Is this Holden's next Commodore?

You’ve probably seen Holden’s attempt to assure Australian customers it will continue to sell cars here following the closure of its local factories in 2017.

In fact, Holden’s 10-day advertising campaign, dubbed “We’re here to stay”, has attracted widespread criticism since it went live on TV, radio, outdoor, print and digital platforms on December 20.

Even on Holden’s own YouTube channel, ‘misleading’ is one of the most polite accusations levelled at the risky media strategy, which is designed to remind Australians that GM’s Holden brand will continue to sell imported vehicles when it becomes “a full-line importer and national sales company from the end of 2017”.

Holden has also come under fire for claiming the celebrities who appeared in the TVC all volunteered their time, when in fact most of them are already on the payroll or receive a free car as Holden ‘ambassadors’.

But what you might not have noticed is the image of a mysterious Holden-badged car that appears on the computer screen in front of a Holden designer in the final part of the TVC.

As we’ve reported, Holden now appears likely to replace the last Australian-made Commodore with a front-wheel drive four-cylinder model that will be designed here but imported from China.

In what would constitute a very early ‘tease’ of a vehicle that’s four years away from showrooms, that model could well be the car in the TVC, which reveals an array of other styling sketches and renderings.

Among them appear to be front-end images of the same car (to the right of the screen), which appears to be a hatchback rather than a sedan, as well as a sleek coupe (below the screen).

Holden has confirmed it is already working on a replacement for the VF Commodore and that, unlike Ford's doomed Falcon, it will continue to wear a nameplate exclusive to Australia.

Apart from an imported replacement for the Commodore post-2017, Holden could also offer new rear-drive and perhaps V8-powered models, built on a new Alpha platform and imported from the US – but only if they are produced in right-hand drive.

What do you think? Is it too early for Holden to reveal anything about the radical new Commodore it plans to sell in four years?

Or has Holden provided an unprecedentedly early sneak-peek at the 2018 Commodore to reiterate the fact it will still be designed Down Under?

And, if so, will it spark four years of criticism from a cynical Australian public aware that the current VF will be the last all-Australian, rear-drive Commodore?

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