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The Holden Commodore is Australia's favourite passenger car for the 13th consecutive year after finishing 2008 as the nation’s best-seller.
The result continues Commodore's unbroken record from 1996 as the country's leading passenger car range, extending its run as one of the modern automotive world’s longest consecutive market leadership records.
Sales figures for 2008 released today by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries show Australians purchased a total of 51,093 vehicles from the VE Commodore range.
The results follow GM Holden's strong sales performance in December, which saw dealers defy difficult economic conditions, new competitive entrants and heavy price competition in the market to sell 10,848 new cars.
This included the sale of 5413 Commodore and 1629 VE Ute models, the highest monthly sales volume for both vehicles in 2008.
In total, GM Holden sold 130,338 vehicles in Australia for 2008 delivering market share of 12.9 per cent.
GM Holden registered the second highest sales overall to Toyota with 238,983 sales and 23.6 per cent, and was ahead of Ford with 104,715 sales and 10.3 per cent.
In a year where Commodore celebrated 30 years on Australian roads, its annual sales were boosted by the introduction of the all-new Sportwagon alongside the successful sedan range in July.
Sportwagon immediately proved a popular choice with Australian motorists. A total of 8200 were purchased in just five months, more than any SUV in the market for the same period.
Other strong performing GM Holden models in 2008 included the Statesman which led the Upper Large category for vehicles under $100,000 with a 38.8 per cent market share.
The VE Ute also enjoyed success in its first full year of sales, outselling its main rival the Ford Falcon Ute with 13,449 vehicles.
New 2008 models including the Captiva 2WD SUV and mid-sized Epica diesel also demonstrated an improved sales performance towards the end of 2008.
GM Holden Executive Director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, Mr Alan Batey said Holden’s sales results demonstrated that family-sized vehicles continued to be attractive to Australians.
He said the results indicated that Commodore remained a smart buy, particularly at a time when many customers were concerned about domestic and global economic conditions.
"The automotive industry was not alone in feeling the pressure of the broader economic situation in 2008," Mr Batey said.
"However the results for Commodore were very pleasing despite the softening new car market and slowing Australian economy.
"It just shows that during tough times, people are attracted to products that represent outstanding quality and value for money.
"Commodore has become a symbol of local design and engineering expertise and Australia’s ability to compete on the world stage.
"Holden is committed to a program of ongoing development to ensure Commodore maintains its reputation as a smart buy for Australian motorists."
Source - Holden Media.
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Holden has knocked 10kW of power off its V8 Commodore in an effort to save some fuel.
GM Holden has cut the power of some of its V8 Commodores to save more fuel.
The decrease - the first time in decades that a new V8 Commodore has come out with less power - is the result of adding engine-management technology that saves up to a litre of fuel every 100km.
Hot on the heels of its decision to cut V6 engine output on low-end Commodores by 5kW to save fuel, Holden has sliced 10kW from the power of its V8 Commodores fitted with an automatic gearbox to accommodate the Active Fuel Management technology.
The system, also known as cylinder deactivation or displacement-on-demand, monitors the engine's load and can shut down four of the eight cylinders for more economical driving at cruising speeds.
Holden sacrifices V8 power for economy - drive.com.au
Reaper
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[CENTER] [/CENTER]
Holden has confirmed it will build a fuel-efficient small four-cylinder car in Australia from 2010 in response to changing buyer tastes.
Taking advantage of the Government's $6 billion car plan, the new four-cylinder small car will be built at Holden's Elizabeth plant in Adelaide alongside the Commodore.
It will be powered by a new four-cylinder engine and optional diesel engine and use 20 per cent less fuel than Holden's current V6-powered Commodore. The new small car could also eventually have a hybrid engine.
The new small car is expected to create more than 1000 jobs when production starts in the third quarter of 2010.
To be based on the Chevrolet Cruze that will be built in at least four other General Motors plants around the world, the new vehicle was announced to Holden staff and their families at a press conference attended by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Industry Minister Kim Carr in Adelaide this morning.
The Holden announcement means that each of Australia's three car makers - Toyota, Holden and Ford - will be building a four-cylinder car by 2011. Each will also have either a diesel or hybrid engine.
Following on from the Torana, Gemini and Vectra the new Holden four-cylinder is planned to cement the future of local manufacturing by bolstering sales following a trend away from large cars such as the Holden Commodore and rival Ford Falcon.
Holden chairman and managing director Mark Reuss says the new small car will be powered by either an efficient direct injection petrol engine or a diesel engine.
Reuss says Australians are becoming increasingly aware of environmental concerns, not just the price of fuel.
"People are growing more aware of environmental issues. It's about reducing our dependence on foreign oil and making motoring better for the environment."
"Just as our leading Commodore range will continue to undergo technological development, this new vehicle will cater for growing demand for smaller cars focused on economy.
The new small car could also be exported to parts of Asia and other right-hand drive markets.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says the Holden small car will make motoring more affordable.
"This new Holden small car is about jobs, the environment and the family budget.
He also says there are substantial environmental benefits as the Government embarks on its carbon reduction plan.
"It will drive your dollar further, it will take carbon out of the atmosphere and drive jobs into the future."
Mr Rudd paid tribute to Holden managing director Mark Reuss, who has been in the job for less than one year but has already brought fundamental change to the way the company works.
"Mark Reuss brought a breath of fresh air to the way in which this company carved out its future in this country. We are 100 per cent committed to having a local car industry."
The total investment for the program is expected to be almost $400 million, an estimated half of which will be provided by Holden.
The Federal Government is providing $149 million of funds backed up by $30 million from the South Australian Government.
The new Holden small car is expected to begin as a sedan and hatchback but could spawn other variants moving forward.
"Further phases of this new small car will create even more jobs [in the future]," says Mr Rudd.
The Holden announcement continues the re-shaping of the Australian car industry along more environmentally-sustainable lines.
Ford Australia will begin building the Focus small car including a fuel-efficient diesel version - in Australia from 2011, while Toyota will introduce a hybrid version of the Camry in 2010.
Holden has also considered a four-cylinder version of the Commodore. The last time Holden had a four-cylinder engine in the Commodore was in the early 1980s and the move turned out to be a sales disaster for the company.
But despite the recent fall in petrol prices, the move is not likely to have the same effect this time, as buyers have been flocking to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars for several years already.
Holden's V6 Commodore remains the most popular car in the Australian market, but its sales are propped up by sales to big business and Government, which have been slower than private customers to switch to smaller cars.
In recent years Toyota's Corolla has narrowed the gap on the Commodore and the Japanese small car outsold it early this year until Holden's new Commodore wagon helped the nameplate re-assert itself.
The Commodore's traditional rival, the Ford Falcon, has suffered from the changing buyer preferences even more, slipping to fifth place in the annual sales race after decades of being either the number one or number two car in the country.
At the moment, Toyota is the only local manufacturer to make a four-cylinder car. But its Camry, which shares underpinnings with the Toyota's Commodore rival, the Aurion V6, has struggled this year, with sales down by 10 per cent.
Despite those concerns, today's news is a welcome boost for the local industry, which has struggled against small imported cars in the past couple of years.
The introduction of a free-trade agreement with Thailand in 2005 has meant a flood of Japanese-designed, Thai-built cars that have made huge dents in the sales of locally-built cars. This year, Thai-built cars have almost outsold locally-built cars for the first time in history.
The announcement is also a shot in the arm for Holden's local operation, which has no doubt come under scrutiny from its troubled US parent General Motors as it tries to bounce back from the brink of bankruptcy.
GM has indicated it may shed non-core brands and vehicle lines as part of a US Government-funded restructure aimed at re-shaping the company to better compete with its Japanese rivals.
Both General Motors and Ford have hinted that they may suspend development of rear-wheel-drive large vehicles, which could potentially cripple their Australian operations.
Holden leads General Motors' rear-wheel-drive development program and exports re-badged Commodores to the United States under the Pontiac brand, while Ford Australia was positioning itself for a similar role in the Ford global empire.
December 22, 2008 - 1:17PM
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Holden Special Vehicles yesterday confirmed the company will cap the build of its W427 Supercar at 200 vehicles, when the last car rolls off the production line in 2009.
"The W427 program has been a great success, ahead of target and ahead of plan," Managing Director of HSV, Phil Harding said.
"Today's announcement clarifies the final build number for this ambitious, groundbreaking program.
"We have been delighted with the response to bring to market this unique piece of Australian performance car history."
"The feedback I have received as I travel around the country is that our customers want to be part of an even more exclusive club," he said.
"With the W427, we have designed, built and sold our most exclusive vehicle ever."
The confirmation of the final build number will give existing owners certainty that they are part of a very special program, whilst encouraging potential purchasers to put their order in quickly.
Orders will close in June 2009.
"When we began this program we said we would build no more than 427 W427s in a build-to-order process."
"Existing W427 customers have told us they want to keep their purchase as exclusive as possible and some potential customers have asked us for clarification on exactly how many W427 Supercars we intend to build."
"The confirmation of a total build number of 200 does this," Phil Harding said.
"Current owners will receive a boost from the added exclusivity this announcement brings, whilst those considering a W427 purchase will need to act quickly before they are all sold out."
Phil Harding said Holden Special Vehicles had learnt a great deal from the W427 program for applying to future projects.
"The program demonstrates Australian engineering design and ingenuity is alive and well" he said.
"The W427 will be the benchmark for future HSV niche product programs."
Source - HSV Media
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