GM's vow: No more 'piecemeal' RHD programs

General Motors has vowed the "piecemeal" approach to right-hand drive that will leave Holden without an affordable V8 once the Commodore dies in 2017 is a thing of the past.

The company adopted a more "holistic" approach to right-hand drive programs about a year ago, albeit too late to ensure the new-generation Chevrolet Camaro will be available to Australia.

That will leave the affordable V8 field vacant for Ford to dominate with the Mustang, which arrives at the end of the year ex-factory in right-hand drive, rear-wheel drive and a V8 engine priced as low as $54,990 plus on-road costs. It will provide the blue oval with a halo model to succeed the Falcon, which ceases production in October 2016.

And Chrysler, which already has the 300C SRT8 in the market, is also threatening to bring in hi-po V8 versions of the Dodge Charger and Challenger, to fight Ford for a share of the market.

Holden, by contrast, will depart the arena it dominates with Commodore, which it just updated to VFII specification, when it ceases local production in 2017. In 2014 more than 10 per cent of total Holden sales volume comprised Commodore V8s.

Holden's only V8 entrant in the Australian market beyond 2017 is tipped to be the Chevrolet Corvette sports car, which will cost well in excess of $100,000.

But while GM international operations boss Stefan Jacoby is defiantly insisting the V8's time is up anyway, the reality is there isn't an affordable V8 available to Holden after Commodore anyway – at least not until GM's new approach to right-hand drive starts producing results.

"For a long time it [right-hand drive business cases] has been looked at on a very individual approach, which was we would develop something and then say the cost to do right-hand drive is prohibitive," GM global president, New Zealand-born Dan Ammann told motoring.com.au at the Frankfurt motor show overnight.

"The philosophical change is that from the outset on most major programs we are going to build in right from the beginning the capability for right-hand drive so that then entry-by-entry the decision to do it is not as expensive

"So that is a philosophical change. We are going from a piecemeal approach to a serve all markets approach.

"I think it is realisation that the only way to do this the right way is to make the philosophical decision from the beginning to put the engineering enablers into the vehicles from the beginning."

Amman wouldn't be drawn on specific models, but made it clear the current Camaro and recently overhauled big pick-ups such as the Chevrolet Silverado wouldn't be candidates for right-hand drive in their current generations.

"Looking forward, the decisions will be made about major architectures. But the philosophical alignment is underway."

Amman wouldn't be drawn on Corvette's Australian specifics: "I don't want to get into specific vehicle discussions," he said.

Meanwhile, Amman's boss GM CEO Mary Barra told a press conference on the eve of the Frankfurt motor show that right-hand drive business cases for Camaro and large pick-ups fell victim to the company's financial dramas during the Global Financial Crisis.

"Some of those decisions on our current products now were made at a point when it was difficult from a capital and investment perspective," Barra said.

"But as we look at it it's not going to be every vehicle across the portfolio but we are looking for what are the right vehicles that are going to round out the portfolios in very important countries that require right-hand drive.

"I think you will see a much more planned and very proactive view of how we do it because when you engineer a vehicle – if you know from the beginning that's what you are going to do – it's much easier than trying to re-engineer it.

"That is our focus. So you will see an improvement for sure."