Having last year axed Opel and its separate dealer network in Australia after less than a year, General Motors’ local unit has confirmed earlier reports it will (again) rebadge some European-made Opel models for sale branded Holden, starting in the first half of 2015. The new models will also be sold in New Zealand.
The Cascada convertible will make its official Australasian debut, joined by the Astra GTC and VXR three door hatchbacks and the Insignia VXR performance sedan.
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Two generations of Holden Astra were sold ‘down under’ before being replaced by models sourced from GM Korea and Holden has also previously assembled the Insignia’s predecessor, the Vectra, in Australia, with exports to NZ. The mainstream models were replaced effectively by the Korean Cruze which is now built locally; the Insignia VXR will give dealers a new, ‘fully imported’ sedan model to offer at the premium end of the medium car segment with the Cascada targeting a convertible segment dominated by Audi and BMW.
GM’s international operations (GMIO) head Stefan Jacoby said the announcement of these European-sourced models showed the automaker would continue to bring the “best possible products from GM’s product portfolio to Australian customers to support a strong future for Holden” which will end local vehicle manufacturing by 2017.
“Holden is one of the strongest brands in Australia and the introduction of the Astra, Cascada and Insignia to the portfolio in 2015 will be a great addition,” Jacoby said.
“We are determined to offer Australian and New Zealand customers the best possible products that we can source from our global operations, as we build a strong future for Holden. We are focussed on the long-term fundamentals, such as ensuring Holden retains its proud Australian identity and provides customers with the best possible cars. It’s critical we focus on consumer and market-driven product strategies that enable global scale while engaging customers at a local-market level.”
“Astra, Cascada and Insigina will be niche vehicles in terms of volume for our company, Holden chairman and managing director Gerry Dorizas said.
“We are building a strong future for Holden by focusing on our customers, our dealers, our employees and our products.”
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