Commodore ZB Discounted by $5k. VF Marked Up.

[csv8]

MOTOR
"ZB Holden Commodore discounted, VFII still marked up
By Daniel DeGasperi, 31 Aug 2018 News
ZB Commodore discounted VFII marked up news
Holden dealers hold new VFII Commodore stock, but discount ZB Commodore

Holden sold just 12 locally made vehicles in July 2018 – including seven utes, three Commodores and two Caprice – but the figures clearly don’t tell the whole story here.

According to a list of new and demo vehicles available, there are a staggering 130 SS V Redline models, 15 Motorsport Editions and 14 base SS grades still available in dealerships. All have fewer than 100km showing, mostly unregistered but listed as new or demo stock.

It seems the SS V Redline sedan and Sportwagon were built in enough volume that they are now proving difficult to budge – or in some cases are marked up by a prohibitive amount – given the context that there are only five SS V Redline utes and zero Magnum utes available.

MOTOR has reported on this before, but it wasn’t expected that a cumulative 165-unit backlog of brand new vehicles would be still on-sale as total Holden volume tanks, and the new ZB Commodore manages a dim 554-unit monthly haul. But the mark-ups provide clues.


The most affordable SS V Redline sedan was spotted at $53,490 plus on-road costs, $1000 below the new recommended-retail price, however an incredible 50 vehicles have been priced between $61,490 and $69,990 – in some cases plus on-roads, in others driveaway.

Meanwhile the entire 15 Motorsport Editions are priced between $69,990 and $76,490 plus on-roads – with one dealer spruiking a ‘new car’ as ‘run-out stock’ for $75,118 driveaway.



These are mark-ups of in some cases between $10K and $15K over recommended retail, at the same time as discounts of $3600 to $7000 are being given to the new ZB Commodore.

Previously on MOTOR: ZB Commodore charts minor wins amidst decline

The most affordable new or demo 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Commodore LT available asks $28,886 driveaway with 12km showing, a $7104 discount of Holden’s formal $35,990 driveaway deal. And while a boggo model grade with 17-inch alloy wheels isn’t usually MOTOR territory, it’s arguably the ZB pick with an SV6-challenging 190kW/350Nm.



Okay, you actually want a modern day SV6? The Commodore RS turbo with the same engine can be found from $33,990 driveaway with 45km showing, a $5000 discount off retail. Upgrade – though it is actually a downgrade these days – that spec to the all-wheel drive, 3.6-litre naturally aspirated V6 version for $38,888 driveaway, $3602 off the retail price.

If the new German import isn’t a ‘real’ Commodore to some, then at least you may get the last laugh, because a turbo-four ZB is a better drive than old SV6 – even if, we agree, the new V6 is far from good enough as a semi-sporty successor for the V8-powered VFII icons".https://www.whichcar.com.au/news/zb-...vfii-marked-up

[jpd80]

This is a giant middle finger to GM......

[Ford17]

A letter in the latest Wheels magazine summed up the new Commodore replacement: "Holden have done their job of replacing Charlie Sheen with Ashton Kutcher".

[Craig@AUDI]

Originally Posted by Ford17

A letter in the latest Wheels magazine summed up the new Commodore replacement: "Holden have done their job of replacing Charlie Sheen with Ashton Kutcher".

[Bossxr8]

I wonder if any of the high priced VF's the dealers are holding onto actually sell?

Cause surely holding onto them costs the dealer money, having to keep it sitting there doing nothing.

[You Yangs]

I've seen three ZB's on the road TOTAL, two wagons and one sedan.
Absolute disaster for Holden, a lot of the sales must be demos still sitting in the yard because from what I've seen no one is buying them.

[FairmontGS]

Mind boggling Giveaway prices for essentially new large cars. They must be bleeding $...

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/hol...srcx=makemodel

[b0son]

They should change their name to Holdin-on

[ozrunner]

Wow ,looking at all those ZB's on Carsales is an eye opener.

No offence to this guy but he brought it sometime in the last 8 months, did 9300/7500klm's and now wants to unload it for a bigger family car !!!!

Obviously didn't check if it would be large enough for the proposed family 8 months ago or maybe Mum now hates it so he's dumping $10k in 8 months to try and get rid off it.

Not a good look for resale value if you're silly enough to buy one

https://www.carsales.com.au/private/...5605624/?Cr=18

[IanC]

Originally Posted by ozrunner

Wow ,looking at all those ZB's on Carsales is an eye opener.

No offence to this guy but he brought it sometime in the last 8 months, did 9300/7500klm's and now wants to unload it for a bigger family car !!!!

Obviously didn't check if it would be large enough for the proposed family 8 months ago or maybe Mum now hates it so he's dumping $10k in 8 months to try and get rid off it.

Not a good look for resale value if you're silly enough to buy one

https://www.carsales.com.au/private/...5605624/?Cr=18

Maybe it is a lemon which has given so much trouble that he has given up on it.

[Venomous1]

$29k already wow.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

Mind boggling Giveaway prices for essentially new large cars. They must be bleeding $...

https://www.carsales.com.au/cars/hol...srcx=makemodel

Scrolling through that page looking at the sea of white, LT base model sedans and all I can think of is what a bland, uninspiring collection of steel, rubber and glass. And people thought the Camry was bland!

[Sprintey]

This is what the abandonment of locally made RWD family sedans, wagons and utes looks like.

[Sprintey]

& is also a textbook example of what happens when a company tells its customers what they should like, rather than what they historically like through their purchases

[Syndrome]

[Ben73]

They blend in like some anonymous Kia.

I thought I have only seen 5 on the road, but now I'm think maybe I have seen many more and have looked straight through them.

[eb2fairmont]

29 k is a lot of car for the money

[CyberWasp]

They should be paying people 5K to take them off the lot.

[bungarra]

I spend a bit of time in hire cars travelling for work. 3 hire companies have told me the same thing, avoiding the new Commodore due to issues found during testing and the fact the maintenance schedule is nto as flexible as the old Falcon and Commodores.

[Dauphin]

Originally Posted by You Yangs

I've seen three ZB's on the road TOTAL, two wagons and one sedan.
Absolute disaster for Holden, a lot of the sales must be demos still sitting in the yard because from what I've seen no one is buying them.

I haven't even seen a single one!

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Venomous1

$29k already wow.

carsales still has the base models priced higher than a Mondeo base model?

making the Mondeo better value

[MITCHAY]

I only just spotted one a few weeks ago. And I only just caught it as it was going by. Not a particularly bad looking car but not something I can see myself buying.

Everyone knew this was going to happen but Holden it seems. It may be the case they knew it too but just had to make the best of what they get.

[Pepscobra]

My unbiased view is that it's not a bad looking and well packaged vehicle.
In any other market it probably would do ok.

But the worst thing Holden did was call it Commodore.
Instead of embracing it as a new model on its own merits, the buying public are shunning it for what it's obviously not.

[MITCHAY]

Originally Posted by Pepscobra

My unbiased view is that it's not a bad looking and well packaged vehicle.
In any other market it probably would do ok.

But the worst thing Holden did was call it Commodore.
Instead of embracing it as a new model on its own merits, the buying public are shunning it for what it's obviously not.

As they did when it was a Opel Insignia and no one bought it. How they thought putting a Commodore badge would sell more is beyond me.

[CyberWasp]

Car Companies are like Politicians in that the last people they listen to are the Public.

[stazza]

Ahhh this makes me warm and fuzzy inside. So good.

**** Holden.

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by Ben73

They blend in like some anonymous Kia.

I thought I have only seen 5 on the road, but now I'm think maybe I have seen many more and have looked straight through them.

Anyone seen these in traffic and remarked, “ hey that’s a new ZB”, and upon closer inspection... “ wait, that’s not a Holden badge” are you sure those 5 were not actually Hyundai’s ? Lol

[malazn mafia]

Originally Posted by eb2fairmont

29 k is a lot of car for the money

Sounds like what happened when Mitsubishi Australia realised things were not going to get any better, and dropped the prices on the 380. The ZB is more Vectra than commodore, they should have retired the name Commodore and used Vectra instead

[Fordman1]

Apparently sales of this dud are going to skyrocket to several thousand per month?

Someone here said so, I can’t remember who that was though.

[Crazy Dazz]

Originally Posted by MITCHAY

Everyone knew this was going to happen but Holden it seems. It may be the case they knew it too but just had to make the best of what they get.

End of the day, they were closing Australia production and axing the Commodore. It was always going to happen.
Beauty of flogging imports is that if they sell, they sell, and if not, it's nothing lost really.