The Holden Commodore (ZB) is the final generation of the Holden Commodore range produced by now-defunct Australian brand Holden from 2018 to 2020.
Overview
Sedan
This was Holden's first and only imported model to be sold under the Commodore nameplate. The range included the five door liftback and five door station wagon bodystyles.
Holden previously sold the first generation Insignia under the Opel brand (Opel Insignia) in 2012 and 2013,[1] as well as under the Holden brand (Holden Insignia) from 2015 to 2017. It was the first Holden Commodore model to be manufactured outside of Australia, following the closure of Holden's Australian car manufacturing facilities at Elizabeth, South Australia and Fishermans Bend, Victoria on Friday 20 October 2017.
It was the first Commodore in thirty years to come with a four-cylinder engine as standard, and controversially, the first in its forty year production not to have a V8 powertrain option. GM made the decision to discontinue Australian manufacturing of the Holden Commodore due to falling sales and losses.
The ZB Commodore proved to be unpopular in Australia resulting in cuts to the production schedule[2] and the lowest unit sales per month on record since the original VB Commodore was released in 1978.[3] November 2019 was the lowest month recorded with only 309 Commodores sold.[4]
The ZB Commodore, and the Commodore nameplate, was discontinued at the end of 2020 due to low sales. Two months later, The Holden brand would be retired altogether by 2021.[5]
Development
Development for the ZB Commodore started in 2012, with Holden helping Opel design and develop the next generation Insignia, catering it to Australian conditions.
Once the car was ready, prototypes were sent to Australia for testing. Holden completed over 100,000 km of testing, with engineers bracing the cars to withstand local roads and make it feel similar to previous Commodore generations.[6]
Safety
Akin to its VF Commodore predecessor, the ZB achieved five stars in the ANCAP safety ratings. Originally, the ZB ANCAP rating was awarded based on the Euro NCAP test of a 1.6 litre model which was not sold in Australia.[7] ANCAP conducted an audit test on specification of Australia V6 and confirmed its rating.[8]
Compared to the VF Commodore, Holden rearranged the specification levels and model nameplates, with only the Calais (and Calais-V) surviving into the ZB series, this name having originated in the VK-series of 1984 as a luxury focused model. Various price cuts were made and wagon variants are more expensive.
Commodore LT
Commodore LT Sportwagon
The LT was the new entry level Commodore, replacing the previous generation's Evoke model, which was also $3,935 cheaper than the predecessor's drive away price. It featured a front wheel drive 2.0L Turbo four cylinder engine with a nine speed automatic, or an optional 2.0L diesel, with an eight speed automatic.
It came with 17" alloy wheels, Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Keep Assist, a 7" MyLink system with Apple CarPlay & Android Auto and Passive Entry & Push Button Start as standard. The model was available as a liftback or a wagon.
The RS was a visually sportier improvement over the LT model, with an upgraded interior featuring different seats and steering wheel. It also possessed more safety features, including Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. The RS had two drivetrain choices, a front wheel drive 2.0L Turbo four cylinder engine with a nine speed Automatic, or an All Wheel Drive 3.6L V6 (available as an exclusive option with the liftback body style). It came with 18" alloy wheels. The model was available as a liftback or a wagon.
The RS–V was similar to the RS Model but included more features such as an upgraded 8" MyLink system incorporating satellite navigation, wireless phone charging, Hi Per Strut Suspension and an Adaptive AWD system. Only the V6 AWD powertrain was offered in liftback and wagon forms.
The VXR was Holden's new flagship model following Holden's decision to rest the well known SS nameplate along with the V8 Engine configuration. The VXR nameplate was originally used for the British Vauxhall VXR. It featured 20" alloy wheels, sportier lavishings and leather seats with a massage function. Safety features included a 360 degree camera and Continuous Damping Control Suspension. It was only available in a liftback with the V6 powertrain.
Retaining the previous generation's familiar name, the Calais was the base premium model. Standard equipment included 18" alloy wheels, leather seating with a heating function, wireless phone charging, Blind Spot Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and an 8" MyLink system. Available as a Liftback or Tourer, the former received the 2.0L petrol four cylinder engine, or an optional diesel engine, while the wagon was exclusively fitted with the V6 powertrain.
Carrying over the previous generation "V" flair, the Calais–V was the flagship premium model. Standard offerings included 20" alloy wheels, an Adaptive AWD system, a 360 degree camera, and massaging driver seat. It was available in either a liftback or a wagon bodystyle, with the V6 powertrain being the only on offer.
For marketing purposes, the ZB Commodore was raced in various motorsport disciplines, including Supercars. However, the race cars generally had no physical or mechanical relationship with the production model, other than similar looks, as an exterior shell was built to resemble the road going cars, with a rear wheel drive tube frame chassis underneath.
Supercars Championship
The ZB Commodore is used by teams running Holdens in the Supercars Championship. Powered by the same V8 engine as used in the VF, a turbo-charged V6 engine was under development for use in 2019, however the project was cancelled in April 2018 amid engineering concerns that the V6 would not be competitive.[9][10]
Sales
Sales of the new Commodore commenced in February 2018. The ZB is the first Commodore produced outside of Australia since the nameplates induction in 1978, leading to much public backlash.
Consumer uptake and acceptance have been the lowest for any Commodore branded vehicle in the history of Holden manufacturing, however, this has also come at the same time as the nameplate has shifted market segment and competition, with the ZB outperforming all but the Toyota Camry in the Medium/Large segment, including the Mazda6 and Ford Mondeo.[11]
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Total
2018
—
363
516
473
885
946
516
635
672
663
701
6,370
Future developments
When the decision was made to cease vehicle production in Australia and source the ZB Commodore from Europe, Opel was still a subsidiary of GM. That ceased on 1 August 2017 when Opel and Vauxhall were sold to Groupe PSA. These new owners of Opel/Holden have announced that they will transfer the Opel Insignia platform to PSA platforms as early as 2021, which means the current model would be discontinued as PSA plans to export PSA-based, Opel "Holden" models globally from 2018 onwards.[12][13]
On October 17, 2018, Holden halted production on the Commodore due to slow sales and unsold inventory at its dealerships.[14] The Holden Commodore will cease to exist by the end of 2019, with the ZB becoming convincingly the lowest selling version ever.
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