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Cruze to Fight Commodore in Oz

Cannibalism, some might say, as Holden, the Australian arm of American manufacturer GM is getting ready to introduce the locally built Cruze, a model which may very well top the sales of the other big name on the market (and at the same time in the Holden portfolio), the Commodore.

According to GoAuto, the Commodore sold last year 45,956 last year, while the predecessor of the Cruze, the one manufactured in South Korea, a little over half of that, 28,334 units. The ratio might be reversed as soon as the Cruze gets up and running at full throttle.

This scenario, apparently, doesn't scare Holden's execs. On the contrary, everybody seems to be expecting that to happen and nobody minds, provided the overall sales target isn't affected and the 100,000 units a year target is reached.

“When we start selling the Cruze hatch our position in the marketplace will increase,” said Mike Devereux, Holden's chairman according to GoAuto, adding that he doesn't believe there will be any cannibalism between the two models. In Australia, the hatch version of the Cruze launches in October.

“People ask what happens when Commodore gets overtaken by Cruze and I’m happy to sell whatever cars Australians want to buy. They want to buy more Cruzes – then they can buy more Cruzes. I’m fine with that.”

The Cruze is enjoying a great deal of success all over the world, being perceived as an affordable, yet reliable model. In Oz, the model is already considered the most fuel-efficient ca built locally.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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