Holden Colorado faces launch delays

Holden insiders have told motoring.com.au that the flood situation currently affecting Thailand could cause the arrival of the new Colorado in Australia to be delayed by up to six months.

Originally slated for a showroom debut early in the new year, our source said a mid-2012 arrival is now more likely.

The delay arises from parts suppliers who, inundated by record flood waters, cannot source raw materials, or freight finished assemblies to the General Motors plant for final production.

It's the second time this week a manufacturer has reported production issues stemming from the flooding in Thailand. Earlier this week, Honda said that similar issues were affecting the production of sub-assembly components bound for the UK. In turn, these delays have forced a four week postponement of the arrival of the new Civic hatch in Europe.

For GM’s Aussie arm though, any delays could affect Holden’s market share in a vital segment already bolstered by a trio of newcomers. The locally-developed Ford Ranger and twin-under-the-skin Mazda BT-50 have already set new benchmarks in the segment, while the relatively new Volkswagen Amarok is another strong contender threatening established players in the booming light commercial ute sector.

Along with Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi, and China’s budget busting Great Wall, Holden could find itself behind the eight ball by the time the new financial year rolls around.

The all-new Holden Colorado was designed to be GM's toughest, best-performing and most-refined one-tonne ute to date. It’s the product of a five-year, $2 billion development program spanning five continents, and will eventually be sold in 26 configurations in over 60 markets across the GM globe.

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