Granted, one of the first announcements out of the Saturn/Penske deal was that the Sky roadster was going to be cut from production immediately. But, we already knew that was coming down, as GM didn’t want to continue original models for Saturn (at least, until the dust settled). Enter Holden.
The Commodore VE (aka Pontiac G8) can’t seem to find a place in GM’s lineup, due to fuel economy and issues with it taking up a spot in the CAFE standard lineup, which would need to be reserved for a pickup truck or SUV (where GM really makes its money). But, Penske’s Saturn no longer has such an issue. It’s not GM. And, it doesn’t have the same gas-guzzler ratio concerns.
I expect on the low-end, Penske will use fuel-efficient cars from Korea and, eventually, China. But, they’ll use the top spots for cars sourced from GM and Holden directly. That would give them sporty drives along with economy drives. With the loss of Pontiac, Penske has a rare opportunity to sell GM Sport cars… even when GM can’t or won’t in the United States.
Especially with GM Holden saying that the Zeta platform will be replaced with a lighter, more fuel-efficient remix of Zeta, I can’t see any reason for Penske not to pass on such an opportunity. Let’s hope that Penske will do what Henderson won’t, and rebadge a great car so it can be sold here.