Holden introduce rear-view camera on Sportwagon
December 3, 2008 by George Skentzos
Holden is set to introduce an optional rear-view camera for all Sportwagon models, bolstering its family oriented practicality.
A first for any locally manufactured Holden, the camera will help eliminate blind spots and works in conjunction with the standard rear park assist.
The camera will utilise the full colour screen on Calais, Calais V-Series and SS V-Series Sportwagon while all other Sportwagon models will feature an integrated rear-view mirror screen.
“This is a significant, competitively priced feature that will enhance safety for passengers and pedestrians,” GM Holden Director of Marketing, Philip Brook said.
“Sportwagon has strong appeal to customers with young children where safety is a key priority in their decision to purchase a new car.”
The factory fitted rear-view camera will be available as an option for the recommended retail price of $500.
This newest addition emphasises the Sportwagon’s position as an alternative to the family SUV, having outsold all SUVs across the compact, medium and large segments in September.
Tags: Holden Sportwagon
Not surprised bu the sales result…
Considering it’s a rather simple piece of tecnology, shouldn’t it have been there from the beginning?
I like the split screen rearview mirror, but this should neve have missed the initial launch.
How many of the fleets are going to select this “option”.
CA says: “This newest addition emphasises the Sportwagon’s position as an alternative to the family SUV, having outsold all SUVs across the compact, medium and large segments in September”
I think that this is a pretty wild statement, because the majority of sales were in fact fleets catching up on lost wagon replacement rotations since holden stopped the vz wagon. And ongoing sales are still predominantly to fleet, whereas most compact and medium SUV’s are private.
Has anyone ever seen more than one VE wagon, without company logos or govt plates in one day?? Uptake by private buyers seems to be almost non-existant.
About time.
Now all they have to do to fix the rest of the car is Direct injection fuel system and a six speed auto for the V6 and the Sportwagon will be near perfect.
Stuff that is available in the GM parts catalogue right now.
Wake up to yourselves Holden and give us what we deserve in this country.
No doubt they would have some BS excuse that the technology has not been sufficiently tested in this country or is too expensive and they don’t think that people would be prepared to pay for the technology.
This should be standard, not an option. Oh, btw, Holden’s advertising is getting worse and worse – in the latest Wheels magazine, the caption for the Commodore wagon ad reads “The SUV is so 1994″. What bright spark at GMH came up with that one? Truly pathetic!
Big deal…….will anybody really care? You would think if you spent a BILLION on a “new” car this would have been in from the start of VE. How about a descent auto trans and a new engine ? They are so far behind the rest of the pack……
i know for sure this car isnt anywhere good enough to get me out of my wonderful Territory AWD 6 speed auto !! NOWHERE NEAR GOOD ENOUGH !!!!!!
Bret, i agree with your fleet hypothesis but by the same token there are quite a few SS-V wagons floating around our town, and a few Calais and Calais V, of which I could presume non-fleet based. To be honest I haven’t actually seen one Sportwagon covered in logos yet…
Settle down boys, the direct injection 3.6 with 200 to 220 kw and 6 speed auto will be coming in 2009! The Sportwagon will then be a nice piece of Kit.
I’m not commodore fan, but I actually think the sportwagon is a good looking bit of gear. I do see quite a few SS Wagons getting around the place though. I’m sure there are quite a few of these purchases being put through fleet companies, but from what I’ve seen I do see quite a few private cars on the road.
Devil666, in Adelaide it’s all fleet and govt plated VE wagons, amost no private ones seem to be around. And that includes SS-V’s.
Thats because no one lives in Adelaide.
I actually agree with Jekle & Hyde (the Bipolar one) on the camera versus park assist. I find that most reverse cameras are extremely good at lining up the trailer, but screens are like mirrors, all work well if you are looking at them. The sensors on the other hand (especially when set up correctly so the radio mutes when engaged {G6E etc}) are something you don’t need to concentrate on they are just there.
J&H and Frontman, I kinda aggree. A kluger I drove recently had one fitted and whilst it is good, the view takes a lot of getting used to, what looks like it’s half a metre away turns out to be only 10-20cm.
I also found that in-dash screen somewhat attracts your attention too much and you tend to concentrate on the screen rather than looking around as you should be. Thats why I think that the split screen/mirror might be a good idea.
On the camera view there are bars indicating approximate distances. I don’t think it is on the Omega/Berlina as they get the mirror pictured in this article.
Regarding it as an option, you can see in these blogs opinion is divided whether cameras are good or not. This is why Holden left it as an option.
Brett: Yes there are lot of gov/fleet wagons around but I see a hell of a lot of private buyers with them. Saw a wild wagon and it was lowered. I live in Adelaide.
Frenchie, I belive that about 1500 of the first 2000 VE wagons delivered nationally went to the SA govt. That might explain our high numbers.
I also saw a nice balck Calais VE wagon, complete with the magnetic company sign on the drivers side.
It’s a good option to offer and it’s a clever implementation.
The next thing Holden could introduce on the Sportwagon is a Blind Spot Alert [BSA] similar to that on the new Volvo V60 and I believe the new Cadillac Sedan.. which is designed to warn drivers of a car in their blind spot when changing lanes
Although I’m hoping that Holden take the initiative and release a VE [Sandman/Nomad] Delivery/Panelvan – it would be a hit with tradies [particularly those who are sick of driving a Hiace or Transit] not to mention Surfers
As for the rear view camera – wouldn’t it be better if the camera [or even a second camera] was mounted lower down maybe in the bupberbar given that one of the biggest dangers when reversing are small kids..
Yet the image from the top camera appears to be distorted because of the downward angle whereas if the camera was looking directly behind the car there wouldn’t be any paralex error and you’d get a better perception of size etc
and when combined with rear proximity sensors you would get a more accurate guide as to distance
However; some drivers also need cameras mounted on the left and right hand sides of the rear bumpers of their car to let them know NOT to simply reverse out of a space in a shopping centre car park because there are cars passing by which they have to give way to.. not the other way around
I apoligise for getting a little off-topic here, but please Wheelnut, will you please understand there is no such Volvo as the V60. This is at least the third time that I have seen in separate threads you have been so advised.
Would’ve been nice if Holden adapted the Sanyo CCA-BC200 rear view camera for their optional reversing camera system. Unlike most rear cameras, this cam has some kind of image correction function system which straightens out the image & provides colored distance guidelines (On some JDM-spec cars, the guidelines also turn according to the steering angle.).
Might hike up the price, but would make it a worthwhile option in a way (And would also give the Holden Wagon something other rival wagons don’t have.).
btw, for $500, I hope it is not one of those Chinese made cylindrical cameras. Even then, it should be cheaper (Especially for models with the Full Color screen.)
So the Holden Sportwagon outsold every small, medium, and large SUV in September.
I am seeing a lot of them on the road, so not surprised by this result, and the extra safety of a rear-view camera will only enhance this, nice work Holden, well done.
Build a bridge Bret.
I appologise for being only slightly off topic as this article is about a safety addition in the Sportwagon butIn the latest news Commodore Omega has been awarded 5 stars in safety and that rating will extend across the rest of the range by mid next year once a……Passenger seat belt reminder……gets fitted. What a Laugh the Falcon gets 5 stars without 6 airbags because it has a seatbelt reminder light for the passenger yet a 6 airbagged Commodore needs a reminder light to achieve 5 stars. I really think ANCRAP have the priorities wrong when they place a passenger seatbelt warning light as a higher priority than curtain airbags when it comes to safety. To whoever said Commodore could not gain 5 stars due to the structure of the front end would you care to retract your statement from a couple of weeks ago or be shown out to be a anti Holden fool.
Loaf, if you’ve got nothing to say even remotely connected to the story, then why even comment.
All my comments have done is to correct the misguided assertions of the story. The fact remains that the majority of VE wagons are NOT private and are mainly FLEET.
Families are not really buying the VE wagon in the numbers Holden had hoped – end of story.
Frosty, you are missrepresenting the facts.
FG makes 5 stars because it has the structural integrity (and the gizmos required) to achieve that.
VE Omega (only) now has 5 stars because they made some STRUCTURAL ADDITIONS as well as adding a little warning light.
There is not much point with someone like you Bret but for whatever reason I am. Most of the Sportwagons I have seen are SS/SSv and those bought by people I know are private buyers – 60th anniversary wagons aren’t sold to fleets. Having said that I could contact ANYONE caught buying a Sportwagon privately and tell them to ask for a refund then get their work to buy it for them with fleet discount to keep you happy. Reading your stuff gives people a good laugh though so thanks.
Loaf, nothing you are saying is making any sense.
60th anniv. models not sold to fleets? A certain medical courier company has a whole fleet of them, the SA Govt has quite a few as well. You’d better tell them to give them all back then, because Loaf says fleets can’t own them.
Your assertions that more private buyers are buying VE wagons than fletts is just pure fantasy. It’s the truth and Everybody knows it but you?
Could it be that your little mind just blocks out the Omegas that blend into the crowd of Korean hatches?
It’s been loads of fun Brettt- thanks again. I have seen about three Omega Wagons (unfortunately they still had those new alloys on them!! but I digress) so far in a bigger market than SA and a lot more of the V8 models, and SV6s. Seems like a good model mix to me & not many fleets tend to to for cars with bigger tyres more evident SS etc.
I think it is reasonable to expect higher private sales than VZ truckster but It is still too early to tell.
Limited edition models don’t get fleet discount – hats off to them for buying some!
Sorry, I just don’t believe for a moment that you believe what you are saying but good on ya, you will enjoy monitoring how this car goes.
And BTW Loaf,
of the 25-30 VE wagons that the SA govt take eack week, very few are ever likely to see this reversing camera optioned.
Ah…. so now you have confirmed that your expert views are actually just based on IMPRESSIONS gained from what YOU have NOTICED on the road.
And you expect me and others to accept that over the real world FACTS that most VE wagons sold are FLEET. Whateva’
Bret – I think you meant “Whatever” not “Whateva’”
I don’t recall saying at any point that VE Wagon was more private than fleet. In an earlier post you say that “in Adelaide is is ALL fleet” and I was just saying that (regardless of whether Adelaide is representative of the entire Australian new car market) they are selling privately in good numbers and I know that for a “FACT.”
Loaf, Nah I meant “Whateva”. I deliberatley tried to come down to you level of intelligence.
And if you’re going to quote what I wrote, then quote the whole in context:
“..in Adelaide its’ all fleet and govt plated VE wagons, amost no private ones seem to be around”
Even someone as dull as you should be able to understand colloquial language and grasp the true meaning of that statement.
Loaf Says:
December 4th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
“I don’t recall saying at any point that VE Wagon was more private than fleet.”
Now let’s quote you:
“MOST of the Sportwagons I have seen are SS/SSv and those bought by people I know are private buyers..”
Now who’s looking silly.
Thank you for confirming that VE wagons are predominately fleet.
Oh Bret, you poor poor fellow, living in Adelaide. No wonder you are so bitter about this.
BTW, compare the figures recorded in the ANCrAP tests, FG and VE were near identical in the majority of all forces recorded: VE won some, FG won some.
Make NO mistake about it: if you are in a severe enough crash to kill you in a VE, you’d be dead in an FG too. Fact.
Devil you poor bastrrd, you mean you are NOT lucky enough to live in the best state in Australia? Best wine, best weather (all year), best cost of living, best well .. everything – I feel real sory for you mate.
Wake up and smell the coffee, get out sometime!
Make no mistake, the
FALCON IS STILL A SAFER CAR THAN COMMODORE!
(And both are a safer car than a Corolla or Yaris)
So you believe that based on some tests conducted by an independent body, that hardly represent real world conditions, that a falcon is safer than a Commodore. A star wont save you in a crash… now a curtain airbag is something that might. And as for your quarrel with Loaf, im siding with him. My best mate worls for a Dealership in sydney, and almost 80% of his Wagon sales have been above Berlina and Calais spec (SS>>>> SSV>>>> CALAIS>>>> CALAIS V). You are just bitter about the fact that all Ford can offer in the way of a wagon is a hearse that has been repainted.