Holden VF Commodore, Calais, Sportwagon & Ute - Free On-Roads and $1,000 Factory Bonus

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Holden Australia

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  pmupsinep on 01/10/2014 - 18:25

  Increase prices then give discount = bargain?

  • 

    Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 01/10/2014 - 18:28

    Saw that article, but the price rise isn't more than the discount I can assure you :)

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  LaTerrible on 01/10/2014 - 18:36

  +1

  Hmmm, Calais V Sportwagon with these bonuses may be tempting. I'm ducking into my local Ford dealer on Friday to get the final details on the upcoming XR8 (at last!!), I think I'll swing into the next door Holden dealer and have a gander too.

  This must be to clear stock before the SII models, right? Any idea if the SII is going to end up with flappy paddle gearboxes? I'm finding car buying to be like computer upgrading - I'm forever waiting for the next best thing at the moment. My desire to play Shadow of Mordor may force my hand on grabbing a 970 though. /tangent

  • 

    Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 01/10/2014 - 19:22

    Calais V Sportwagon works out to $56,485 for the V8 :)

    No info yet on S2, I think it's a sale for the sake of a sale lol Commodore has been very popular for Holden this year

    • 

      LaTerrible on 01/10/2014 - 19:39

      $56k is a pretty reasonable discount on the norm ($61k from memory?) Thanks.

      Yeah, and the VF Commodore deserves to be. I test drove an SSV sedan earlier this year and loved every damn second of it, didn't want to hand the keys back!

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  Peace Maker on 01/10/2014 - 19:01

  +1

  Quite surprised these are all manual transmissions. I thought all commodores were default auto trans over the last 10 years or more?? I thought manual would be a special order item?

  • 

    Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 01/10/2014 - 19:23

    Happy to provide automatic prices, but manual is the cheaper option, and very popular in V8 form

  • 

    montorola on 01/10/2014 - 20:36

    -3

    Automatics are lame, Manuals FTW!

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  Jack D Price on 01/10/2014 - 20:46

  7 year warranty??

  • 

    Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 01/10/2014 - 20:49

    Not like kia do a comparable car to any of the models mentioned…

    • 

      Jack D Price on 02/10/2014 - 12:59

      Alas Holden does not do a comparable warranty… = goneski

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  2ndeffort on 01/10/2014 - 22:07

  $1K off RRP? Surely there are some tight @rses on here that could play 5 dealerships off against each other and get a better deal than that! I am in the market for a new car and if there was anything in the Holden Lineup that even remotely interested me I would almost take this as a personal challenge.

  • 

    Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 01/10/2014 - 22:10

    $1k plus stamp duty, ctp and registration. As laterrible noted, that can be over $5k worth on the high-end models.

    Plus negotiation on the price means nothing, if the manufacturer bonuses aren't there after the sale.

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  [Deactivated] on 02/10/2014 - 01:03

  If these cars are so popular, why are they out of production next year? Also, what is the point of a 7 year warranty if the company won't exist in a couple of years time?

  • 

    Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 02/10/2014 - 01:19

    +3

    They're out of production in 2017, so 3 years.
    And the company will still exist, just that the 2 locally made cars won't be. But there will still be parts etc for those cars.

    See, this is the problem, everyone believes the dealers are gonna shut their doors come 2017. Same with Ford. When you think that don't you wonder how Hyundai / kia / Subaru exist? It just means all car brands will be imported, simple as that!

    • 

      killergreely on 02/10/2014 - 08:17

      And I'll bet the workforce is putting in an extra special effort to make the highest quality vehicles they can, now that they know all their jobs are redundant…

      • 

        LaTerrible on 02/10/2014 - 09:40

        +1

        Cute.

        There is an enormous amount of pride held by everyone involved with the VF vehicles, and the FGX for that matter. No acrimony - there is no reason for the workers to make dud vehicles, as that would be their legacy. They're better served making them the best they can.

    • 

      [Deactivated] on 02/10/2014 - 12:15

      You are delusional if you think they will be in production till 2017. The government isn't going to keep flogging a dead horse, and despite you claiming that they are unbelievably popular, sales figures say otherwise. Its nice to think there will be lots of parts, but most of the suppliers have dried up already, long term prospects don't appear good, unless you opt for the V8s. The brand may well become just an import brand, but if the government allows for personal imports, as has been mooted, who on earth is going to buy a Holden captive, when they can get a low mileage X5 delivered from the UK for the same price? GM products here are generally rebadged Daewoos, not a brand associated with quality or ingenuity. I can't see Holden in any form being able to compete with the new emerging market, where the price difference between a base car and a luxury car is not measured in order of magnitude, but in merely a few thousand dollars. I think you will find that all the Calais sales will go straight to 5 series and E classes for $50k, and the only area Holden will be able to compete in (maybe) will be the ultra-small super budget segment.

      • 

        Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 02/10/2014 - 12:35

        +2

        Ok I'll bite…

        http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/D8FB1163DC…
        VFACTS August - Market was down as a whole, however the Commodore was the highest selling locally produced car, and 5th highest selling car for the month overall.

        Parts have to be supplied for 8 years after purchase, look at Mitsubishi, same thing. (I believe it's a government thing that they have to.)

        http://www.motoring.com.au/news/2014/scrap-lct-and-allow-mor…
        "We have no intention of allowing Australia to become the dumping ground for other countries’ old second-hand vehicles,” he said.
        The news reported on 1 day about a proposal for the government to allow 'grey imports', not personal imports as you mentioned. The next day the government squashed the idea. As half of your argument is based around that minor 'fact', enough said about that :)

        Holden has Korean imports, Thai imports, and will soon be importing from Europe with some of the Opel models. So minority of the vehicles will be Korean made.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 02/10/2014 - 15:38

        @Spackbace:

        The market was down as a whole because of trade vehicle sales, passenger vehicle sales were up.

        Even if there is legislation for parts to be supplied for 8 years, who is going to be held accountable? Holden will cease to exist as we know it, and merely be an import/export company. At this point customer loyalty is not a high priority to them, getting stock out the door is.

        You have selectively chosen a quote from the article you have cited to support your argument, and its out of context. The article gives the impression that relaxing import restrictions is very much on the agenda, but rules to not allow wrecks from Japan to be dumped here will be put in place:

        minister MacFarlane today said no decision has been taken to relax the restrictions relating to grey imports.

        "We have no intention of allowing Australia to become the dumping ground for other countries’ old second-hand vehicles,” he said.

        “This issue will be considered in detail as part of the government’s review of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989, mindful of the need to maintain the highest safeguards for consumers and the impact of any changes on the domestic car retail market.”

        This means that it is likely that personal imports will be allowed (as they are in other countries), and it will literally halve the cost on what is considered a 'luxury' vehicle here. Picking up an S class for the price of a top spec Caprice will be one of the possibilities. It won't be called a 'grey' import because that implies to vehicles that are not sold on the Australian market. The relaxation of import restrictions will mean you can import what you want, regardless of it is sold here.

        I have no idea why anyone would buy a Holden right now considering that our tax dollars are subsidising an industry that won't exist in a very short period of time. The government made the decision to stop paying local manufacturers increased subsidies with good reason, the locally made products cannot compete with foreign products, and do not meet consumer wants or demands. The only thing that kept Holden and Ford alive for the last decade was fleet sales, but even those are drying up in favour of more economical and appropriate vehicles. The only thing that Holden and Ford have done in the last few years, is inadvertently allowed foreign manufacturers to charge ridiculous prices (by world standards) on their cars, which they pitch as 'luxury vehicles'. Only a very few manufactures import their cars at internationally competitive prices (VW, Chrysler/Jeep). The rest rip us off, because they can (BMW, Mercedes, Audi). With Holden and Ford gone, and import restrictions relaxed, the price of these 'luxury' brands will plummet.

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        Associatedspackbace @ Holden Australia on 02/10/2014 - 15:52

        +1

        @thorton82:

        This means that it is likely that personal imports will be allowed (as they are in other countries), and it will literally halve the cost on what is considered a 'luxury' vehicle here.

        Please, look to NZ's import rules (very lax) and the turmoil that's thrown the country's automotive industry in. There are many cars driving around their roads that are over 10yrs old, and have nowhere near as many safety standards as a modern built car. Although I do like how you think the luxury European brands wont add an Australia Tax to the selling price of the vehicles here.
        What do you think would happen to their brand image if you could buy them for half the current price? Do you really think owners of those cars would be happy that an average Joe could buy a 7-Series for cheap? Not to mention the resale value it would cause on a current owner if purchase price for a new vehicle dropped by 50%. Seriously, never going to happen that a car manufacturer will drop selling price by 50%, regardless of the state of local manufacturing and import costs. Would cause more bad than good to their current owners and reputation.

        Lets put it another way, what if Apple could suddenly get an iPhone 6 into the country for half its current price, you think they'd sell it for $500? Nope, because the brand it all about image now, and they want it that when you see an iPhone, you think 'Wow, he can afford that". Image is everything in a brand.

        I have no idea why anyone would buy a Holden right now considering that our tax dollars are subsidising an industry that won't exist in a very short period of time. The government made the decision to stop paying local manufacturers increased subsidies with good reason, the locally made products cannot compete with foreign products, and do not meet consumer wants or demands.

        http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/04/car-industry-subsidi…

        Please, have a read of the above article if you're feeling in any way robbed of your tax going to the industry. Enlighten yourself on where your tax dollars go.

        With Holden and Ford gone, and import restrictions relaxed, the price of these 'luxury' brands will plummet.

        Please show me evidence.

      • 

        [Deactivated] on 02/10/2014 - 16:19

        @Spackbace:

        What automotive industry in New Zealand? They don't have one.

        All the government need to do to maintain standards is to limit imports to under 5 years old, and maintain the same taxation that is applicable now. That way they get the same, and its the Australian importers (who have been having it way too good, for way too long) who suffer. As a case in point, the total tax on a car like a 435i is higher in the UK than it is in Australia, yet the Australian 435i sells for double the UK price. That difference is purely going into the importers pockets.

        People don't care about how BMW Australia's brand image will suffer, they will just import their own for half the price. It only costs about $5k max to ship a car from the UK including insurance. Manufacturers won't like it, but to compete they will have to lower their prices, or everyone will just import.

        I know where my subsidies go, I would agree with subsidising Holden and Ford if they built competitive products that the market wanted, but they don't, they try and flog technological dinosaurs that no one wants. They can't sell them. They've had their shot, give the money to an industry that can adapt with the times.

        Im not sure how you want me to give you evidence of a future hypothetical event, but as an example, the Mercedes S350 costs $231,000 drive away in Victoria. In New Zealand with relaxed import restrictions, where manufactures have had to respond, the same car costs $AUD135,000.

        http://cars.nzeuro.com/cars/Mercedes-Benz/S-Class/999224683

        That is $100,000 cheaper. $135,000 is the drive away price of a moderately equipped E250 in Australia. The same price drop will happen here, if import restrictions get altered.