Motortrend says Pontiac is almost certain to get a G8version.

http://www.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2007/112_0712_holden_commodore_wagon

http://images.motortrend.com/features/auto_news/2007/112_0712_01z+holden_VE_sportwagon+front_three_quar ter_view.jpg

It would compete with the Magnum .......

I could do with out.

It would compete with the Magnum .......

I thought I read that Chrysler was going to drop the Magnum?

The MT article raises an interesting question - is the G8 GT able to run on E85? Not that I'd want to get worse gas mileage than 15c/23h, but...

I don't think its that great looking as wagons go.

I hope so, I would be over that even quicker than I'll be over the sedan.

I wouldn't buy it but the magnum sales so why not.

It might sell a little better than the Ute version, but not very well.

Sports wagons are making a strong comeback. People who need hauling space and still want a sporty ride are flocking to these things instead of slow, gas-guzzling SUVs (yes, I understand the irony that the G8 GT M6 wagon will likely have a guzzler tax).

Pics from the Motor Show-

http://www.ls1.com.au/forum/showpost.php?p=1042568&postcount=1

I actually think it looks pretty darn good. Much better than the magnum, and judging by the interior photo, lots more cargo room with the seats down. I would try and talk the wife into one so she could get rid of her gas hog Expedition.

http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i227/Kiwi_K1200S/VE%20SS-V/IMG_1021.jpg

I love it !! think about it guys !! a close 400 bhp wagon, what a sleeper

Those wheels look killer !!

anyone know if this is the grey color that we will be getting on the G8 ?????

Audi (there's that four letter word again) has had success with wagons. What really sells them is AWD, which still tops the list of what the general won't give us that I want.

I like the audi A3. Thats one of the only wagons I would buy.

Think Volvo, think Vagons.

Everyone knows that MT has been right on the cutting edge of new cars. :rolleyes: I won't believe it until I see it. Just because Holden builds it doesn't guarantee that we will get it.

Everyone knows that MT has been right on the cutting edge of new cars. :rolleyes: I won't believe it until I see it. Just because Holden builds it doesn't guarantee that we will get it.

The same exchange rate issues that make the Ute doubtful will conspire against the wagon. Its one thing to sell a sedan, but the Ute and Wagon would likely have very limited market appeal and be more of a risk.

Audi (there's that four letter word again) has had success with wagons. What really sells them is AWD, which still tops the list of what the general won't give us that I want.


lol.

It is a good looking wagon, but would buy the sedan over the wagon. Just personal preference. I could see it selling decently, but not outselling the sedan, obviously. But then again, decently would be counted as a failure to auto mags because they want gabillions sold.

I think it's awesome.....I like the utility that wagons offer, and could see finding a V8, RWD, 6MT wagon to be darn near irresistible. ;)

I would buy a wagon over the sedan any day.

I still plan to buy a G8 at some point next yer, probably an upper level model

Alsosince the sedan is already being released, a wagon just makes sense, why offer one and not the other? Does't add up.

I doubt that will happen

I doubt that will happen

Buzzkill! :damnyou:

Buzzkill! :damnyou:

I believe people like him are called "realists". No sense getting your hopes up for nothing.

Pontiac Excitement right there! We need it and a coupe, leave the UTE as we like our full size trucks.

I believe people like him are called "realists". No sense getting your hopes up for nothing.

Maybe, but I think a G8 wagon would find a market here. Much better than the Magnum and anything else (Wait, I don't think there is anything else).

Audi has a new sports wagon, either a S6 or RS6.

seen a few mules down the line. but we don't officially make them till early next year

seen a few mules down the line. but we don't officially make them till early next year

wagons or G8s?

Audi has a new sports wagon, either a S6 or RS6.

True, forgot about them.....

Pontiac should be selling this and the Ute as G8 variants. Especially with the Torrent SUV and minivan gone.

I would buy a G8 wagon or utility over the G8 sedan. Not all of us like fullsize trucks and stupid SUVs.

Maybe, but I think a G8 wagon would find a market here. Much better than the Magnum and anything else (Wait, I don't think there is anything else).

True. But, like the Ute, the wagon has to overcome the economics of dollars. The Aussie Dollar is gaining in worth compared to the U.S. Dollar. If GM can't build them & ship them with a certain profit margin, then they will probably kill the idea of importing them.

Pontiac should be selling this and the Ute as G8 variants. Especially with the Torrent SUV and minivan gone.

I would buy a G8 wagon or utility over the G8 sedan. Not all of us like fullsize trucks and stupid SUVs.

The Torrent is not gone yet, it's GXP version just out. At least give it 'til the end of the model year, unless you know something.

Part of it has to be that Holden needs exports of the VE platform derivatives to maintain volume and economy of scale for the whole operation. GM is sending the VE all over the world and using it for products like the Camaro in order to justify the investment as the AU market couldn't have supported it alone.

The Torrent is not gone yet, it's GXP version just out. At least give it 'til the end of the model year, unless you know something.

The Torrent is being dropped eventually.

Pontiac needs new, hot models NOW. The G6 already has a coupe and convertible variant. The G8 needs the same variants the Commodore gets and something to offer everyone.

I would get a G8 ute and G8 wagon (in that order) over the G8 sedan.

The Torrent isn't really being "dropped". The next Torrent will change from a Pontiac to a GMC.

I thought I read that Chrysler was going to drop the Magnum?



Chrysler officially announced yesterday that it is killing the Magnum due to poor sales. Mazda has also announced that the next gen 6 wagon will not be sold in North America. While it would seem to make sense for manufacterers to ramp up wagons given the rapid decline in the SUV market consumers appear to be voting against them with their purchase decisions. Wonder if the death of the Magnum will cause GM to back off on plans to do a G8 Sportwagon or push them forward with it given even less competition in the market place.

To really sell a G8 Safari to an awaiting public it absolutely must come with an awd option since its biggest competition will be crossovers, a vehicle type that is lacking completely from GM's lineup as far as I can tell. We have large SUVs and small suvs, no minivans and the closest thing to a crossover is the HHR, while the Ford Edge and Mazda 7 and 9 clean up. Meanwhile in the itty bitty crossover market Subaru stands alone totally unchallenged.

To really sell a G8 Safari to an awaiting public it absolutely must come with an awd option since its biggest competition will be crossovers, a vehicle type that is lacking completely from GM's lineup as far as I can tell. We have large SUVs and small suvs, no minivans and the closest thing to a crossover is the HHR, while the Ford Edge and Mazda 7 and 9 clean up. Meanwhile in the itty bitty crossover market Subaru stands alone totally unchallenged.

GM counts the GMC Acadia, Buick Enclave, and Saturn Outlook as crossovers due to the platform they are on. Also the Cadillac SRX, Chevy Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, and Saturn Vue are crossovers.

And how could I forget the Vibe in our driveway.

Motor Trend is right.

Holden’s VE Commodore wagon was no certainty - until its export potential emerged

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/5FCE77F6EB77BF71CA25737500813BE2/$file/VE_Sportwagon.jpg
US sale likely for Holden's new wagon.

By MARTON PETTENDY and BYRON MATHIOUDAKIS
16 October 2007

GM HOLDEN has confirmed that its export potential is the major reason for the VE Sportwagon’s being – and that it will have a smaller cargo area than the model it replaces.

As a result, Holden concedes the next-generation Commodore wagon, which officially broke cover at last Thursday’s Sydney motor show opening in the shape of the VE Sportwagon concept, is likely to attract fewer business buyers than the VZ Commodore wagon it replaces – a model it says was one of the world’s biggest wagons.

Ford president Tom Gorman has already stated his delight that Holden has “handed that market to us”, but Holden says that more lucrative sales to private customers, who are expected to be drawn to the lifestyle-oriented VE wagon in greater numbers than before, will more than compensate for the downturn in (less profitable per-unit) fleet sales.

If approved for US exports, the Sportwagon would follow in the footsteps of the VE Commodore SS sedan (to be badged as the Pontiac G8) and, despite reservations about slimmer profits due to the strong Aussie dollar (see separate story), the VE Ute.

“Sportwagon is next cab off the export rank,” a GMH executive told GoAuto. “The Ute is now under study and the wagon will follow it.

“The success in the US of wagons like the Dodge Magnum shows Americans have rediscovered the wagon.

“It’s smaller inside but it will gain with private sales more than what it loses in fleets sales – maybe not in terms of (sales) volume, but definitely in terms of (profit) margins. There was no money in fleet sales anyway.”

New GM Holden chairman and managing director Chris Gubbey said that while overall cargo space may be reduced, the practicality of Holden’s wagon will increase.

“To get the style it’s a matter of balance, but it still has an impressive load space.

“Obviously you’re getting something that I really do believe redefines the wagon segment. If you look at the design, with the rear opening window, the tailgate that opens to almost vertical and the higher platform for the load space – it all makes it exceedingly practical,” he said.

Speaking at the Sydney show last week, design boss Tony Stolfo said Holden is investigating all export opportunities for the vehicle. If given the green light, North America would be the wagon’s first port of call outside Australia and New Zealand.

“We’d love to see it exported,” he told GoAuto. “It has big export appeal. If you look at the (Pontiac) G8… it’s a natural.”

While he would not divulge any more details about wagon exports, Mr Stolfo did mention how many he would like to see crossing the Pacific.

“10,000 (units per annum) would be good,” he said.

Mr Stolfo indicated that there are still some legislative and governmental hurdles to overcome before final confirmation can be made of any pending export deal.

Despite it ‘being a natural’, he did reveal that a wagon version of the $1 billion-plus VE program was not an automatic certainty.

“(Initially) there was not a lot of support for it. We had to choose which (of the many VE bodystyle proposals) to run with.”

However, Holden’s big brass began to change its corporate mind once it saw early three-dimensional renderings.

“When they saw the full-sized clay model they were convinced,” he said.

Mr Stolfo said that expanding the wagon’s appeal beyond fleet buyers is central to the VE wagon using the sedan’s shorter wheelbase, rather than the long-wheelbase Statesman/Caprice structure that has been the basis of all large Holden wagons since the 1971 HQ, including the outgoing VZ Commodore wagon.

“The market is shifting,” believes Mr Stolfo. “Things like novated leasing are pushing for choice, for more aspirational vehicles. And premium wagons are big. So we need to produce a wagon with loads of functionality but with increased appeal.”

While not abandoning the traditional wagon market altogether with a shorter vehicle offering less cargo space, Holden is after the sort of lifestyle-orientated person who might consider a Mazda 6, Subaru Outback or even a BMW 5 Series wagon.

“We needed a sportier design,” he admitted.

A greater female focus was also deemed important, necessitating a more compact design that is easier to park than the last Commodore wagon.

Holden is hoping that the wagon it calls the Sportwagon will score sales from people wary of the growing global backlash against larger SUVs.

“There is a stigma associated with SUVs,” Mr Stolfo said.

“So to launch a new wagon in this timeframe is the right thing to do.

“It will attract sedan and traditional wagon buyers, and it may even pull people out of SUVs,” he added.

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/images/gaimages/$file/goauto_logo7.gif (http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mellor.nsf/story2/5FCE77F6EB77BF71CA25737500813BE2)

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Holden's Commodore wagon with all-wheel drive is an export prospect to suit the American snow belt

Words - Joe Kenwright

It was a bold move for Holden to switch the direction of its Australian-designed station wagons back to the sedan's standard wheelbase (more here) for the first time since 1971*.

When the first design studies were commenced as early as 2000, the motivation was to build a sportier, more compact wagon that would supplement plans for a Captiva-style SUV wagon.

This included offering an all wheel drive performance model to take the battle to the quickest performance versions of the Subaru and Audi wagons. Despite these plans to offer an all wheel drive version, the new Sportwagon was never intended to support an Adventra-style high rider model.

Not even Holden could have anticipated the rapid rise in petrol prices since these early plans. However, the changes motivated by the decision to develop a sporty new Commodore wagon that was sleeker, lighter and more agile also happened to reduce fuel consumption.

The emphasis has since quickly moved to exploit the new Sportwagon as an alternative to a heavier, less slippery five seater SUV hence the emphasis on green fuels and future fuel saving measures in this week's AIMS concept car.

Because the extra weight of the planned all wheel drive option no longer fits in with this revised positioning, it is not on the agenda for next year's launch. Yet the Sportwagon has been developed to exploit a sophisticated all wheel drive system if and when a market requires it.

While all wheel drive is no longer a big asset in this style of vehicle in a local context, if it ever was, this doesn't stop Holden from building such a version as an export model.

This would also leave the door open for a special HSV version that would revive the positioning of the Coupe4 in the absence of a Monaro but very different to the almost forgotten HSV Avalanche wagon.

HSV officials were tight-lipped when asked whether they intended to offer an HSV version of the Sportwagon. If HSV exports continue to grow in Europe and expand to include the US, an HSV high-performance AWD version of the Sportwagon would start to add up.

http://www.carpoint.com.au/carcontent/endeca/b_carpoint.gif (http://www.carpoint.com.au/car-review/2834689.aspx)

Here is a CGI version showing it with a G8 front end (from autospies.com). Looks sharp. Unfortunately for me I cannot wait for the wagon (which I would like to do as I currently drive a Mazda6 hatch) as my current lease is up in July. So, I will get the sedan.

http://g8board.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=186&stc=1&d=1194113971