Holden 2008 VE Commodore Sportswagon
The new wagon, which goes on sale mid July, sacrifices the load-carrying ability of its VZ predecessor for a more stylish profile and improved roadholding.
The company’s director of marketing, Phillip Brook, says Holden is looking to attract more private buyers to the wagon by hitting the “sweet spot between form and function”.
He says the company is targeting people who may have made the switch out of a large sedan into a four-wheel-drive, as well current sedan owners who might be on the verge of defecting to 4WDs.
“There’s people who drive sedans now who want something a bit more practical and might be thinking about a [4WD] so this is an alternative and then there are people who have been in 4WDs and might be looking at coming back. So it’s a bit of both, to stop people going and to drag some back,” he says.
“The Sportwagon is a serious alternative to the [4WD].”
He says the company is targeting people who may have made the switch out of a large sedan into a four-wheel-drive, as well current sedan owners who might be on the verge of defecting to 4WDs.
“There’s people who drive sedans now who want something a bit more practical and might be thinking about a [4WD] so this is an alternative and then there are people who have been in 4WDs and might be looking at coming back. So it’s a bit of both, to stop people going and to drag some back,” he says.
“The Sportwagon is a serious alternative to the [4WD].”
Sales of large sedans have plummeted in the past five years, while people can’t seem to get enough of 4WDs.
In 2002, Holden sold roughly 90,000 Commodores, while the total number of 4WDs sold was just 140,000. Last year, Commodore sales slumped to less than 60,000, compared with almost 200,000 4WD sales.
This year, Commodore sales are down by 23.5 per cent, while sales of medium-sized 4WDs are up by more than 20 per cent.
In 2002, Holden sold roughly 90,000 Commodores, while the total number of 4WDs sold was just 140,000. Last year, Commodore sales slumped to less than 60,000, compared with almost 200,000 4WD sales.
This year, Commodore sales are down by 23.5 per cent, while sales of medium-sized 4WDs are up by more than 20 per cent.
Meanwhile, Holden has been without a Commodore wagon for the first six months of the year.
Brook says the previous model VZ wagon attracted an average of 900 buyers a month in its last year on sale, but he is unwilling to reveal a target for the new vehicle.
“The market will decide that…we’re not sure. We might be completely off track. Customers might not see it as an alternative at a retail level but the reaction so far has been very, very positive,” he says.
While the previous VZ Commodore wagon shared the longer wheelbase of the Statesman and Caprice limousines, the Sportwagon is based on the shorter sedan underpinnings.
The new model is about 14cm shorter than the VZ, while its cargo volume is down by between 507 litres (second row seats up) and 752 litres (seats folded).
Brook says the previous model VZ wagon attracted an average of 900 buyers a month in its last year on sale, but he is unwilling to reveal a target for the new vehicle.
“The market will decide that…we’re not sure. We might be completely off track. Customers might not see it as an alternative at a retail level but the reaction so far has been very, very positive,” he says.
While the previous VZ Commodore wagon shared the longer wheelbase of the Statesman and Caprice limousines, the Sportwagon is based on the shorter sedan underpinnings.
The new model is about 14cm shorter than the VZ, while its cargo volume is down by between 507 litres (second row seats up) and 752 litres (seats folded).
Brook says the company is looking to attract a much higher percentage of private buyers to the wagon. Roughly 90 per cent of VZ wagon buyers were fleet customers.
To that end, Holden has seven models in the VE wagon range, compared with just three in the VZ. There is no LPG model, though.
To that end, Holden has seven models in the VE wagon range, compared with just three in the VZ. There is no LPG model, though.
Holden’s chief designer Richard Ferlazzo says the Sportwagon is designed to shake off the dowdy image of station wagons.
“We all know that wagons have long suffered something of an image crisis, second only to people movers in lack of sex appeal – practical but not always desirable,” he says.
“The message we get from the popularity of [4WDs] is that buyers are willing to trade some outright space for functionality and style,” he says.
While most 4WD buyers, particularly women, are attracted by the high-riding seating position, Brook believes the more car-like Commodore has other benefits.
“Yes a [4WD] has a high ride height but in terms of the way they drive, there’s no comparison,” he says.
Holden will also be reminding customers of the better road-holding of the-low riding Commodore.
Four-wheel-drives are inherently more prone to rollovers because of their higher centre of gravity.
The wagon doesn’t, however, have a rear vision camera, as many of its 4WD competitors do. Instead, rear parking sensors are standard – the only difference in equipment levels to the sedan range.
All Sportwagon models are $1000 more than their sedan equivalents.
Holden spent $110 million on the sportwagon program and the company says more than 70 body parts are unique to the wagon. The rear suspension is also unique to the wagon and features stiffer springs.
The body structure, however, was developed in parallel with the sedan and is the same length.
Pricing starts at $37,790 for the Omega, which is $200 less than a rear-wheel-drive Ford Territory and $2200 less than a Toyota Kluger.
The top of the range Calais V V8 with six-speed automatic is $60,290.
The wagon weighs roughly 90kg more than the sedan and fuel consumption on the base model V6 Omega is slightly higher than the sedan, at 11.1 litres per 100km on the Omega (the sedan uses 10.8l/100km), but lower on the V8 auto models (13.8L/100km vs 13.9L/100km). The rear-wheel-drive Territory uses 12.2L/100km, while the Kluger uses 11L/100km.
As with the sedan, stability control and six airbags are standard across the range.
“We all know that wagons have long suffered something of an image crisis, second only to people movers in lack of sex appeal – practical but not always desirable,” he says.
“The message we get from the popularity of [4WDs] is that buyers are willing to trade some outright space for functionality and style,” he says.
While most 4WD buyers, particularly women, are attracted by the high-riding seating position, Brook believes the more car-like Commodore has other benefits.
“Yes a [4WD] has a high ride height but in terms of the way they drive, there’s no comparison,” he says.
Holden will also be reminding customers of the better road-holding of the-low riding Commodore.
Four-wheel-drives are inherently more prone to rollovers because of their higher centre of gravity.
The wagon doesn’t, however, have a rear vision camera, as many of its 4WD competitors do. Instead, rear parking sensors are standard – the only difference in equipment levels to the sedan range.
All Sportwagon models are $1000 more than their sedan equivalents.
Holden spent $110 million on the sportwagon program and the company says more than 70 body parts are unique to the wagon. The rear suspension is also unique to the wagon and features stiffer springs.
The body structure, however, was developed in parallel with the sedan and is the same length.
Pricing starts at $37,790 for the Omega, which is $200 less than a rear-wheel-drive Ford Territory and $2200 less than a Toyota Kluger.
The top of the range Calais V V8 with six-speed automatic is $60,290.
The wagon weighs roughly 90kg more than the sedan and fuel consumption on the base model V6 Omega is slightly higher than the sedan, at 11.1 litres per 100km on the Omega (the sedan uses 10.8l/100km), but lower on the V8 auto models (13.8L/100km vs 13.9L/100km). The rear-wheel-drive Territory uses 12.2L/100km, while the Kluger uses 11L/100km.
As with the sedan, stability control and six airbags are standard across the range.
