Holden ute could capitalise on struggling US

[Brazen]

Originally Posted by WAForce8

So true. The rest of this thread is irrelevant whilst thier economy is in tatters.

If money was the deciding factor why would you buy a ute that carries next to nothing anyway.

A sheet of Ply doesn't even fit in the back of a holden (or Ford) ute. If they wanted smaller cheaper to buy cheaper to run work vehicles they would buy a toyota drop side ute.

As work vehicles go both falcon and commodore utes are rubbish by comparison.

Gee I hope thats a joke... A Falcon cab-chassis is one of the best work utes you can get on the planet (apart from the shocking lack of ground clearance on the base XL that even a Japanese Corolla outdoes)

[naddis01]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

The next gen of dual cabs (which includes the T6/new Ford Ranger) are going to radically change this.

I certainly hope this is true. Although I must admit the ML Triton which I drive regularly is relatively comfortable however it handles like a boat.

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Also, the 'crewman' Falcon ute has been done. Remember the R5 ute concept?

If only. If only. I would love something like the R5 or even a production ute version of that 2007 Prodrive Territory thing.


Maybe Ford should build the ute off the Territory platform instead of the Falcon since there is LWB anymore?

[IDT]

Originally Posted by Brazen

Gee I hope thats a joke... A Falcon cab-chassis is one of the best work utes you can get on the planet (apart from the shocking lack of ground clearance on the base XL that even a Japanese Corolla outdoes)

I stand corrected I didn't think of CS. Pretty sad considering I owned an AUIII XR8 which I dumped the tub and put on a custom drop side tray for four years... Sorry about that moron moment

But on the same note; what chance have they got of ever being exported?

[vztrt]

Originally Posted by naddis01

Maybe Ford should build the ute off the Territory platform instead of the Falcon since there is LWB anymore?

That would be interesting to see. Since ute's seems to be moving over to the high riding type now. At least the comfort and handling would be there, just wonder what the load capacity would be.

Also the problem of an factory LPG model might cause an issue. But at least diesel would be there.

[Buntz]

Originally Posted by naddis01

Maybe Ford should build the ute off the Territory platform instead of the Falcon since there is LWB anymore?

Here's an even crazier thought of mine. Territory ute. But why bother when we have ranger?

They need to go back to the drawing board with ute and wagon, and make them a bit nicer on the eyes, and add more tech. And how about some nicer trim levels for wagon?

[vztrt]

http://theage.drive.com.au/motor-new...510-1egek.html

Commodore Ute to US: 100,000 votes needed
Barry Park
May 10, 2011 - 10:46AM

US website rallies to GM's Twitter call of 'If you ask for an El Camino ute, we'll do it'.

An off-the-cuff quip from General Motors' newly appointed chief marketing officer could be just the thing to help Holden's cause to sell the Commodore ute in the US.

Joel Ewanick, who made the jump from Hyundai to the US car maker late last year, recently joined the social networking service Twitter. He soon started interacting with Chevrolet fans, with many of them asking for the car maker to re-introduce a vehicle based on a cross between a truck (ute) and a car.

In response to one passionate request for a new-age El Camino, Ewanick wrote: ''Well, we need you and 100,000 more of your best friends.''
Advertisement: Story continues below

That was enough for US motoring website Jalopnik, which is now on a campaign to collect the names tally it needs to convince Ewanick to kick-start the ute program.

Former Holden managing director Mark Reuss, who now heads up GM's North American operations, told Drive recently that rising fuel prices and the weak US economy could open up space for the Commodore ute to find a place as low-cost tradesman's transport.

The groundwork has already been done, too. Holden has had one failed attempt to get the Commodore-based ute — the two-seat version has quite a lot in common with the four-door sedan it shares its name with, including the way it drives — into the US.

After building up hype, including a fan-based competition to name the US version of the ute as the Pontiac G8 ST, the program was cancelled in early 2009 as GM collapsed into bankruptcy and diverted it efforts to trying to keep the company alive rather than build new markets.

However, with GM since shelving the Pontiac name indefinitely, the new US version of a Holden ute would need to wear a Chevrolet badge — again spurring hope that the El Camino name could be resurrected.

GM has even shown a more rugged-looking version of the Commodore ute — badged the GMC Denali XT concept — in 2008, but the concept is yet to make it into production.

Jalopnik's call has only been out for a week so far, but already the website has collected more than 3000 names.

''Let's show GM [that] 'Merica wants the only car that's business up front with a party in the back,'' the website says.

[Road_Warrior]

The takeup rate of the Ecoboost F-150 pokes a fairly large hole in that business case.

[jpd80]

IMO, V8 Commodore Utes to the USA makes even less sense than Caprice PPV,
this is all wishful thinking from can do Holden guystouting exports at every turn..

[burnz]

Originally Posted by vztrt

Wasn't that the original plan. Export for a bit and when it gets popular start building in large numbers over there.

exactly, why waste money if it fails.
use a product thats allready running..

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by naddis01

Maybe Ford should build the ute off the Territory platform instead of the Falcon since there is LWB anymore?

Falcon ute didn't have anything to do with sedan and S'Wagon siblings, it's a half chassis hybrid build.
Why couldn't you just use Territory's front and rear suspension for a new RTV......

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by jpd80

Falcon ute didn't have anything to do with sedan and S'Wagon siblings, it's a half chassis hybrid build.
Why couldn't you just use Territory's front and rear suspension for a new RTV......

The RTV was so simple it was money for jam for Ford. Higher ride height courtesy of higher springs and shocks (the aftermarket can come to the rescue there), an electric diff locker and plastic wheelarch mouldings.

Although I do wonder how a Territory-based ute would go with the Terri's AWD system. A degree of off-road capacity without the kidney smashing antics of a 4x4 'pickup'...

[Dave_au]

The ute won't be going to the US - at least not a ute made here with an exchange rate hovering over $1USD, they would be losing money.

[Bossxr8]

The exchange rate has been predicted to soar even higher, some experts say that if the US doesn't start reducing its massive debt then it could soar to as high as $1.70 Aus.

Holden would still probably claim they could make money even on that price lol.

[Chopped]

With no real export opportunities, the Commodore ute will die a slow death like the Falcon ute will.

One day we will look back and say "how good were those sedan based utes, why did they ever stop making them!".