New Holden Commodore lifespan confirmed

Holden’s new ZB Commodore has a guaranteed lifespan of at least six years.

That’s the word from Holden boss Mark Bernhard, speaking exclusively to motoring.com.au at today’s launch of the first-ever imported Commodore.

Bernhard also expressed his confidence that ZB would not be the last Commodore large car, despite the Australian market’s continued swing towards SUVs and pick-ups.

Bernhard’s clarification and forecast comes after months of speculation about the future of the Opel-sourced large car in the wake of the PSA Group’s purchase of the German car maker from General Motors last year.

Under its PACE! turnaround program, the parent of Peugeot and Citroen had announced a quick transition for Opel models from GM’S to its own architectures.

The Insignia, on which the Commodore is closely based, is expected to transfer from GM’s E2 architecture to PSA Groupe’s EMP2 component set as soon as 2021.

Which in theory means Holden could have had to source a replacement large car, most likely from GM division Buick, within three years.

But today Bernhard made clear that PSA was contractually obliged to supply Holden with the Commodore, including its current architecture, for six years.

Bernhard said the Astra hatch, also sourced from Opel, was also guaranteed for its full lifecycle.

The news potentially means the Insignia could be built on two architectures from 2021, a mind-bogglingly expensive proposition for PSA.

“Our plans are we continue to sell the Astra hatch and the Commodore in all its variants through their lifecycles,” said Bernhard.

“The agreement is through the lifecycle, so I assume that the lifecycle of Commodore will be six years and probably the same for the Astra hatch.

“They need to continue to supply these products to us through the lifecycle as it was defined back when the agreement was finally signed.

“Just like General Motors has committed to supplying them with product through the lifecycle of those products as well.”

Bernhard also said the GM-PSA agreement prohibited Opel from selling rivals for the Commodore and Astra hatch in Australia if it returned to this market.

“We have exclusivity over medium-large sedan and small hatches.”

As he has previously stated, Bernhard said again today that the decision on what would replace ZB would have to be made within 18 months.

“As a matter of course in about the next 18 months we need to decide where we are with Commodore, so that’s where it stands.”

But he was clear that he felt there was a place for a Holden medium-large car in the future.

“Maybe there won’t always be a market for these cars but in the near to medium term these cars have proven Australians love these vehicles and the way they drive,” he said.

“They drive differently in the way the market is going in terms of SUVs and LCVs. So, I think they can co-exist.”

The Commodore is number 17 of 24 new or upgraded models to be introduced Holden between 2015 and 2020. Number 18 is the Acadia large SUV, due later than originally expected in October.

The much-discussed rear-wheel drive sports car is definitely still on the way by 2020. That car is expected to be the new C8 Corvette.