Holden Ute

Holden Ute

The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors (GM) in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model. Opel continued to provide the basis for future generations until the launch of the fourth generation in 2006, which deployed an Australian developed platform.

Initially introduced as a single sedan body style, the range expanded in 1979 to include a station wagon, with utility and long-wheelbase Statesman/Caprice derivatives following in 1990. The foundations for a revived Monaro coupé, four-door Holden Crewman utility, and all-wheel drive Adventra crossover were provided by the now discontinued third generation architecture. From 1984, Holden began branding the flagship Commodore model as Holden Calais; the Holden Berlina and Holden Ute followed in 1988 and 2000, respectively. These were known previously as the Commodore Berlina and Commodore utility.

Rivalry has come predominantly from the Ford Falcon—also locally built. Prior to the 1988 onwards second generation Commodore, the Holden was positioned a full class below the full-size Falcon. To a lesser degree, competition has also come from Toyota, and previously Mitsubishi Motors, with their mid-size cars. Between 1989 and 1997, Toyota retailed a Toyota Lexcen version of the second generation Commodore. With the introduction of generation three in 1997, Holden broadened the Commodore's export plans. Since the late-1990s, Commodores have been sent abroad as the Chevrolet Lumina and Chevrolet Omega, with Vauxhall VXR8 sales beginning in 2007. Versions have also been previously exported in the mid-1990s to Southeast Asia as the Opel Calais, and to North America between 2007 and 2009 as the Pontiac G8.