Commodore stays put but Caprice sticker slashed

Holden has released the official pricelist for the Commodore Series II -- and there are few, if any, changes compared with the previous model. However, as generous as it sounds, the prices quoted are far from what customers will pay any way.

More than half of all new Commodores are sold to business, government and rental fleets who don't pay anywhere near as much as the advertised retail price because they buy in bulk. And, if Holden's practice of heavy discounting over the past two years is a guide, retail customers aren't paying anywhere near as much for Commodores as the retail sticker price suggests.

In the past six months alone, discounts have ranged between $5000 and $8000 on the full retail price of SV6, SS, SS-V and Calais and Calais-V sports and luxury models. And at the peak of the Global Financial Crisis discounts on the Commodore and Statesman stretched as far as $13,000 on some models.

But you didn't have to buy something a little bit fancy to get a big discount. The base model Omega Commodore, which is currently listed at $39,990, has sold for as little as $32,990 driveaway at various times over the past two years.

As it stands, the base Omega's full RRP is even undercut by its sportier, better equipped SV6 sedan sibling at $35,990 driveaway.

But with the arrival of Series II, launched today in Adelaide, Holden says big discounts won't be so common.

In the roll out of the new line-up, the price of the Caprice (which replaces the Statesman V6) has been trimmed by $2000 to $61,990, while the price of the Caprice-V (which replaces the Caprice V8) has been trimmed by $5500 to $69,990.

Most of these long wheelbase limousines are bought by business, government and rental fleets at substantial discounts. Even though these models have been upgraded for Series II we'd suggest private buyers could haggle at least 10 per cent off these RRPs.

The only car within the new Series II range to experience a price rise is the base model Omega Commodore ute (up by $2000) to $35,490 because it now gains the 3.0-litre direct injection V6 and six-speed automatic transmission. A manual is not available -- V6 manual buyers must upgrade to the SV6 ute.

When the direct injection engines were released last year the base model ute missed out on the upgrade and continued for the last 12 months with the conventional 3.0-litre V6 engine and four-speed auto.

The new generation Series II Commodore range goes into production this week and begins arriving in dealerships later this month.

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