It could have been Ford's had they continued with the R5 concept but they declare they are not producing it. Not enough money to do everything (given their market position with AU) so they are developing the Raptor(E265) vehicle instead.
What hasn't been ruled out is a dual-cab type vehicle based on the Raptor. Not that anyone really knows what Raptor is yet but I'm betting it's very close to the Freestyle FX Concept currently on display at the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Cross 8 won't sell in huge volumes!! It has too limited a market, it's too damb big in town given that it is based off a Holdens LWB and it starts at $50k!! Let's face it there are not that many people who want to pay that much for a ute. They do exist but not in huge numbers!! Holden have gone down this path purely because it is the cheapest option, dual cab ute and jacked up Commodore Wagon, Rodeo 4X4 system. Get passed the hype and they are parts bin specials!!
As for the Raptor, it's a $500m car, and if anyone was at the Melbourne / Sydney motor shows in 2001(or2) you've seen it!! It looks great!! Ford have done the job properly and developed a far more sophisticated package than Holden (rumours are that it has the same transfer case etc as the X5, which is why Ford had that LHD X5 running around). Have a look at some of the media Holden are looking at developing an R7 type product be reskinning and rebadging a Daewoo?!?!!?!? Who's following who there??
Ford are on the right track and doing the right thing!! IMO they will be delivering exactly what a very large number of customers have been asking for for years!!
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-----Fat Kids Always Win at Seesaw-----
I just hate the fact that it was originally Ford's idea with the R5 concept, and then Holden brought out their Cross8 - and not a word was mentioned about Holden ripping Ford off, now come on, if it was the other way around, we Ford people would not have heard the end of it.
Ford did it.....assessed it.......and dropped it
Holden copied it........
So in a way, they are simply running with a concept that Ford couldn't be bothered with because of market size!! Holden, picking up the crumbs from Ford's table?? Not quite!! But it's a nice thought!!
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-----Fat Kids Always Win at Seesaw-----
Originally posted by RICHO Cross 8 won't sell in huge volumes!! It has too limited a market, it's too damb big in town given that it is based off a Holdens LWB and it starts at $50k!! Let's face it there are not that many people who want to pay that much for a ute. They do exist but not in huge numbers!! Holden have gone down this path purely because it is the cheapest option, dual cab ute and jacked up Commodore Wagon, Rodeo 4X4 system. Get passed the hype and they are parts bin specials!!
What are you talking about Rodeo four wheel drive system...?
holden have spent ages developing thier own four wheel drive system that is rumoured to be similar to the advanced system used in the cadillac srx read about this system here
Just read that article!! Damb interesting stuff and very impressive!! Just a few points......
1. It only talks about maybes and "almost" certainties;
2. Holden haven't spent ages developing anything, Cadillac have;
3. Cadillac's are damb expensive as would that AWD system, bringing that into an Australian context = big $$$$ and very expensive cars. Cars likely to be too expensive for the Australian market and Holden know exactly what price point they can sell their cars for!!
4. There is no mention of other models, just comments along the line of "imagine if". Now I know Holden would like to do more models, but that is all just rumour at this stage. As is whether this AWD system will make it to Australia.
5. Cross8 concept is 2 years old and ran a Rodeo system, it's engineering would have been largely completed and locked away well before this Cadillac system was released.
Just my opinion and not having a go in any way. But that article is big maybe, not a definative outline of what Holden ARE doing or HAVE done.
At the end of the day, the only certainty will come when Holden release vehicle details.
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-----Fat Kids Always Win at Seesaw-----
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