Autoblog

Pontiac G8 resurfaces in Australia as a pair of special-edition Holdens

Noah Joseph — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:42:00 EST

Holden VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition - Click above for high-res image gallery

Holden giveth, and Holden taketh away. While we're still mourning the departure of the Pontiac G8 here in the U.S., the General's Australian subsidiary - whose Commodore gave birth to the G8 in the first place - has just announced a pair of special editions that seem to take back what we've lost.

The Holden VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition - available in sedan, Sportwagon and Ute body-styles - ditches the Australian brand's usual grille in favor of a twin nostril front end with a splitter down low and a pair of hood scoops up top. Look familiar? It's a Pontiac G8 GT, only without the Pontiac emblem. They just wiped the arrowhead off with a tissue like it was an errant booger. There's also the...um, sophisticated-sounding International Special Edition that packs AUS $7,500 of optional equipment, including leather interior and 18-inch alloys, into the ~~Pontiac~~ Commodore with the 3.0-liter direct injection V6 and six-speed auto, a.k.a. the Pontiac G8 V6.

You can read more about the pair in the press release after the jump. But all you really need to know is that the prisoner of GM's war on spending wasn't put to death, it was just sent off to Australia until the parts supply runs out. Press release after the jump, arrowhead-free high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Holden VE Commodore SS V-Series Special Edition

[Source: Holden]

Continue reading Pontiac G8 resurfaces in Australia as a pair of special-edition Holdens

Pontiac G8 resurfaces in Australia as a pair of special-edition Holdens originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sorry Holden: GM cancels VE Sportwagon for US market

John Neff — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:58:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Wagon, GM, Pontiac, Holden, Australia

click above for more high-res images of the Holden VE Sportwagon

Holden wasn't sure if it was going to build a new VE Commodore Wagon when developing its new line of rear-wheel-drive Zeta-based sedans. Wagons are fleet darlings in Australia, and the new one from Holden was for some reason switched from the long-wheelbase Caprice and Statesman platform to the shorter Commodore platform. That reduced the wagon's cargo capacity, which in turn threatened its very existence. But after hearing that its parent company, General Motors, was interested in importing the VE Sportwagon as a Pontiac G8 wagon, Holden gave the wagon a green light in good faith that there would be additional sales from exports to offset the loss of fleet sales.

Well, Holden just lost the U.S. market, as Bob Lutz told Australian journalists at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show that the VE Sportwagon, a higher-octane version of the VE Commodore Wagon, would not be coming to America. His reasons include the cost of meeting U.S. regulations and the fact that Yanks don't seem to be interested in wagons at all anymore. Audi, BMW and Mercedes offer them but sell hardly any, while Dodge tried to make the sport wagon mainstream again with the critically-acclaimed Magnum. We all know how that turned out.

We bet that if the Magnum were a hot seller, GM would then have no qualms importing the VE Sportwagon. As it stands, though, without the Magnum, a Pontiac G8 wagon would be competing with Audi, BMW and Mercedes wagons for a small slice of this very niche segment's sales.

[Source: Goauto.com via GMInsideNews]

Gallery: Holden VE Commodore Sportwagon

Sorry Holden: GM cancels VE Sportwagon for US market originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The rocky road to the Holden VE Sportwagon

Alex Nunez — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:03:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, GM, Holden, Australia

You'd think after looking at it that the Holden VE Sportwagon was one of those no-brainer vehicles that was a production lock from the moment it was a twinkle in some designer's eye. According to GoAuto, that wasn't exactly the case. The outgoing VZ wagon was a fleet darling, beloved for its exceptional cargo capacity. That added space came courtesy of the same LWB architecture used for the Caprice and Statesman sedans. In a departure from tradition (the wagons had been built on long-wheelbase platforms for decades), the VE proposal was based on the shorter underpinnings used for the Commodore sedan. With that comes reduced capacity and a total package that's less attractive to fleets. After ultimately seeing a clay model of the car presented in Sydney, Holden execs greenlit the project anyway.

And that's where we, the US and Canada, come in. One of the factors that pushed the VE wagon into production was its obvious export appeal. No agreements or contracts are in place, but according to GoAuto, Holden sees exports of 10,000 per year as being the goal, and North America the biggest target market outside of Australia and new Zealand. Meanwhile, Holden feels it can mitigate the expected downturn in fleet sales at home by leveraging the VE's great looks and sporty practicality to sell more profitable examples to consumers, especially ones looking to get out of SUVs. Assuming the stars line up and the car comes over to the US as hoped, it would be after the arrival of the Ute, which appears to be next in line according to the GoAuto piece. There's a lot more to the article, which is interesting, wide-ranging, and worth a read. As for the VE Wagon, well, this Autoblogger's all for it. It's a hell of a lot cooler than the '87 Pontiac Safari my parents had, and that I learned to drive in. Let's leave the wood stickers off this one, though, okay?

[Source: GoAuto]

Gallery: Holden VE Commodore Sportwagon

The rocky road to the Holden VE Sportwagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden finally reveals VE Ute

John Neff — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:16:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Holden, Australia

click above image to view high-res pics of the Holden VE Ute

Australians have been able to buy various versions of Holden's VE Commodore sedan since July 2006, but have been patiently waiting for a Ute version that could haul ass and 10 bags of mulch. Their wait is over, as Holden has just unveiled the VE Ute to replace the VZ model.

The new Holden Ute adopts the same styling at the VE Commodore sedan, at least ahead of the A-pillar. Moving rearward the trucklet features a sloping B-pillar that flows into a traditional bed box balanced perfectly over the rear wheels. It's fetching, to say the least.

[Source: Holden]

Gallery: Holden VE Ute

Continue reading Holden finally reveals VE Ute

Holden finally reveals VE Ute originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Aug 2007 02:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chevy El Camino could return for 2011

John Neff — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Truck, Chevrolet

Mike Levine at PickupTruck.com is speculating that there's a good chance the El Camino name will be revived in the near future. The prospects just seem too good considering that Holden, GM's Australian division, is set to soon export the Zeta rear-wheel-drive platform to the U.S. for use in the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac G8. More vehicles are likely, and the El Camino could be among them. Bob Lutz himself has reportedly talked up the business case for an El Camino comeback, and the timing could be right for an Australian Ute to finally make the long trip from Oz to American shores.

PickupTruck.com has a few renderings showing what the El Camino could look like, which isn't hard to guess considering that the new VE Commodore-based Utes are set to debut in Australia in about a month. From the A-pillars forward it would look much like the sedan on which it's based, but all body panels aft of that point will be unique to the Ute. The Australian version will have an engine lineup of V6 and V8 engines, and we suspect that concerns over fuel economy would also necessitate a V6 option for the U.S. market. That's fine, as the General's current crop of V6 engines are smooth and powerful. Of course, it wouldn't be a proper El Camino without the availability of a V8, and we know GM has a few of those lying around.

What do you think? Would there be any takers for a new El Camino in the U.S.? We think the answer is obvious, as this truck wouldn't be an SSR redux. Click on the read link to view three renderings of what a 2011 Chevy El Camino might look like and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

[Source: PickupTruck.com]

Chevy El Camino could return for 2011 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 06 Jul 2007 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pontiac G8 prototypes roll off the line in Oz

Alex Nunez — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Pontiac, Holden

Click image for 2 more photos of the ceremony

The Pontiac G8 inched closer to American showrooms today as Holden held a ceremony to commemorate the production of the first engineering prototypes. Full production is scheduled to kick off at Holden Vehicle Operations' Elizabeth plant later this year at rate of 620 cars max per day. The G8 will arrive at Pontiac dealers equipped with either a 3.6L V6 or a 6.0L V8, and Pontiac has told us that the 8-cylinder G8 GT will have a starting price well under $35,000. Holden's full press release is pasted after the jump, and you can read more about the G8 here.

Thanks for the heads-up, Samantha!

[Source: GM Holden]

Gallery: Pontiac G8 Ceremony in Australia

Continue reading Pontiac G8 prototypes roll off the line in Oz

Pontiac G8 prototypes roll off the line in Oz originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jul 2007 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden's billion dollar VE Commodore no safer than previous model

Siddharth Raja — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:26:00 EST

Filed under: Safety, Holden

At the launch of the VE Commodore in July last year, Holden management were quick to point out that more than a billion Aussie dollars were sunk into developing GM's new global RWD architecture, and that thousands of miles of testing were conducted for the latest version of Australia's most popular car.

Holden is now on the back foot following the four-star crash test rating its VE scored in last week's Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), the local equivalent of the Euro NCAP and America's NHTSA crash test ratings. The latest result means the all-new Commodore is no safer than the previous VY model released back in May 2003. Worse still, in some cases, such as the offset impact test, the new VE was rated less safe than the previous car.

Holden's official response is that the ANCAP doesn't represent real-world conditions, and that 80 cars were crash-tested during the VE's development in addition to more than 5,000 computer-simulated barrier tests. When questioned about the poor result by Australia's GoAuto, Holden chairman Denny Mooney could only respond that he didn't have the test data in front of him. Remember, this is the same platform that GM's RWD ambitions are riding on. It's the same basic structure that will spawn a host of new models including the Camaro and Impala, and the car is already coming to the US as the Pontiac G8, so there's a great deal riding on it.

[Source: GoAuto Online]

Holden's billion dollar VE Commodore no safer than previous model originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden VE Commodore wins Australian Wheels' COTY award

John Neff — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, GM

UPDATE: Added mega-gallery of 131 high-res Holden Commodore images since we in the U.S. don't often get to gaze at these vehicles.

click above image to view 131 high-res images of every kind of Commodore

For those of you eagerly anticipating the U.S. arrival of Holden's rear-wheel drive Zeta platform in the form of Chevy's revived Camaro and the Pontiac G8, take heart that it's officially proven itself in the land down under. Word has come from the other side the world that the Holden VE Commodore has won Wheels magazine's 2006 Car of the Year award. Wheels magazine is a big deal in Oz, and the VE Commodore, which is based on the Zeta platform, battled fiercely with the Toyota Aurion (Australia's better-looking version of the Camry) and BMW 3-Series Coupe to win this year's honor. A field of 34 new cars were eligible for the award and were judged based on their function, value, safety and technology. The VE Commodore wasn't a slam dunk, however, because of its merely average fuel economy, a fault that has been called out enough already that Holden has promised to put the car on a diet as soon as possible. Hopefully in Chicago we'll get a peek at a Pontiac-badged version of the Commodore destined to become the next Grand Prix.

[Source: Wheels]

Gallery: 2006 Holden Commodore Series

Holden VE Commodore wins Australian Wheels' COTY award originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jan 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden recalls the new VE Commodore, WM Statesman and Caprice

Alex Nunez — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 06:53:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls

UPDATE 1 - According to the drive.com.au blog, this is actually the second recall for the new Holdens. The first dealt with a fuel hose issue on some V8-powered cars.

New model launches have their ups and downs, and GM Holden is currently experiencing one of the "downs." A few months after the very high-profile debut of Holden's exciting new VE Commodores and their long-wheelbase siblings, the WM Statesman and Caprice, the automaker is issuing a recall on the handsome new sedans. It stems from a possible issue with the rear seat belt buckles that applies to 13,000 of the cars in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

In their recall statement, Holden explains that their supplier informed them of a scenario in which the buckle's internal spring could have been bent during the manual assembly process. This, in turn, could potentially cause the unit to not latch properly. Said supplier has since adopted an automated assembly process and taken full responsibility for the possible problem and the associated changes made to their manufacturing process.

No incidents involving buckle failure have been reported, and Holden will notify owners of the issue in writing. The automaker will replace all the back seat belt buckles in affected cars. Any overseas readers who might be affected and want to know more can read GM Holden's full statement after the jump.

[Source: GM Holden]

Continue reading Holden recalls the new VE Commodore, WM Statesman and Caprice

Holden recalls the new VE Commodore, WM Statesman and Caprice originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 06:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jealous Again: Holden VE / WM exports begin

Alex Nunez — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 07:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Etc., Chevrolet, Pontiac

The car above is a brand new 2007 Chevy Lumina SS, which is, in turn, a rebadged Holden VE Commodore SS. It's powered by a 6.0L LS2 V8 that dishes out 362 horsepower through the rear wheels. As you can see, it's left-hand-drive. It's ready to lay long, black strips of rubber on American tarmac.

There's just one problem.

That boat it's getting on is headed to the Middle East. We have to wait (very impatiently) while the boys in Dubai, Saudi Arabia, etc. get to buy the car that belongs right here, right now. Oh, I know the word is that we'll see it as an '08 (or '09) Pontiac Grand Prix (see Oct '06 MT for more), but come on.

The development of the VE Commodore was not some state secret that never left Australia. Holden is a GM company. The General knew it was coming, and anyone with functioning eyes sees that Americans are more than willing to pony up for a rear-drive car. Or are those Chrysler 300s, Dodge Chargers, and Dodge Magnums I see all over the place just mirages?

The new Holden VE, its long-wheelbase WM siblings, and the absolutely killer HSV variants are great-looking cars with the right stuff under the skin. They would sell here today. Call it a Pontiac Grand Prix. Call it a Chevy Corsica for all I care. Just call it something and get it here -- the United States of America -- yesterday. This car should be The Big Deal for GM at the Cobo Center in January: a full-tilt-boogie, engine-revving, tire-squealing, Bob Lutz unveiling extravaganza. GM will own the show.

Own it.

So please, GM, just do this already. Bring the car. Market the living hell out of it. And watch it go.

(More photos, Holden's export press release after the jump)

[Source: GM Holden]

Continue reading Jealous Again: Holden VE / WM exports begin

Jealous Again: Holden VE / WM exports begin originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Sep 2006 07:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2006 Holden VE Commodore revealed in Australia

John Neff — Sun, 16 Jul 2006 03:35:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, GM

Click image for a full hi-res gallery! See the Calais V in its own gallery here.

With yesterday's launch of the all-new Holden Commodore, a series of dominos begins to fall that will ultimately shape GM's product roster for years to come. Holden has stated outright that the Commodore's platform has been developed for markets beyond Australia's borders. One of those is most assuredly the United States where the rear-wheel drive chassis will underpin many GM models here, including a host of rear-wheel drive sedans and possibly the Chevrolet Camaro.

Development of the new VE Commodore range totaled $1.04 billion, the biggest single product investment the Australian automotive industry has ever scene. The rear-wheel drive sedan now comes in seven flavors. The Omega model is new and replaces both the Executive and Acclaim models that had grown too close in content over the years. The rest of the range includes the Berlina, SV6, SS and Calais. There are now also V-Series versions of the performance oriented SS and luxurious Calais models. Holden is keeping further details on the down low until closer to the vehicle's launch in August, so full a features list, complete specs, and prices are not yet available.

Engines that will be available at the VE Commodore's launch in August include two 3.6-liter V6s generating 240 horsepower/243 ft-lbs of torque and 261 horsepower/250 ft-lbs of torque respectively and a powerful 6.0-liter V8 that develops 362 horsepower/390 ft-lbs of torque. Transmissions include a GM 4L60E four-speed automatic for the Omega and Berlina, a GM 5L40E five-speed automatic with Active Select in the Calais V6 and Aisin AY6 six-speed manual in SV6, a Tremec T56 six-speed manual in the SS and SS V, and the GM 6L80E six-speed automatic transmission first introduced in the Cadillac STS-V will be available on all V8 models.

Here's how the 2006 VE Commodore range shakes out engine-wise:

Omega (new) - 3.6L V6, peak power 180kW, peak torque 330Nm, four-speed automatic
Berlina - 3.6L V6, peak power 180kW, peak torque 330Nm, four-speed automatic; 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm, six-speed automatic
SV6 - 3.6L V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm, five-speed automatic or six-speed manual
SS - 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm, six-speed automatic, six-speed manual
SS V (new) - 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm, six-speed automatic, six-speed manual
Calais - 3.6L V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm, five-speed automatic; 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm, six-speed automatic
Calais V (new) - 3.6L V6, peak power 195kW, peak torque 340Nm, five-speed automatic; 6.0L V8, peak power 270kW, peak torque 530Nm, six-speed automatic

Holden's full press release after the jump.

[Source: Holden]

Gallery: Holden VE Commodore SS-V

Gallery: Holden VE Calais V

Continue reading 2006 Holden VE Commodore revealed in Australia

2006 Holden VE Commodore revealed in Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jul 2006 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shot: Holden VE Commodore

John Neff — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:26:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, GM

What you're looking at is the next Holden VE Commodore, a car that entices those within and outside the borders of Australia in which it will be sold. Austalians will be getting both this hot performance version, likely to be powered by a 6.0L V8, as well as more pedestrian iterations. GM North America, however, is supposedly taking the Zeta platform on which the Commodore is based and sprinkling it liberally across its core brands. The next Chevy Impala and Monte Carlo, as well as a pair of Buick and Pontiac sedans are likely to rediscover rear-wheel drive thanks to this car. Oh yeah, and that little Camaro project Lutz has got going on over there may end up on this platform as well.

[Source: Cheers and Gears via WindingRoad]

Spy Shot: Holden VE Commodore originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Jun 2006 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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