VZ Commodore wagon, Ute and Crewman to soldier on

Holden’s all-new VE Commodore sedan is imminent, but the wagon, Ute (pictured) and Crewman variants will continue in their present form -- VZ versions, in other words -- for at least 12 months.

It’s not an unfamiliar scenario. Remember how the VS Commodore Ute remained on sale well after the VT sedan was launched in September 1997? The VU Ute didn’t arrive until December 2000.

This enabled Ford to gain the upper hand as it meanwhile launched its new-generation AU Falcon Ute, which went on to claim market leadership at the time.

This time around, Ford doesn’t have an all-new rival to throw at the ageing VZ wagon, Ute and Crewman, but will the vehicles be handicapped by the fact that they’ll sit in showrooms alongside the spanking new VE sedan?

Not so, says fleet sales expert and CEO of SurePlan Australia, Tony Robinson: “The Ute is at the forefront of Holden’s marketing campaign and it’s a strong part of the company’s brand identity,” he argues.

“The launch of the VE sedan (For CarPoint’s exclusive scoop images click here)shouldn’t affect Ute sales, as they’re targeted at two different kinds of buyers.”

The Crewman, too, attracts a unique set of buyers, and these aren’t likely to be influenced by the presence of the VE sedan.

However, it could be a different story for the wagon, as Holden’s imminent seven-seat Captiva SUV (also pictured) is likely to absorb many buyers from the large station wagon segment. (Read more about the Captiva here)

Holden execs are talking of keen pricing for the Captiva, so expect an entry point around the $38,000 mark.

The Captiva will also be offered in a five-seat configuration and possibly a two-wheel drive only version. The range will be powered by a 170kW (approx) version of Holden’s 3.2-litre Alloytec V6.