Opinion

Sometimes the best-laid plans go awry, and I’d never want to discourage a car manufacturer from rolling the dice and having a crack. But when it comes to automotive miscalculations, the short life of Mercedes-Benz Vans’ X-Class pickup has to rate pretty highly on the list, and serve as a lesson to others. As revealed this week, the X-Class will be axed globally from May this year, less than three years after its global reveal and two after its introduction to the vital Australian market.

The axing of the Holden Commodore is news to everyone except those inside the car industry: the numbers don't lie. When sales are going south and there’s no hope in sight, the end is only a matter of time. The imported Commodore may have had a stay of execution if the company that builds it was still owned by Holden's US parent company General Motors.