THE rear-wheel drive program for General Motors in North America is not dead and nor is Holden’s role in it.
So says Holden chairman and managing director, Denny Mooney, and executive director of engineering, Tony Hyde, in an exclusive interview with GoAuto. Holden says it has a man on the ground in North America working on
GM’s rear-wheel drive strategy and up to 10 Melbourne-based engineers
working on global architecture programs with GM in North America.
“There was a particular sensitivity in Australiaabout some of the comments that came out of North America when they cancelled the Zetabased
products in the future portfolio,” Mr Mooney said. “That statement fundamentally said that the Zeta program had been cancelled but (GM global
product boss) Bob Lutz has since said that rearwheel drive is not dead in North America and that GM is continuing to work on alternatives.
“The reality is that we (Holden) are part of (the process) working on what those alternatives are going to be.” Mr Mooney said that all that happened was that GM decided to place a greater priority on developing new-generation 4WD wagons, known as SUVs in the United States, and pick-ups ahead of the Zetabased products.
He said that Holden had engineers, including one “on the ground in the States”, working with North America “on what these future rear-wheel drive derivatives should be”. He said what they decided may or may not be based on the Zeta platform, which underpins the forthcoming VE Commodore. Mr Mooney added that he was surprised by the reaction “that this was somehow bad for Holden”.
“The reality is that our future plans were independent of what they were going to do in North America anyway. Our future was not riding on whether they did Zeta (or not),” he said.
Mr Hyde said the VE Commodore development was well under way when the Americans showed interest in the architecture and joined the program.
At this point it became a global architecture. “The car was three-quarters done when they joined and suddenly Zeta became a global
architecture,” he explained.
“They (GM in the US) had (designed) products off the architecture. Nothing changed from a domestic (Holden) point of view or for the engineers in this building who are still working away doing the Middle East, Korea, China and all
the things we do today.
full Story here....
http://www.mellor.com.au/mellor/enews.nsf/edition/4A38683013861376CA256FFD0037D93B/$file/GoAuto_enews286.pdf
You have to think the "Zeta" platform is just an updated Monaro, Catera, Omega, GTO, Commodore, etc platform. With that being said, some of those nameplates are sold around the world.
What North American GM is doing is freezing and shelving the platform and focus on the large pick-ups and SUVs (GMTs) which are coming out next year.
GM figures since hundreds of thousands can be sold (GMTs) that means a large profit can come in. We all know pick-ups and SUVs gives off the biggest profits. In other words, their "Cash-Cows."
With this being said, what GM of North America wants to do, is a version of the Sigma platform (CTS, SRX, STS) but more cost effective of it aka "Sigma lite."
According to product czar Robert Lutz, it is more cost effective then to use that, then to work with Holden's "Zeta." It appears "Zeta" is more sophisticated then the "Sigma lite."
So yes Zeta is not dead technically, it just looks like we won't be getting them very soon as once it was speculated. As of right now, the earliest looks to be 2009 model year.
But if the demand for RWD goes up in the coming years, watch GM scramble and bring Zeta to these shores earlier then 2009 model year and get into the RWD market.
>>>For Sale? Clicky!<<<
-----The orginal Mr.Goodwrench on the JBO since 11/99-----
i want my rwd sports car w/ a v8
i really liked the grand national idea....twin turbo AWD v-6 would be bad ass
[quote=TRD 901-Z™]bring on the chevelle's
WHAT HE SAID!
PRND321 Till I DIE
Old Motor: 160whp & 152ft/lbs, 1/4 Mile 15.4 @88.2
M45 + LD9 + 4T40-E, GO GO GO
.bring back the camaro!!! We can't leave the mustang unchecked!
theL61 wrote:i want my rwd sports car w/ a v8
Got mine!
Hope they'll still make it after '07!
-----
Formerly running a 1998 Black Z24 5-speed...
See my Cardomain sites...
(My 2004 GTO)
+ K&N Aircharger, Taylor "409" 10.4mm wires, NGK TR55-IX iridium plugs, SLP "PowerFlo" Cat-back - more pending...
(My Eldo)
