General Motors Company’s [NYSE:GM] Australian division Holden has given us our first look at its final Commodore fully developed and built in Australia. The new model, internally referred to as the VF Series II and due on sale towards the end of the year, is actually an update of the VF Commodore launched in 2013 which itself is an update of the VE Commodore launched all the way back in 2006 and sold here as the Pontiac G8.
The VF Series II will be unveiled September 13 and is expected to benefit from a few minor cosmetic tweaks as well as some mechanical updates that bring higher specification variants closer in spec to our own Chevrolet SS. Crucially, some of the cosmetic tweaks may also feature on the Chevy SS.
From the single teaser shot, it looks like there’s some extra chrome detailing on the grille in addition to a revised bumper. Note, this is probably one of the Commodore’s performance variants. Expect regular models to feature less bling and a more conservative bumper design. Key among the upgrades for the VF Series II is believed to be the adoption of GM’s 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 in the sporty Commodore SS variant instead of the 6.0-liter V-8 currently used.
With Holden confirmed to cease production in Australia by the end of 2017, future generations of the Commodore will simply by rebadged versions of other GM products. The next Commodore due in 2018 is currently thought to be either a stretched version of the next-generation Opel Insignia or a version of Buick’s next LaCrosse. This would mean a Commodore based on a front-wheel-drive platform for the first time, ending four decades of rear-wheel-drive Commodore heritage. Of course, there’s also the outside possibility that Holden may opt for a production version of Buick’s impressive Avenir concept, should such a car be built.
Stay tuned for the full reveal next weekend.
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