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2020 Vauxhall Insignia spotted testing

Calaber

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There is no point, but based on Holden's insular sense of self preservation that has been driving their business decisions over the past few years, I'm sure they'll think of some way to spin it.

I'm not sure it's Holden doing this. The decisions are so GM-centric these days that I suspect the deterioration of public perception of the brand fits in with GM's mid-term planning, deliberately designed to facilitate eventual dumping of it. The only thing keeping the brand alive these days is residual loyalty of a diminishing number of Holden fans, which the company had hoped would remain strong enough to keep it viable.

GM was quite prepared to offload Opel and Vauxhall and walk away from the European market which is far larger than ours, but neither brand had the iconic status in their home markets that Holden has here. I can't see GM hanging on to Holden if their sales don't improve dramatically over the next couple of years and as no vehicles are built here now, the long term prospects are not great.
 

StrayKiwi

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The Holden brand centered around the Commodore IS dying, kept alive by the "residual loyalty of a diminishing number of Holden fans" as you put it. The difference between Holden and Opel/Vauxhall is that those brands didn't have their Utes and SUV lines to keep them afloat, and in all the markets they were competing in they were steadily losing market share in markets that have been in decline for a while.

I think the new Holden brand will be based around the Colorado and the Acadia/Equinox/Trailblazer, selling cars will just be a sideshow. It may even give the GM executives pause when considering whether to sell off Holden or not if the reinvention is successful.
 

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The Holden brand centered around the Commodore IS dying, kept alive by the "residual loyalty of a diminishing number of Holden fans" as you put it. The difference between Holden and Opel/Vauxhall is that those brands didn't have their Utes and SUV lines to keep them afloat, and in all the markets they were competing in they were steadily losing market share in markets that have been in decline for a while.

I think the new Holden brand will be based around the Colorado and the Acadia/Equinox/Trailblazer, selling cars will just be a sideshow. It may even give the GM executives pause when considering whether to sell off Holden or not if the reinvention is successful.
Here we are half way through 2019 and there are zero 2019 commodores anywhere to be seen. Game over i reckon
 

Calaber

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Here we are half way through 2019 and there are zero 2019 commodores anywhere to be seen. Game over i reckon
There's no doubt they are a rare animal on the roads. I saw a Tourer for the first time last week. Had to get close to be sure of what it was.
 

wetwork65

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There's no doubt they are a rare animal on the roads. I saw a Tourer for the first time last week. Had to get close to be sure of what it was.
Never seen a tourer in the wild in Sydney.
Saw a white Commodore sedan/liftback today at Mona Vale, but it was a rental. That's an event in itself. First one I have seen since I was last in NZ, when I saw a couple. Also saw an Astra at Warriewood, another unusual event. I reckon brands such as Audi are far outselling Holden now.
It could be that I am biased since Holdens are not being used on the Northern Beaches, but I drive across the rest of Sydney regularly.
Also saw an Acadia in an advertisement on TV tonight, the ad showing us that "you can arrive" hadn't been shown for a while. I have never seen one on the road, unless you count the Schofield's Holden dealer promo car in Auckland in March.
Way back when, I used to be excited when I saw the new Holdens, Falcons and Valiants on the road, to see what they looked and sounded like, what trim level they were etc.
Now I get surprised, not excited, when I see a new Holden at all.
I must have grown up, or affordable cars are just so boring now. I am starting to get interested in a vehicle powered by a sewing machine motor hooked up to a battery. e.g. Nissan Leaf, at least these reviews don't spend so much time telling you the l/100 km and CO2/km, rather than the good days of 0-100 km/h.
 

Calaber

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Never seen a tourer in the wild in Sydney.
Saw a white Commodore sedan/liftback today at Mona Vale, but it was a rental. That's an event in itself. First one I have seen since I was last in NZ, when I saw a couple. Also saw an Astra at Warriewood, another unusual event. I reckon brands such as Audi are far outselling Holden now.
It could be that I am biased since Holdens are not being used on the Northern Beaches, but I drive across the rest of Sydney regularly.
Also saw an Acadia in an advertisement on TV tonight, the ad showing us that "you can arrive" hadn't been shown for a while. I have never seen one on the road, unless you count the Schofield's Holden dealer promo car in Auckland in March.
Way back when, I used to be excited when I saw the new Holdens, Falcons and Valiants on the road, to see what they looked and sounded like, what trim level they were etc.
Now I get surprised, not excited, when I see a new Holden at all.
I must have grown up, or affordable cars are just so boring now. I am starting to get interested in a vehicle powered by a sewing machine motor hooked up to a battery. e.g. Nissan Leaf, at least these reviews don't spend so much time telling you the l/100 km and CO2/km, rather than the good days of 0-100 km/h.

I was the same. Grabbed every motor mag to read about new local models, loved the scoops about forthcoming models in Wheels. Snooped around the dealers hoping to spot latest Holden before release date. Barely look at the magazines now and haven't even bothered to visit the local dealer to sit in or look at a ZB. Is that because of my age or just a complete lack of interest now?
 

StrayKiwi

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Personally I think it has more to do with aging, the advent of the internet and the environmental impact movement than the cars themselves.

Nowadays only old men own V8's so it's automatically uncool.

The mind control is working, put on your tinfoil hats gentlemen! :p
 

Pablito

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I was the same. Grabbed every motor mag to read about new local models, loved the scoops about forthcoming models in Wheels. Snooped around the dealers hoping to spot latest Holden before release date. Barely look at the magazines now and haven't even bothered to visit the local dealer to sit in or look at a ZB. Is that because of my age or just a complete lack of interest now?
I was exactly the same. Been like that for 25+ years. Borderline obsessive.
Now, since ZB, i find myself doing other things instead. I haven't even watched one Supercars race this year. Last year I only watched a handful, so I was already losing interest, but before that i was watching every single televised race each year.
So age has nothing to do with it. If a new V8 range of Commodores were available now nothing would have changed for you or I in our obsession.
So it's lack of a hero model and for the first time, there's nothing to look forward to.

I don't mind the ZB as a car. If I was a V6 buyer I would have likely bought one. In fact there's every chance I will in the next 12 months. But not because I'm excited and just got to have one like previous models, but because I'm after a comfortable cheap sedan to run work kilometers up on and discard of it when I'm done with it. No emotional attachment.
 
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wetwork65

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Personally I think it has more to do with aging, the advent of the internet and the environmental impact movement than the cars themselves.

Nowadays only old men own V8's so it's automatically uncool.

The mind control is working, put on your tinfoil hats gentlemen! :p
Yeah Nah. Would never agree with getting old!
Pablito is correct, I was the same obsessive. Now I am looking for a cheap larger car that the kids can run into the ground and I don't really care about, because it could be aby other car
ZB fits this description completely as a second hand low KM buy.
 

vc commodore

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Here we are half way through 2019 and there are zero 2019 commodores anywhere to be seen. Game over i reckon


Driving around with ones eyes closed, generally means you don't see them.

One that opens ones eyes does see them....
 
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