Holden 10 New Models Coming !!

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Holden product onslaught coming
Toby Hagon
October 19, 2010
Comments 4

The new Barina Spark.
Holden is gearing up to add new models to its range and update existing vehicles by the middle of 2012.

Holden is gearing up to plug holes in its product lineup with what it claims is an unprecedented new-vehicle onslaught that could see a range of four-wheel-drives and a long awaited major update to the locally made Commodore.

In true Australian style, Holden will also finally replace its ageing Colorado ute – formerly known as the Rodeo – and potentially bring a four-wheel-drive (SUV-style) wagon.

Speaking at the launch of the new Holden Barina Spark – the cheapest and most efficient new Holden on the market – Holden chairman and managing director Mike Devereux said the brand, whose parent General Motors was bankrupted in the United States last year, was getting ready to fight back with a range of new and updated models.

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“Over the next year and a half Australian customers will see a roll-out of new Holden product like they’ve never seen before,” said Devereux. “We will have new, world-class, market-leading Holden vehicles competing in almost every segment in this market.”

Devereux says it is all about “pretty much filling up the portfolio” with cars designed to grow market share and spread the Holden message wider.

“We’re now getting to the point where the true might of GM’s global product development factory is going to display itself in this country,” he said. “We’ve got a plan to put something we’re proud of and is world class in each [segment]."

“Every three months there’s going to be something fairly large going on.”

He said the 10 new models between now and mid-2012 would be a mix of replacement vehicles and new models.

“There are actually quite a few all-new vehicles and then there are some updates,” he said. “In some cases it’s something that doesn’t exist today, in some cases it may be a new nameplate.”

While the VE Commodore has existed since 2006 with only mild styling tweaks, a visually different new vehicle is expected within “a year or so” according to one insider.

It’s not known how much will change underneath the new Commodore – which is likely to be codenamed the VF model – especially as Holden has just introduced new E85-compatible engines as part of the VE Series 2 update that also introduced a freshened interior with a new touchscreen display.

As sales of utes continue to surge, Holden says it will finally replace the Colorado with an all-new model.

That new ute also looks set to spawn an SUV-style off-road wagon, effectively putting a unique body on the ute’s underpinnings.

While Holden wasn’t going into specifics, it appears the company could soon have a proper four-wheel-drive back in its lineup, competing with the likes of the Mitsubishi Challenger and other ute-based 4WD wagons such as mooted Ford and Mazda versions.

“There may be some variants off the utility … you can use your imagination,” is all Devereux would say.

One of the most important new Holdens, though, will be the updated Cruze that will be produced alongside the Commodore from March 2011.

Joining the updated Cruze sedan – which Holden says will get a styling freshen-up – is a hatch version.

Devereux wouldn’t elaborate on potential new body styles that could ultimately be built from the Cruze underpinnings, suggesting that would be part of broader decisions for a car that’s built in other GM plants.

However, he says there are other opportunities with local tweaks to the Cruze.

“There are options on accessorisation because we have engineering capability [locally],” says Devereux. “There’s things we can do [with the Cruze small car family] within the lifecycle.”

As for bigger decisions, such as the addition of a wagon, he said: “We wouldn’t make a small decision on utes, wagons, anything beyond a sedan or a hatch unless it was a global product decision.”

The Holden announcement on upcoming new models – no doubt done to gee up dealers and get would-be buyers considering the Holden brand - has already sparked a response from Ford, which says it is readying even more new vehicles over the next couple of years, including the long-awaited diesel version of its Territory (my comment..we need it NOW!!)and the more efficient four-cylinder version of the Falcon.

Ford recently released its crucial new Ranger ute, which was designed and engineered in Australia and will be sold in more than 180 countries. The Ranger goes on sale in Australia in the second half of 2011.

My comment : and whats Ford doing !!!! Diesel Territory ????, KUGA ??? FIESTA ST ???
Again Ford will be left behind by Holden..so sad......