8 days without any postings....and weeks without seeing a ZB on the road

[Reaper]

Might be a bit early to say that Opeldore production as definitely finished but I agree there are signs that don't look good.

I have my information from somebody who knows (not just speculation). Unless they find a way of importing them profitably (short of a miracle) the Commodore is done. Add the Astra hatch to that as well. Astra sedan is soldiering on at this stage.

Moving forward (and this speculation on my part), with GM dead in Europe, I just don't see where Holden is going to get it's product from in the GM world. They simply don't have enough RHD markets left that could possibly justify building a RHD anything. Colorado is the only thing that comes close but the sales volume just isn't there even though (in my opinion) it's as good as or better than anything in it's class.

 

[Calaber]

As I mentioned in another thread recently, I believe GM is content to build cars in China and trucks/SUV's in the US, and use those factories to satisfy a greatly reduced number of markets. They want cheap labour, hence Mexico, Thailand and China. GM Korea? What have they designed and built that was world class? Absolutely nothing, so their future could be in doubt too, as they are not particularly cheap for labour now. They have kissed Europe goodbye and its a LHD market far bigger than Australia with its RHD and specialised design rules. I can see them basically writing our market off altogether if the Arcadia doesn't fire. Our market is simply too small and too congested to bother with sales around 50 to 60, 000 per year.

 

[Reaper]

As I mentioned in another thread recently, I believe GM is content to build cars in China and trucks/SUV's in the US, and use those factories to satisfy a greatly reduced number of markets. They want cheap labour, hence Mexico, Thailand and China. GM Korea? What have they designed and built that was world class? Absolutely nothing, so their future could be in doubt too, as they are not particularly cheap for labour now. They have kissed Europe goodbye and its a LHD market far bigger than Australia with its RHD and specialised design rules. I can see them basically writing our market off altogether if the Arcadia doesn't fire. Our market is simply too small and too congested to bother with sales around 50 to 60, 000 per year.

Oh totally - GM DAT have been on review for a while now.

 

[figjam]

Have a look at the date of this report ….. https://www.motoring.com.au/gm-to-take-larger-stake-in-daewoo-17241/ before reading it.
Does shonky laundering of Fed Govt taxpayers grants to GM and Holden come to mind ?

 

[redvxr8clubby]

I have my information from somebody who knows (not just speculation). Unless they find a way of importing them profitably (short of a miracle) the Commodore is done. Add the Astra hatch to that as well. Astra sedan is soldiering on at this stage.

Moving forward (and this speculation on my part), with GM dead in Europe, I just don't see where Holden is going to get it's product from in the GM world. They simply don't have enough RHD markets left that could possibly justify building a RHD anything. Colorado is the only thing that comes close but the sales volume just isn't there even though (in my opinion) it's as good as or better than anything in it's class.

I think the Astra sedan is already dead, factory closed and or ended production last year, but they have enough Astra sedan stock to last all year. I doubt they'll make announcements while they have loads of stock to clear. Barina and Spark is already gone other than remaining stock.

 

[Badgerdog]

Okay so if Opeldore is dead or almost dead..next time we're going to have to find something else that handles well and is a sexy good looking thing. Wouldn't mind taking this thing for a damm hard ride...we're still taking about cars right ?

I think Becky needs a bigger banana than that, car reviewing is hard work.

 

[holomatrix]

"The problem is the RS and LT 2.0 spec is fairly basic. Holden should have made a VXR or Calais V spec car available with the 2.0 turbo engine. I think it would sell well."

I drove a Vauxhall Insignia B Elite in London recently that had the 2Lt Turbo. (1) it was rubbish to drive when you consider that the Calais-V (same spec) is heavier than the base models... and (possibly as a result) (b) it honestly chewed through more fuel than my VF Redline wagon did. It averaged 16Lt/100kms and that was with a mix of motorway/highway driving and city driving (about 70/30 respectively). In the Calais-V with the 3.6Lt V6 I get an average of 8.7lt/100kms on the same sort of driving ratio. Trust me... all this marketing/environmental bumpf about how small inducted 4cyl engines are somehow supposed to be more economical and better for the environment? bulldust.

A bigger engine at RPMs not much above 1000 will always use less petrol (and therefore is better for the environment) than a smaller engine on the same road that is sitting at 1700-1900 RPMs. Since they introduced the SIDI in 2009 the 3.6Lt V6 has always been the sweet spot for fuel consumption... and even now with their supposedly environmentally friendly 4cyl the 3.6 REMAINS the sweet spot.

 

[Badgerdog]

Accuracy of the cars trip computers might be questionable but my Calais V was sitting around 11.0 L/100 km's and the 2.0 LT is sitting around 9.5 L/100 km's doing the same sort of driving. Car advice has had a long term RS 2.0 for many months and got about mid 9's in the real world too but again I can't say if they simply read off the car's trip computer.

 

[Sabbath']

Trust me... all this marketing/environmental bumpf about how small inducted 4cyl engines are somehow supposed to be more economical and better for the environment? bulldust.

A bigger engine at RPMs not much above 1000 will always use less petrol (and therefore is better for the environment) than a smaller engine on the same road that is sitting at 1700-1900 RPMs. Since they introduced the SIDI in 2009 the 3.6Lt V6 has always been the sweet spot for fuel consumption... and even now with their supposedly environmentally friendly 4cyl the 3.6 REMAINS the sweet spot.

Sure...one guy with a point to prove should have his undocumented and unprovable results believed over the data provided over the past 20+ years of independent and government backed testing.

 

[Badgerdog]

Sure...one guy with a point to prove should have his undocumented and unprovable results believed over the data provided over the past 20+ years of independent and government backed testing.

Yeap, my own use of each engine type suggests to me the relative fuel burn indicated by the official ADR figures is the best frame of reference plus the usual 10-15% in the real world depending on how ones drives. I think what he might be saying is if you add in all the fruit of the Calais V to the smaller engined car as in the model he was driving in the UK the smaller engine doesn't work as well and I suspect he has a point there because the other day when I took my huge 160kg mate out for a drive the little 2.0 engine lost all its sparkle with the extra weight.

I suspect if one starts using that 20 psi boost from the 2.0 engine a lot fuel burn can go north at a fair rate of knots far beyond ADR figures which are all computer simulated based on very low throttle settings.