Iconic name set to stay

Holden says customer feedback has driven its decision to retain the Commodore nameplate for its next-generation large car.

Peter Keley, executive director of sales, says it will be imported from GM’s global operations from 2018.

“The large car we have selected is worthy of the Commodore nameplate,” he says. “Customers have confirmed retaining the name is the right decision.

“Through the process of selecting the vehicle, we put to customers possible criteria to better understand what they felt was important for the car to be competitive in our markets and if it deserved the nameplate.”

Across 17 research sessions, owners and non-owners of Commodores offered a range of views with a strong majority favouring retention.

“The vehicle will be tuned and honed by Holden engineers and technicians at our proving ground in Victoria to ensure it performs in New Zealand conditions and to expectations,” adds Keley. “Right now, our vehicle performance team is helping shape the next-generation Commodore for Kiwi and Aussie customers.”

Across all sessions, almost 70 per cent of unaided customer responses to the nameplate were positive with participants citing its reliability, performance and appropriateness for families.

Stefan Jacoby, GM’s executive vice-president, adds: “I cannot reveal full details of the vehicle, but it will compare favourably or improve on the current Commodore’s dynamic performance, acceleration, fuel economy, running costs and mass.

“The VF has set standards for quality and driveability, and continues to perform well in New Zealand and Australia. We are confident we can honour Commodore’s heritage and chart a new direction for the next-generation vehicle.”