engine and the battery.  There is no dedicated tachometer; however, the temperature and fuel gauges remain.  Around the main circle are small digital readouts for the exterior temperature, the time, the odometer, and the remaining range.  Filling up this hybrid showed close to 500 miles of range.  Not only that, the fuel cap is on the driver’s side and, like the trunk, they can be remotely opened by buttons in the interior. That said, there is none of that capless fuel filler stuff! Being a Camry LE meant the lower grade fixtures inside.  Sadly, this meant a urethane steering wheel.  Sometimes, a mere leather steering wheel imparts the feeling of better handling and a smoother ride.  It’s that equipment choices and groupings seem to work together to give a vehicle its feel. The LE seats are nicely upholstered in a tougher, durable fabric with slightly contrasting parts.  The front headrests can scoot all the way down and they actually point forward so the driver and passenger can use them without having to lean their heads all the way back.  Headrests for rear seat passengers are integrated into the seating and do not have features to adjust them. The infotainment system is on its screen which is engaged to the dash, but moved slightly forward, and creates a cleaner look because it does not go up over the top of the cowl.  Fortunately, it remains a touch screen.  The functions are easy to work with, but I had a little bit of finicky interactions with Bluetooth and Android Auto.  Climate control has toggles instead of dials and they are easy to work with.  I will only say that the center vents of the climate control system do not work that quickly and powerfully.  Beneath this small panel are the cubby, a charging pod for a phone, and the flat console surface for the shift lever.  I found the console a little high for my taste.  Possibly to accommodate the new mechanical set-up, there is no storage cubby underneath the console as one sees on larger GM products, for example – both SUVs and even the last-gen Buick LaCrosse.  However, the console box is amply sized. In addition to being able to look over the hood, visibility is commendable all the way around.  Except for being a little shoehorned into the Camry’s cockpit, the front of the cabin feels spacious and the legroom is also good.  (I had to push the lever to get the seats to move upward, which provided a view over the top of the hood, as evidenced by seeing the paint color, and which I prefer.)  They have retained good cabin space in the rear of the cabin.  Also, the trunk has a decent amount of usable capacity for this genre and for having kept this sweeping roofline.  I again want to state how pleasing it was to control the trunk, in addition to the fuel door, from a bar of buttons on a panel at the lower left part of the dashboard rather than on the floor near the door.  There are 5 functions and they were thoughtful about putting the (auto) lights control onto this bar, and all the way to the left, such that it can easily be noticed from behind the steering wheel.  The new Camry shows a lot of thought as to how the driver connects to the car through its controls and functions, and this is one of the areas where this Camry shines. While I didn’t calculate fuel mileage, I know that I added only 3.5 gallons of regular unleaded fuel to cover one jaunt of about 160 miles of mixed driving.  This seems close to the EPA estimate. The little green EV icon shone quite a bit. I imagine that this is a very easy car to live with over the long haul.  For Camry, this powertrain is obviously a new combination, but it’s technology that Toyota and other Asian marques have worked with for quite a while.  I mostly took note that, apart from the major powertrain change, there is the evident synergy of the many small changes that make this a more nicely packaged vehicle than the last Camry. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING
    • The BYD Han interior does look really good.  Shame the outside looks like a 2-generations-ago Civic.
    • No one cares about that amount of horsepower in this class. These are chauffeur driven vehicles. Up until electrics came around, most were trundling around with 2.0T 4-cylinders or diesels.  While Genesis is still relatively new to us in the the U.S., they've made such strides on interior quality that I'd put them up against MB dollar for dollar. The nicest of the Chinese EVs sedans, the NIO ET7 is a pretty good looking car though I kinda think it looks like a Model-3 had it's way with a Buick Envista. It would do really well in the US up against the Teslas, but it is still not playing in the luxury ballpark with Genesis (or Benz or Audi) when it comes to design and materials.  Low end EQE Sedan rival? Sure. G90 rival? No.
    • Well 25% tariff added to it, which makes a G90 like $125,000, and probably dead in the water in the US.  The Chinese have luxury cars with over 1,000 hp for less than the price of a G90.  I don't know that they are really going to compete there either.  Unless they come up with some  next gen EV tech and have full self driving and impeccable build quality or something.
    • The thing is that Panera offers a better laptop and hot drink environment than does Starbucks and they cash in on that.  It's "space rental." The tab for a HALF chicken avocado chipotle sandwich and a small CUP of baked potato soup (both good, not great) was absurd.  Coffee, tea, and lemonade are roughly the same. I go there because it's near a friend's condo and it's better for having a discussion than a fairly nice Starbucks nearby.  A Starbucks has to have an excellent interior for me to go there and pay their now crazy prices for coffee and tea.
  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...
This Article

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search