GM Holden is to cull the Astra and Commodore, the final two car models in a line-up which will soon be reduced to one pick-up and four SUVs. The embattled brand recently lost its managing director and was last month reduced to twelfth place in Australia, a market it once dominated.
The reinvention of the Commodore as an imported front-wheel drive hatchback and wagon range has not worked for Holden, the Opel-built cars failing to succeed in a segment which has been contracting for many years. For the year to the end of November, Commodore registrations in the Aussie market numbered a mere 5,417 units, with just 309 delivered during November.
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Facing up to the inevitable after several years of slow sales, Holden’s new interim chairman and managing director Kristian Aquilina said the Commodore and Astra would be phased out in 2020. The equivalent Opel and Vauxhall Astra were facelifted some months ago in Europe but the update will not happen for the Holden, and the same applies to the Insiginia-based Commodore. A restyle for the Opel original premieres at the Brussels motor show in January and goes on sale across Europe soon after.
Holden’s boss and PR team are understandably trying to put a positive spin on a terrible time for the brand, while also noting the significance of losing a model name after more than 40 years.
“The decision to retire the Commodore nameplate has not been taken lightly by those who understand and acknowledge its proud heritage,” Aquilina said.
“The large sedan was the cornerstone of Australian and New Zealand roads for decades. But now with more choice than ever before, customers are displaying a strong preference for the high driving position, functionality and versatility of SUVs and Utes.”
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By GlobalDataHolden’s sales in the Australian market, which have been in steep decline for some time, fell by 48 per cent in November to only 2,668 vehicles, of which 1,156 were the Thai-built Colorado ute (pick-up). The next best placed model was the US-made Acadia but with only 364 deliveries, it was a further 40 places down the sales charts in 58th position. As well as these two models, the only other Holdens will soon be the Equinox (built in Mexico), TrailBlazer (Thailand) and Trax (Korea).
