All new Chevrolets to be available in RHD!
Discussion
The following is cut from an internal news letter on our intranet (we're an vehicle finance company).
So, a RHD Camaro - woohoo!
"All future Chevrolets to be built as RHD models
ALL Chevrolet cars will be developed as world cars in future - and they’ll be available in right-hand drive.
General Motors has restructured its product development for the brand, so different global technical centres will have responsibilities for different platforms. This means future Chevrolets will be developed all over the world, including Europe, with less reliance on the GM-Daewoo technical centre in Korea.
However, the decision comes too late for the retro-styled HHR mini-MPV. This US-built car was launched in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show, but as it’s only built in left-hand drive it won’t be coming to Britain. However, GM has confirmed that the new Camaro muscle car will be built in right-hand drive form, which makes UK sales as an image-leader for the brand a distinct possibility.
The first products of the new structure will be replacements for the Kalos and Lacetti models. These will be developed in Korea, which has responsibility for the C platform, and future Vauxhall Astras will share underpinnings. (Newspress: March 8)."
So, a RHD Camaro - woohoo!
"All future Chevrolets to be built as RHD models
ALL Chevrolet cars will be developed as world cars in future - and they’ll be available in right-hand drive.
General Motors has restructured its product development for the brand, so different global technical centres will have responsibilities for different platforms. This means future Chevrolets will be developed all over the world, including Europe, with less reliance on the GM-Daewoo technical centre in Korea.
However, the decision comes too late for the retro-styled HHR mini-MPV. This US-built car was launched in Europe at the Geneva Motor Show, but as it’s only built in left-hand drive it won’t be coming to Britain. However, GM has confirmed that the new Camaro muscle car will be built in right-hand drive form, which makes UK sales as an image-leader for the brand a distinct possibility.
The first products of the new structure will be replacements for the Kalos and Lacetti models. These will be developed in Korea, which has responsibility for the C platform, and future Vauxhall Astras will share underpinnings. (Newspress: March 8)."
That is good news if it turns out to be the full story. Also it may encourage other US manufacturers to follow suit. The downside is that they will seek Type Approval and while that will decrease the initial costs, it will also mean they will have a (bad) official CO2 rating, which will increase road tax and other hare brained CO2 based charges such as road pricing etc, compared to the current group they put SVA cars with no CO2 rating in. Maybe the ideal scenario would therefore probably be if they could build a right hand drive car as an export order, but not officially sell it in the EU.
V7TTE said:
Any idea if this includes Corvettes?
Yes, Eventually.
"Right-hand drive markets such as the UK, Japan and Australia will one day receive highly desired models including the next-generation Corvette and upcoming Camaro".
Taken from here:
www.motorauthority.com/cars/chevrolet/all-future-chevrolets-to-be-available-in-rhd/
julesv said:
Re-badge (again) those Daewoo things as Saturns, leaving Chevy to be.......Chevy.
I was watching ESPN yesterday and there was a program about the Chicago motorshow. It seems GM have badged the humble Opel/Vauxhall Astra as the Saturn Astra. It will be going on sale in the US in July.
Not sure where the US market ones are being built but they are identical (apart from the badge) to the Opel.
Any officially imported RHD Camaro will fall foul of Gordon Brown's plans to tax such cars out of the market. Imports currently pay £175 a year and provided they don't change the VEL system to engine size, imports will be safe as they have no official CO2 figure. Besides which, I reset the computer on my 460hp Mustang yesterday and drove it carefully and saw 35 UKmpg from it with an average of just under 30.
LuS1fer said:
Any officially imported RHD Camaro will fall foul of Gordon Brown's plans to tax such cars out of the market. Imports currently pay £175 a year and provided they don't change the VEL system to engine size, imports will be safe as they have no official CO2 figure. Besides which, I reset the computer on my 460hp Mustang yesterday and drove it carefully and saw 35 UKmpg from it with an average of just under 30.
Hey there,
Alabama Cotton 'ere
Thats great fuel consumption, the best I can get with the Trans Am is 30mpg.
Thats when we are on a good run, top down on cruise set 60 ~ 65 mph.
35mpg, is brilliant.
G
frazer guest said:
julesv said:
Re-badge (again) those Daewoo things as Saturns, leaving Chevy to be.......Chevy.
absolutley. all its doing is de-valueing the chevrolet brand, but at the same time, failing to add a halo effect to daewoo, as everyone already knows that they are junk made down to a low price.
i mean, come on, would you really want your corvette with the same badge as a matiz?
whoever made that decission at GM wants sacking.
Probably Bob Lutz, he is an idiot.
sayerbloke said:
Saturn are already selling rebadged Vectras as the "Aura".
Of more interest is the Saturn Sky finally being sold in Europe as the Opel GT
Of more interest is the Saturn Sky finally being sold in Europe as the Opel GT
This is a common misconception. The Saturn Aura is really a tarted-up Pontiac G6 with a front end that closely mimics the Vectra. Aura and Vectra have almost nothing in common. The next generation Aura, however, will be based on the next Vectra.
Saturn Astras, however, are built in Belgium and are virtually identical to the Opel/Vauxhall Astra. The US-Astra will use the 1.8 litre Ecotec engine with a choice of 5 speed manual or 4 speed automatic gearboxes.
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