Rumorpile: The Return of Holden's High-Performance Sedans

[William Maley]

Holden's high-performance sedans could live after their operations are shut down in 2017. According to Drive.com.au, General Motors is currently evaluating a new program that would utilize the Alpha platform for a number high performance applications of varying sizes and shapes for different brands. One of those vehicles is likely to be a rear-drive performance version of the Commodore and next Chevrolet SS.

Alpha brings a couple things to the table. One is that Alpha can be scaled up or down to fit various wheelbases, tracks, and engine configurations. Alpha also has been engineered be right-hand drive as well.

“If you’re a performance enthusiast then rear-wheel-drive is the way to go and that’s the place it will play [within General Motors future models], so you guys connect the dots as to where else you might use it,” said David Leone, executive chief engineer for luxury and rear-drive vehicles.

The high performance Commodore plays into rumors from last year which said Holden could sell two versions of the Commodore. One would be a mainstream model that would likely be a front-wheel drive model of shorts, possibly the Chevrolet Impala or a previous rumor of a Buick model from China. The other would be this rear-drive model with a different body.

There is one thing that is holding up this project and that is cost. Alpha is classified as being a "premium" platform due to lightweight materials used in its construction. Trying to get to a point to where this proposed model is competitively priced is a sticking point. But Motoring.com.au says a savior could come in the form the next-generation Camaro which is expected to use a less-expensive version of Alpha.

Source: Drive.com.au, Motoring.com.au

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

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[dwightlooi]

Doesn't make any sense. If they are going to go through the expense and time to do an Alpha for Holden, just put an LFX 3.6 and/or LTG 2.0T in it and sell it as a mainstream commodore. HSV can drop an LT1 or LT4 in there and sell it as a super sedan. Now, none of these have to be Made in Australia. But making a FWD commodore and a RWD Commodore makes zero sense.

[Drew Dowdell]

They'd probably bring on a new name or reuse an existing one for the mainstream model

[David]

If they figure out a way to make a profitable RWD sedan for Holden, Chevy and other select badges, then all is good. I am not a fan of confusing people with FWD and RWD of the same badge name. I hope Drew is right that the Holden High Mileage FWD appliances use a different name and they keep the Commodore to a RWD performance sedan only.

[dwightlooi]

It's beyond that... calling a Holden Epsilon a Commodore, while also calling a Holden Alpha a Commodore is just nonsensical.

[Guest hyperv6]

The new Alpha will in all intents be a Commodore and a Impala renamed a Caprice would be my guess.