Holden VE Commodore - Market

Market

At the time of launch in Australia, Ford’s BF Falcon directly competed with the VE Commodore. In November 2006 Toyota released their key Aurion model to the Australian market. The front-wheel drive Mitsubishi 380 also indirectly competed with the Holden Commodore but has since been discontinued.

The VE Commodore was well received in the Australian market, where it has consistently outsold rivals in the large car segment. Sales at one point were nearly double that of its closest segment competitor, the Ford Falcon. However, this gap has narrowed since the release of a new Falcon FG model. VE's position as Australia's outright best selling car was challenged in 2007 and overtaken during some months in 2008 by the Toyota Corolla in the face of increasing petrol prices. However, the release of the Sportwagon in mid-2008 has helped to re-establish its number one sales position by accounting for more than 30 percent of total Commodore sales. In 2007 the VE Commodore became the fifth Commodore model to receive the prestigious Wheels Car of the Year award.

Apart from being sold in Australia, the full range is also available in New Zealand, while in the Middle East and South Africa the Commodore is re-branded as the Chevrolet Lumina. Sales of the Berlina began in 2007 for Brazilian market as the Chevrolet Omega. Pontiac in North America also imported Commodore sedans from 2008 through to 2009 as the G8. The G8's cessation was a consequence of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting in the demise of the Pontiac brand. Unlike the Chevrolet Lumina and Omega, the Pontiac received several unique features including a revised L76 engine with Active Fuel Management as opposed to the Commodore's L98, and appearance changes.