General Motors decided to put an end to the production of the Holden Colorado pickup. Well, as our readers probably know, the GM sold their Thailand manufacturing facility to the Chinese brand Great Wall Motors. The selling of the factory also means that the Trailblazer SUV stops with the production as well. Holden will terminate Australian and New Zealand production by the end of the year. Likewise, the Chevrolet will cease operation in Thailand at the same time.
According to the GM president, Mark Reuss, the company had a strong will to keep the Holden brand. However, the changes in the automotive industry led to the termination of production. Also, Mr. Reuss stated that General Motors have only the most profound respect for Holden’s legacy and contribution to the brand. Moreover, this ‘ute’ is one of the most popular vehicles in Australia and New Zealand. But, the automaker couldn’t prioritize further investments over other concerns in the fast-changing industry.
Reasons Behind The Discontinuation of the Holden Colorado
General Motors established its operations in Thailand in 2000. Since then, the Rayong manufacturing facility produces the Holden Colorado and the Trailblazer SUV. But, after all these years, the Thai duo is marked as unsustainable as a result of low plant utilization and forecast volumes. The new owners of the Rayong plant are Great Wall Motors. The Chinese company produces the Steed pickup. Also, the Baoding-based manufactures are developing a brand-new dual-cab model that will be able to compete with the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger.
As we mentioned above, GM is terminating the production on Chevrolet in Thailand as well. According to the press release, without domestic manufacturing, Chevrolet is incapable of competing in Thai’s new-vehicle market. Furthermore, GM’s CEO, Mary Barra, stated that the company is restructuring its international operations. At the moment, the main focus is to prioritize areas of investments and future global growth, such as EVs and AVs.
What Is The Company’s Strategy For the Upcoming Period?
General Motors International operations senior vice-president Julian Blisset stated that the company would focus on more viable elements of the production. There’s a couple of markets where the Michigan-based automaker doesn’t have significant scales, for example, the Russian Federation, Europe, and Japan. Therefore, GM will attempt to grow its influence by selling more profitable, high-end imported vehicles, supported by a string GM structure.
During 2019, Holden sold over 17,400 units of Colorado truck, which makes it the brand’s best-seller, and 15th most popular vehicle in Australia. In the pickup segment, Holden Colorado finished behind the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger, and Mitsubishi Triton. Colorado was Holden’s best model,’ no doubt. Well, we hope that the GM will bring back this outstanding ‘ute’ someday.
