Jump to content
News
Reviews
Discussons
Activity
Create New...
Close
  • William Maley
    William Maley

    By William Maley •

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

      Holden Might Not Lose Rear-Drive Sedans After 2017..

    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.

    Go to articles

    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    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.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    G. David Felt

    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.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
    Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

    Guest
    Add a comment...

    ×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

      Only 75 emoji are allowed.

    ×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

    ×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

    ×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

    ×



  • Subscribe to Cheers & Gears

    Cheers and Gears Logo

    Since 2001 we've brought you real content and honest opinions, not AI-generated stuff with no feeling or opinions influenced by the manufacturers.

    Please consider subscribing. Subscriptions can be as little as $1.75 a month, and a paid subscription drops most ads.*
     

    You can view subscription options here.

    *a very limited number of ads contain special coupon deals for our members and will show

  • Similar Content

  • Posts

    • ccap41
      Toyota News: 2026 Toyota RAV-4 Released as Hybrid Only

      By ccap41 · Posted

      Yeah, 50kw is certainly better than 7.2 or 1.2 from a house, but it's not great either. Then again it'll be full(or close enough) just by running into any store or eating anywhere real quick. 
    • Drew Dowdell
      Random Thoughts Thread

      By Drew Dowdell · Posted

      Also, some people have genuine seafood allergies.
    • Drew Dowdell
      Toyota News: 2026 Toyota RAV-4 Released as Hybrid Only

      By Drew Dowdell · Posted

      Yeah, I wondered who was going to pick that up.  It's faster than L2 charging, but that's probably a max of 50kw. That said, the RAV-4 isn't the first PHEV to get fast charging. The Outlander PHEV, the Volvo XC40 Recharge, and the Mini Cooper Countryman ALL4 can do it already.
    • Drew Dowdell
      Chevrolet News:Chevy Silverado EV Adds Off-Road Oriented Trail Boss trim; RST to End

      By Drew Dowdell · Posted

      First added to the gas Silverado in 2019, the Trail Boss trim is one of Silverado's most popular trims. Adding Trail Boss to the Silverado EV is just a natural evolution for the model. Silverado EV Trail Boss comes with a factory 2-inch lift with coil spring and hydraulic shocks giving the truck a 24% higher ground clearance than the standard EV. Exclusive to the Trail Boss is a new Terrain mode that unlocks sharper 4-wheel steering allowing for extra maneuverability at low speeds. Sidewinder mode from the RST model allows all four wheels to turn the same direction to move the truck diagonally at low speeds. Special looks includ a high-angle approach front fascia, standard 35-inch all-terrain tires with unique 18-inch wheels, a unique interior, and red front tow hooks. In Trail Boss form, the truck is only offered in extended and max range battery sizes.  Interestingly, even with the 2-inch lift, Chevy is claiming the same 410 mile range for the Extended and 478 mile range for the Max. Max towing tops out at 12,500 lb. with a 2,100 lb. max payload. The Max Range battery pack also offers up to 725 horsepower and 775 lb-ft of torque when Wide Open Watts mode is selected. Refreshing for the Rest All Silverado EVs also get some driver assist updated when equipped with Super Cruise. Super Cruise can now navigate the truck to the correct lane for your route when using the integrated Google Maps app on Super Cruise-capable roads. When not on a Super Cruise enabled road, the system will work in hands-on mode, centering you in your lane and adapting to the speed of the vehicle ahead of you. Super Cruise will automatically take over once you reach an enabled road. For trucks equipped with Adaptive Cruise, the system can now automatically adjust speed based on posted speed limits. Chevy is ending the RST trim starting with the 2026 model year with just WT, LT, and Trail Boss trims available going forward. The 2026 Chevrolet Silverado Trail Boss joins the lineup this summer with a price of $72,095 for the Extended and $88,695 for the Max Range. Prices include destination charge.   View full article
    • ccap41
      Toyota News: 2026 Toyota RAV-4 Released as Hybrid Only

      By ccap41 · Posted

      "fast charging" isn't all that fast for a small battery. 30 minutes for like 35 miles of range added is really slow. 

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • My Clubs

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.

Hey there, we noticed you're using an ad-blocker. We're a small site that is supported by ads or subscriptions. We rely on these to pay for server costs and vehicle reviews.  Please consider whitelisting us in your ad-blocker, or if you really like what you see, you can pick up one of our subscriptions for just $1.75 a month or $15 a year. It may not seem like a lot, but it goes a long way to help support real, honest content, that isn't generated by an AI bot.

See you out there.

Drew
Editor-in-Chief

I've whitelisted
Continue without support

Write what you are looking for and press enter or click the search icon to begin your search