End Of The Road For GM Holden's Zeta Platform?Motoring Channel Staff - 19/January/2009
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GM's vice president Bob Lutz stands with the
Pontiac G8, which sits on the Zeta platform
The Chevy Camaro is the last US-bound "Zeta" car:
The 'Global' Rear-Wheel Drive platform will probably
just be the 'Australian' Rear-Wheel Drive platform now
Pontiac G8 ST competition winner chose
the Torrent GXP to replace the Aussie Ute
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Detroit, America — Mirroring the recent news
that Ford will end its push to create a new generation of rear-wheel
drive vehicles, the Chevrolet Camaro will be the last GM-built vehicle
to use the Australian designed Zeta (a.k.a global rear-wheel drive
platform)platform. "The strategy we had a few years ago of basically deriving a whole
sweeping global portfolio off the Australian Zeta architecture …
frankly, we have had to abandon that dream," GM's car czar Bob Lutz
told the GoAuto website. Australian-based
Holden has been the 'go-to' company for General Motor's global
rear-wheel drive expertise with research, development and production
of vehicles destined for the Middle East, Asia and America carried
out in Australia. It was originally thought that the Zeta
platform would underpin several more export vehicles, many of which
destined for the USA, but the Australian-based Zeta platform expansion
now appears to have run out of steam. The dire
financial situation faced by General Motors and other car
companies in the U.S. has affected much of GM's product development,
and many other car companies are in the same boat, slashing costs by
cancelling upcoming cars. What was once a plan for a range of
rear-wheel drive vehicles to rival BMWs line-up, including vehicles
smaller than the Commodore/G8, has been cut short. The business
plan for large rear-wheel drive vehicles in the US has taken a major
hit as larger, heavier vehicles are becoming less popular with new car
buyers. Furthermore, GM wants to allocate as much investment as it
can to its upcoming electric vehicle development, which includes the
Chevrolet Volt. The Zeta platform currently underpins the
Australian model Holden Commodore and the American model Pontiac G8 and
Chevrolet Camaro. Prior to the current global financial crisis, General Motors had plans to develop more cars based on the Zeta platform. The fate of the company's Alpha platform, which was to be used for smaller sized next-generation rear--wheel
drive cars, is not yet clear, but as GM is attempting to reduce costs
and is selling assets, it is possible that more platforms will be cut.
In
other General Motors news, the recent cancellation of U.S. exports of
the Holden VE Ute has caused a mild dilemma for the American brand
Pontiac. For more than a year General Motors in America have been
gearing up for the U.S. arrival of the Pontiac G8 ST, a slightly
modified version of the VE Holden Commodore. As exports of this
vehicle have been abandoned due to the financial squeeze, Pontiac
found itself in an awkward situation because the the winner of "naming
competition" for the Pontiac G8 ST was expecting to receive a
brand new ute. Obviously this isn't possible now, just the winner
of the competition, Joseph Warren, was offered any Pontiac vehicle with
a similar price point. Instead of a V8-powered, Australian-made
muscle ute, the American winner chose a Pontiac Torrent GXP -
essentially and mid-sized SUV or crossover vehicle. Who said no one wants SUVs anymore? Related Links:
- Pontiac Sports Truck (2009)
- Pontiac 1977 Trans Am (Road Test)
- Holden VE Ute: SS vs SV6 (Road Test)
- Ford, GM, Chrysler: Restructured (2009)
- Adelaide Motor Show Cancelled (2009)
- End Game for Saab, Pontiac? (2008)
- Pontiac G8 (2008)
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