Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, GM
Holden Commodore will come to the States
We import excitement! That just might be the most appropriate new slogan for Pontiac. It's about time they listened to enthusiasts and brought over GM's best from overseas. Although the Monaro-based GTO hasn't been a huge sales success for the division, it's not for lack of performance. The GTO is a real kick to drive and makes wonderful noise with its Corvette-sourced powerplant. Solstice sales are moving at a pretty good clip thanks in no small part to the solid Opel platform the Pontiac roadster rides on. And now we have great news for Commodore fans, too. No, not THE Commodores, the Holden-built sedan from down under.
In an effort to go head-to-head with BMW, GM has decided to bring a version of the Holden Commodore stateside to be badged as a Pontiac. It will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show early next year. Bob Lutz was practically beaming as he made the thinly-veiled announcement encouraging people to go to Chicago, where "all will be revealed." The rear-drive Commodore should not only give Pontiac a real sports sedan offering, but the platform will undoubtedly see numerous permutations in the U.S. One of the candidates to use the platform is the production Chevrolet Camaro that has wowed crowds with its retro pony car styling.
[Source: Sydney Morning Herald]
Tippage to Tom
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
menice 9:21AM (9/29/2006)
holy smokes! there is still a chance I will own another american car?.....wow. I hope it's not wickedly overpriced like the GTO was.
Bravo Pontiac....regional sales folk must be psych'd
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TheOne442 9:22AM (9/29/2006)
YES!!!! This is good news, now if ford could figure this out.
"We import excitement!" and "And now we have great news for Commodore fans, too. No, not THE Commodores, the Holden-built sedan from down under."
I could get auto news somewhere else but the humor is why I come back.
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Design 9:26AM (9/29/2006)
If they don't muck up the looks. I'm down for it. Leave it the way the picture shows and put a Pontiac arrow on. Any other changes will mess it up.
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rwdmtparkingonly 9:33AM (9/29/2006)
Kappa is not an Opel platform just because a rebadged Saturn Sky is sold as an Opel GT. That said, if I get a turbo Sky I'll buy Opel badges for it damn quick (if I have a Kappa based car I don't want it to scream Delta Delta Delta).
Looks are probably not as relevant for a sedan, so the GTOs slow sales don't doom this car. The issue will be price, they will have to go dollar for dollar against the Charger and the Austrailian dollar is up against ours.
The Torana concept in the linked article is even more interesting.
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dreesemonkey 9:36AM (9/29/2006)
I doubt this will steal much business from BMW, but it will probably give the Dodge Charger/Magnum potential customers a second option (that they can actually get with a manual tranny, imagine that).
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Grimace 9:36AM (9/29/2006)
Please, for the love of God... import it to Canada too...
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Erich 9:41AM (9/29/2006)
If you guys want to see how it'll likely look, check out the sept motor trend. I'm sure GM will "plastic up" the interior a bit though.
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The other Bob 9:42AM (9/29/2006)
I agree with "rwdmtparkingonly" that the Torana concept in the link is more interesting. Who makes a midsized or small car w/ a back seat and rear wheel drive outside luxury brands? That would rock.
BTW - They are not saying they will import the car from Australia. That isn't clear. I am betting they announce its production in Canada. Plus, they have yet to announce what will be produced in Spring Hill Tenn. When that plant undergoes a revamp.
It's obvious that the current Grand Prix and Impala designs look like their rwd Australian counterparts. Look at the tail lights and other features. They are so obviously similar that it seems that GM is tweaking current designs to match what will soon be available in rwd form. Not a big surprise.
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Dave T. 9:46AM (9/29/2006)
Eric,
if the GTO is any indication they left the interiors pretty much the same from the Holden.
This is interesting.
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Jason_801 9:48AM (9/29/2006)
I can't believe I'm saying this, after my previous Pontiac experience...but...I want this. :(
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TriShield 10:07AM (9/29/2006)
Honestly, I can't believe it.
After years of looking at new cars (the GTO being one of them) I finally broke down and bought a 2006 GTO just last June. The deals and new orange color swayed me away from the foreign and American competition.
For the money I paid it is far and away one of the best new car choices on the market. Every day I'm absolutely delighted with the car and very happy I didn't pay more for say, a BMW 3-Series coupe. In fact the price for 400hp BMWs is pretty high and I feel the GTO is 80% as good as they are while costing less than half.
The GTO is a Monaro imported here largely intact. The exterior changes are minimal, but they did remove most of the features on the inside like the memory settings, dual-zone climate control, center gauges, etc.
I'm EXTREMELY interested in the new Commodore and will put it at the top of my list for my next new car in a few years (along with the Camaro and Challenger).
GM, please just rebadge the car this time. Do not screw with the styling. Do not remove all the interior features. Do add the LS2 or more horsepower under the hood, at least 400hp. And do import the HSV GTS model as a Pontiac GXP model.
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Misaniovent 10:13AM (9/29/2006)
The GTO was/is an excellent car; it's sad when I drive by the local Pontiac dealership and see so many unsold.
That aside, I love this car, and Motor Trend's mockup for it is great. Hopefully it'll be a success.
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Chris 10:14AM (9/29/2006)
Good lookin' car. This time maybe they can put the stereo volume on the correct side of the stack!
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Kevin 10:20AM (9/29/2006)
I agree that the torana is more interesting. Ditch the futuristic/asian styling though. Design it with inpiration from an early 70's Alfa GTV.
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Skizzy 10:20AM (9/29/2006)
Can I get my Torana with the pink/magenta lighting as well! Weeeeeeeeeeee :P
In all seriousness, im glad GM is finally realizing that Holden is a good brand and has conservative yet a little edgy styling to draw some of those "new job" or "middle management" people into something that is fun and practical and looks good to boot!
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Guenther 10:20AM (9/29/2006)
Style wise, I think they could stick a pontiac grille in the opening and not do much else on the front. The facia on the base commodore is a little more normal. How does it stack up against the W car size-wise? The last Commodore was the same platform as the short lived Catera (remember the Caddy that ziggs?) I know they have some larger models on that platform as well, that would make a nice G8, Impala or Caprice re-encarnations.
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Tion 10:32AM (9/29/2006)
Arent the VX220 lightning, GT, Solstice and sky the same car? they look identicle except for the grill. But the Vauxhall was the first to market.
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Richard Warren 10:37AM (9/29/2006)
Great idea. Looks good.
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Brent 10:41AM (9/29/2006)
Bring this car along with the Australian V8 Supercar Series, please!
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goat 10:45AM (9/29/2006)
This is exactly the kind of thing they need to do with Pontiac. Hopefully, they can build them here or in Canada, but the platform is perfect. I'd like one with a diesel and a 7-speed manual.
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