Despite Opel unveiling a facelifted Insignia overnight, it seems that GM has fallen out of love with the front-wheel drive sedan as it was revealed that the Buick Regal will be cut from the line-up next year.
As the new Holden Commodore is a rebadged Regal, the future of the iconic Australian badge shrouded in doubt, with reports guessing that it will be discontinued alongside its American twin.
GM made the announcement overnight that the Regal will be discontinued due to weak sales, and buyers shifting to SUVs. The effects of this have been felt in the Holden camp as well, with sales of the Commodore falling short of expectations.
After Holden Australia announced the closure of their local factories back in 2017, the brand decided to import German-built Opel Insignias and re-badge them as the Commodore.
According to Australian reports, the Commodore was rumoured to be phased out before the late 2020 introduction of this facelifted model. Holden has denied these rumours to phase out the Commodore in the past, but the evidence is stacking up against them.
General Motor's sale of Opel to the Peugeot-Citroen group in 2017 has only added to the issues that the brand faces, as it has to now buy the Regal and Commodore back from a brand that it once owned.
Despite the Commodore's 37 per cent sales drop year-to-date in the Aussie market, it comes in second behind the Colorado ute — but that might say more about the brand's current line-up.
As for our market, things are looking a little healthier. Holden NZ sold 1040 vehicles during the month of November, and sits fourth in the yearly standings with 11,229 total registrations.