Happy Days Are Here Again? Full Size RWD GM Performance Returns

We love the Holden/SS/G8 Zeta cars. Haven’t lit up sales charts in the States though. Photo GM

It’s been a long time since GM fans have had a homegrown full-size sedan to lust after. The last RWD full size car from GM was the Impala SS/Roadmaster/Fleetwood in the mid –nineties,  almost twenty years ago.

In the meantime GM farmed out most all RWD sedan platforms to its capable Holden subsidiary and although we did get some pretty cool cars out of the deal (Camaro/GTO/G8/SS) it wasn’t really the same. It was difficult for GM fans to understand why we had to go to Australia to build what we invented.

New full-size Cadillac CT6 will be first wave of new era of GM full size, RWD sedans. Photo Autoevolution

The GTO/G8/SS are great cars but saddled with ho-hum exteriors and amazingly miss their intended market(s). Import guys look suspiciously at an overseas GM car and old school guys didn’t think it was a real American car and were confused as well. The sales of all these Aussie platform cars, save the Camaro have been disappointing sellers as well.

Well hallelujah, hopefully that’s all over now. Holden has confirmed that a RWD platform from “GM’s global portfolio” will underpin the new Commodore in 2018. Apart from the launch date, the specifics are unclear at this time.

We do know the full-size RWD Cadillac CT6 will debut soon and it’s “Omega” platform will likely be the platform for a new Holden Commodore replacement as well as the Buick Avenir concept revealed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show.

Twenty years gone. Here’s hoping we’ll see a home grown successor to this car. Photo SLTV

Chevy fans keep your fingers crossed as maybe we might see a return of a real Impala/SS designed here in the US.  The Aussies will still play a pivotal role but here’s hoping that by bringing these cars back home, or at least not basing them on Holdens, they can attract a new audience that wasn’t wowed by rebadged Opels.

The capable Aussies are not out the picture. The Buick Avenir Concept was developed down under by GM Design. Better than a rebadged Holden. Photo NY Times

About the author

Dave Cruikshank

Dave Cruikshank is a lifelong car enthusiast and an editor at Power Automedia. He digs all flavors of automobiles, from classic cars to modern EVs. Dave loves music, design, tech, current events, and fitness.
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