New Malibu to be Offered in Australia as a Holden, will Sit Between the Cruze and the Commodore

Last week, GM released the first teaser photo of its upcoming Chevrolet Malibu ahead of its global debut on Monday, April 18. The next generation of the Malibu is the first Chevy mid-sized model designed for the global market and will be sold in up to 100 countries around the world including Australia where it will be launched under the Holden brand.

The Holden Malibu will arrive in Australia for the first time in 2012 with a range of four cylinder engines, effectively replacing the unpopular Epica, a badge-engineered version of the South Korean Daewoo Tosca, which itself had taken the place of the Vectra.

“The Malibu will play an important role within the Holden line-up, providing a spacious and efficient four-cylinder alternative for Australian customers,” said Holden Chairman and Managing Director Mike Devereux.

The Holden official added that the new Malibu will fit between the compact-sized Cruze Series II, which is now manufactured in Australia for the local market, and the larger Commodore.

“[The] Malibu will bridge the gap between our incredibly successful Cruze small car and Australia’s favourite car, the best-selling Commodore. It will be a standout on the road, with striking styling in the same vein as recent additions to the GM portfolio, including the new-generation Barina and Cruze hatch. Like the Holden Cruze, Malibu will surprise customers with its array of clever technologies and features,” Devereux added.

The styling changes over the Chevrolet-badged Malibu are expected to be limited to a Holden-specific grille and possibly, some other minor details too.

CHEVROLET MALIBU

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HOLDEN EPICA

Sport Truck Redux: New Rumors About the Holden Ute Heading to the U.S.A.

It’s a poorly kept secret that many Americans are quite fond of the Australian-made and Commodore-derived, Holden Ute, which we recently drove in Queensland. It’s big, brutish and comfortable with a bevy of engine and equipment options to suit virtually any budget or taste - so long as those tastes only extend to, “Big, brutish V6 or V8 engined utes”.

Before the Global Financial Crisis of 2009, the subsequent bankruptcy GM and the disillusion of the Pontiac brand, as many as half of the Holden Commodores built in Australia were destined for the U.S. and the world in the form of the Pontiac G8. A thinly disguised Holden Ute even made a showing at the 2008 New York Auto Show as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck.

Since then – and after GM’s government sponsored recovery – rumors have been rife that the Holden Commodore and its ute bodied brethren could return to the United States badged as Chevrolets. With petrol prices on the rise once again and the predictable financial struggle some tradesmen have been experiencing, many are looking to downsize.

Ex-Holden boss and current GM President, North America, Mark Reuss explains:

“The bandwidth we have on pick-up trucks in the US is huge. When you look at fuel prices today, I think there's going to be a segmentation of that bandwidth. I've lived in Australia and I've seen where fuel prices are US$5 a gallon, and lots of tradesmen will use a ute with a tray on the back to do lots of different things, and they don't need the bandwidth of a big pick-up truck.”

So there’s certainly a market for the Holden Ute (or a Holden Ute-derived vehicle) in the U.S., though there probably won’t be an attempt at conquering the North American market until the VE Commodore’s successor lands Down Under in 2014. New emissions regulations set to be introduced stateside in 2016 are likely to make conditions all the riper for a lighter, sportier model to sit alongside Chevrolet and GMC’s more “heavy duty” models.

By Tristan Hankins

Via Drive , Live Pics Tristan Hankins/CoolPictures

PHOTO GALLERY

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2011 HOLDEN VE SERIES II UTE