Holden begins 99¢/liter fuel incentive for two years
Click image for a hi-res gallery of the Holden Commodore SS-V
Despite the fact that capping the cost of gas didn't work out so well for Chrysler in the U.S., General Motors' Australian arm, Holden, is launching a new incentive that guarantees gas will be 99¢/liter for two years after your vehicle's original date of purchase. The system works much like the one Chrysler used: buyers get a debit card that they use when filling up their tanks. That debit card will be tied to the purchasers bank account, which will be debited a few days later for the reduced rate, regardless of how much the fuel had actually cost. If all of this sounds a bit confusing, click here for the details from Holden. We've also pasted GM's official press release after the break.
As we mentioned, a similar promotion wasn't too successful for Chrysler. There are a few differences, though. Chrysler's vehicles aren't quite class-competitive while Holden's generally are. There were also more fuel efficient vehicles to choose from in the U.S., thereby making the gas card savings a bit irrelevant. In Australia where the V8 is still king, that's not really the case. Will this new scheme make Holden's V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive vehicles sell quicker? We don't know... but we're positive that a similar deal could go a long way towards putting an Pontiac G8 GT in our own personal garages.
Gallery: Holden VE Commodore SS-V
[Source: Holden, Australian Car Advice]
Press Release:
Holden Caps Fuel at 99 Cents a Litre
GM Holden is tackling rising fuel prices head-on by capping the price of fuel at 99 cents per litre for all new Holden customers.
Private customers who buy and take delivery of any new Holden before 31 October will enjoy a 99 cents fuel cap on 91 RON petrol or diesel for up to 20,000 kilometres or two years, whichever comes first, with Holden covering the difference.
Alan Batey, Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales said the Holden 99c Fuel Cap would ease the pain of petrol and diesel prices for Holden customers.
"We will provide this cap across all segments to ensure the benefits are as widely available as possible, given that fuel prices impact all drivers regardless of the size of their car," Batey said.
"Whether you're buying a Commodore for the family, a Barina as your first car, or a Colorado as tool of trade, we know everyone will appreciate our helping hand.
"GM Holden is committed to providing affordable and economical cars to our customers, and this campaign is another way that can be achieved."
New Holden customers will be given a Holden 99c Fuel Cap debit card to purchase fuel for up to 20,000 kilometres, based on the vehicle's ADR081/01 combined fuel consumption figure. In most cases, within 48 hours of fuel purchase, the customer will be debited from their nominated bank account to the value of 99 cents per litre purchased.
Accounts can be monitored by a monthly email statement or checked any time online or by phone. Consumers can see how many litres have been purchased during that month and the savings they have made.
Holden has established a website - http://www.holdencampaign.com.au/99centpromotion - for consumers interested in the Holden 99c Fuel Cap.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jgp 2:05PM (9/02/2008)
Thanks to the magic of Google, that's $3.18/gallon.
(if you want more precision, Google "99 australian cents per liter in us dollars per us gallon")
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Torrent 2:47PM (9/02/2008)
I agree. A deal like this for Pontiac would be a home run.
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jv2k 11:04PM (9/02/2008)
It would be if the G5, G6, Vibe, and Solstice weren't relatively fuel efficient. Maybe if/when GM actually implements their Alpha platform based Pontiac they could use something like this, but I don't see GM wasting their money on just pushing out G8s.
On that note it's sad how badly those cars are selling. I've only seen one since the release. G8s are awesome but this gas hike happened at the worst possible time.
Richard 6:55PM (9/02/2008)
With the higher transportation costs and the decline of the US dollar against the AUS dollar, the G8 is already eating GMNA alive. Subsidizing customer fuel costs will only increase GMNA's losses on this car.
That's not a home run; that's an error.
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Jon 6:31AM (11/25/2008)
That's not bad at all, I pay for about (converted) 1.51 AUD per litre of petrol (93 Unleaded)... diesel is even more expensive -- they're about 1.66 AUD.
Let's see how this will work out...
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crazy 10:30PM (9/02/2008)
The fuel econmy isn't Holdens problem of why people aren't buying Commodores.
It's the lack of decent space utilisation, fold down back seat would nice, massive " I've lost that civic" A pillars and Holdens well reknowned lack of customer after sales thats killing them.
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Mitch 1:48AM (9/03/2008)
No, its mostly the fuel economy, ask alot of people and they will tell you why they want to steer away from a Holden, it is simply because it uses too much petrol for their wants.
When in reality, today's large cars are quite economical, and in some conditions (like on the highway) they use less fuel than a small engine. Consumers just associate bigger engine with more fuel.
Matt 4:07AM (9/03/2008)
People are too freaked out by fuel consumption... given the choice of driving around in a small car using 7 litres / 100km or a Falcon/Commodore sized car using 11 litres/100 km I'll gladly pay for the extra 4 litres.
@mitch: Yep, I get better highway consumption with my BFII XR6 than some friends with smaller cars.
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Prhime 6:51AM (9/03/2008)
switch the US system to be measured in $ / gallon vs MPG as this gives a better estimate on distance remaining since MPG is influenced by driving style and conidtions ie: the 1/4 mile comp vs a dragster and a civic are very different on a MPG basis or to enter reality: the $/Gallon cost of a civic vs an SUV will be the same (assuming both fill up at the same pump/ same price).
discuss
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75Pete 2:55AM (9/05/2008)
Richard, GMNA is not subsidizing fuel on the G8.
GMH is doing the deal on all cars in Australia.
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Stig282 9:54AM (9/07/2008)
It's worth pointing out that this is only valid for 20,000km's which most aussie's will do in 12-18mths. If you use your car for work it may only last 9 months!
Also worth noting, is the fact that the offer is only valid on 91RON fuel, so it's no real use for those wanting to buy a high performance model and get cheap fuel.
This will appeal to the middle of the road consumer who wants to keep the big car they've been used to for the last 20 years and nothave to worry about the rising cost of fuel.
Shrewd marketing from Holden. It will be interesting to see if Ford/Toyota/A.N.Other do anything that is comparable.
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