Autoblog

El Camino revival hopes scuttled by Aussie dollar?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, GM, Earnings/Financials, Australia

Could Chevrolet sell a reborn El Camino in the United States? Let's ask an expert, General Motors International Operations boss Tim Lee, what he thinks. Speaking to the Aussies at CarPoint.com.au, Lee had this to say: "I think here in the US that vehicle has a tremendous amount of cache so if we could [import it] we would if it makes sense."

Great! So, we'll be getting a pickup car within the year, right? Well, not so much. Lee continues, "You tell me about what the Aussie dollar is going to do over the next 12 to 24 months and I'll tell you the export potential of cars like that." Obviously, nobody can say with certainty what the exchange rate between the US and Australia will be in two years, but as of right now, the Aussie dollar is worth a nickel more than a US dollar.

To quote Mr. Lee once again, "You can't make a business case of something like that." Indeed you cannot.

But what about the Chevrolet Caprice PPV, isn't that built in Australia? Indeed it is, and the upcoming Chevy SS performance sedan will be important from Oz as well. Thing is, Mr. Lee says the SS "will have to take a very premium price position" in order to be sold in the States, and that's apparently not in the cards for an El Camino.

Also not an option: Building the Australian Zeta-chassis machines in the US. Being that we've quoted Lee so many times already, here's one more to close out the discussion: "We will not be investing one penny to implement the Zeta architecture in the United States. I am the chief manufacturing officer of the company - that is written in stone."

El Camino revival hopes scuttled by Aussie dollar? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is the Holden Ute back on for the US?

George Kennedy — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:46:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Truck, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, Holden, Australia, Rumormill

When not salivating over the prospect of the forthcoming C7 Corvette, GM Performance enthusiasts are busy speculating over the Chevrolet SS. The Holden Commodore-based performance sedan recently made its debut in NASCAR form, with the production model slated to launch on the weekend of the 2013 Daytona 500. Part of the rumor-mongering for this rear-wheel-drive V8 sedan was talks of US-bound translation of the Holden Ute - also the artist formerly know as the Pontiac G8 ST (pictured).

Australian outlet Adelaidenow.com cites GM Authority's findings that General Motors filed to renew its trademark the "El Camino" name. GM Authority also points to the recent filing of the "Nomad" name, connecting it to speculation that both ute and wagon variants of the SS would follow the sedan.

Holden spokesman Sean Poppitt was rather ambiguous about about the potential for a US Ute: "We haven't made a decision on the next generation Ute to its presence in export markets outside Australia," said Poppitt, "However there is the free trade agreement between the US and Australia which means we are not precluded from selling Australian-made light commercial vehicles in the US market."

So, while it is no confirmation of future product, one need only connect the dots, from the groundwork laid by the G8 ST, to the new SS, to this patent filing, and the possibility becomes very real that we could finally get the ute for which we've been pining on our shores.

Is the Holden Ute back on for the US? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Dec 2012 15:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High tarriffs curb resurgent U.S. hopes for Holden Ute

Chris Tutor — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Pontiac, Holden, Australia

With the Holden Commodore sedan on its way back to the States as the Chevrolet SS, we were hoping that the El Camino-like, two-seat Ute wouldn't be far behind (after all, the halfbreed was supposed to be offered here as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck before General Motors offed the brand altogether). Unfortunately, however, the Aussies have been informed that the Ute falls under our light commercial tariff rate of 35 percent - roughly three times the rate on passenger vehicle imports.

"We were hopeful at one stage, we thought we might be able to duck in under it, but it was ruled out," Holden executive director Richard Phillips tells the Herald Sun. "With the dollar where it is, exports can only be pursued that are niche... and profitable in this environment."

Bummer.

High tarriffs curb resurgent U.S. hopes for Holden Ute originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GM releases 2011 Holden Series II family for Australia

Steven J. Ewing — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:32:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Holden, Australia

2011 Holden Series II family - Click above for high-res image gallery

We'll admit it - we miss the Pontiac G8. A lot. General Motors' Americanized version of the rear-wheel-drive Holden Commodore met its death with the demise of Pontiac last year, and of all the GM products that we've lost in the past twelve months, the G8 is the one we'd immediately rebirth if we could (especially the GXP). Holden, however, is still alive and well in its native Australia, and the automaker has just released its Series II family, which offers up a host of small changes to nearly the full line of products.

There isn't anything drastically different about the Series II versions of the Commodore, Calais, Caprice, Berlina or Omega - just the typical new model year additions. Most notably, the 3.0-liter V6 and 6.0-liter V8 engines are now capable of running on bio-ethanol fuel, and slight improvements to fuel economy have been made across the range. In addition, small visual tweaks have been made to the fascias of all models and new paint colors have been added.

A similar story can be told about these cars' interiors - minute tweaks to fit and finish have been made, though the big news is the addition of GM's new Holden-iQ infotainment system, available on all Series II models. Holden-iQ incorporates audio, Bluetooth and navigation functions into one 6.5-inch touchscreen interface, as well as a back-up camera (not available on the Ute).

For the full list of changes, browse through Holden's press release, available after the jump, and see the full 2011 Series II range for yourself in the high-res image gallery below. Hat tip to Neil!

Gallery: 2011 Holden Series II Family

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading GM releases 2011 Holden Series II family for Australia

GM releases 2011 Holden Series II family for Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PickupTruck.com drives the Holden VE Ute

Alex Nunez — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:33:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Truck, Holden, Australia

Our friends at PickupTruck.com have posted a "first drive" report on the new Holden VE Ute, and from the sounds of things, we really, really want Bob Lutz's GMC Caballero idea to come to fruition. The wheelman for PickupTruck.com was Aussie scribe James Stanford of GoAuto, and in addition to giving us the particulars about the slick, car-based pickup, he also gives us a quick backgrounder on Australian utes in general. It's interesting. For example, while Utes cost less and seat fewer humans than the sedans they're based on, they actually have better resale values. Where many people use the El Camino as a punchline here in the US, in the land of Oz, that's simply not the case. The Ute is a desirable vehicle Down Under, and it can be infused with a healthy dollop of badassedness.

The VE Ute makes no bones about its light-duty nature, with the SS boasting a peak cargo capacity of just a smidge over 1,300 pounds (less still if you go for the killer-looking 19" wheels). This isn't a shortcoming, however, as three-fourths of Holden Utes sold are sport-oriented, anyway. In this department, the VE Ute brings the goods, pumping out 362 horses in V8-powered SS trim via a six speed transmission (manual or automatic). Rear tires can be incinerated at will if that's your flavor, but the suspension is tuned so that attacking the curvy stuff's as fun as testing the Ute's straight-line capabilities. We won't steal the PickupTruck.com's thunder, beyond that. For the nitty gritty, you need to check out the review for yourself. Then, cross your fingers and hope that this Aussie beast follows its sedan cousin over here sometime in the future.

[Source: PickupTruck.com]

PickupTruck.com drives the Holden VE Ute originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High Aussie dollar threatens more Holden exports

Siddharth Raja — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:54:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Australia

Before you start sweating, rest assured Holden's VE Commodore will be heading Stateside as the Pontiac G8, but as for other models such as the two-door Ute, things are looking in doubt. GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz is a key backer of bringing the Ute to the U.S. but revealed at this week's Frankfurt Auto Show that the export program could be in doubt because of the strong Australian dollar. Either the car-based pickup would be priced out of the market or GM would have to subsidize it, something that's not going to happen, Lutz informed.

Plans to import roughly 50,000 Pontiac G8s are unchanged but the margins made on the car will be very slim, meaning there's no room to add a variant priced below it. This will come as a major blow to Holden staffers. Almost half of its annual production of 147,000 cars is exported and gaining a foothold in the lucrative U.S. markets has been one of its key goals over the past decade.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Gallery: Holden VE Ute

High Aussie dollar threatens more Holden exports originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden confirms G8 export (duh) and hints at return of El Camino

Dan Roth — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:36:00 EST

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, GM, Pontiac

It's official, Holden's Denny Mooney has confirmed that the Commodore is heading to the US to join the Excitement division. To cop a phrase from my mother in law - no kidding, Dick Tracy. Bob Lutz let slip, and then owned up to the fact that the car is coming here as the Pontiac G8 during the Detroit show. Looking at the red G8 that posed with Mooney, our knees are all jiggly - we can hardly wait to get our mitts on one. Hopefully, it'll be outfitted with the 6-liter V8, but even the 3.6-liter V6 would be fine. What we're really interested in sampling is the fit and finish, ride quality, and road manners. We suspect that even the six will have adequate power to pull the G8/Commodore around with authority, and the V8 will be ridiculous icing on the cake, and extremely delicious at that.

Continued after the jump...

[Source: drive.com.au]

Continue reading Holden confirms G8 export (duh) and hints at return of El Camino

Holden confirms G8 export (duh) and hints at return of El Camino originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Feb 2007 11:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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