Holden Factory in Elizabeth

Over Easter we took the opportunity to visit the Holden factory at Elizabeth. It was terrific to see in the flesh, our beloved car manufacturing plant in Australia.

2012 Holden Malibu on sale in Australia late next year

The all-new 2012 Holden Malibu mid-sized sedan has been previewed in the form of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu at both the 2011 New York International Auto Show and Auto Shanghai 2011.

Holden executive director of sales, marketing and aftersales, John Elsworth, today confirmed the Holden Malibu would go on sale in Australia “late next year”, filling the gap between the locally manufactured Cruze and Commodore.

General Motors says the Malibu will be powered by a range of “fuel efficient and powerful” four-cylinder engines.

Among those will be a brand new 2.5-litre direct injection petrol unit with 141kW of power and 245Nm of torque. The engine will be mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that has been tuned to enhance powertrain efficiency.

GM engineers say they benchmarked the Malibu’s ride and handling against more expensive sports cars in their attempt to make it smooth, precise and dynamic on country roads and freeways all around the world.

It will feature MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, as well as ventilated front disc brakes with dual piston aluminium calipers, which GM says should make it the segment leader in stopping distance.

Chassis control safety technology includes ABS, traction control, ESC, EBD, brake assist, corner brake control, hydraulic brake fade assist and drag torque control.

Other standard safety features in North America will include dual front, side, knee and roof rail airbags with rollover protection. Optional features include second-row side airbags (taking the maximum number to 10), lane departure warning with forward collision alert and a rear-view camera.

US customers will have four interior colours to choose from, while the insert materials on the centre console, doors and steering wheel can also be personalised in either chrome, metal or wood. Soft-touch surfaces and ice blue ambient lighting promise to create a high quality cabin feel.

The seven-inch colour touchscreen will incorporate Bluetooth wireless audio streaming as well as a range of other functions controlled by the MyLink infotainment system. Behind the screen is a 15cm bin to store phones and other wireless devices.

The new Malibu has a wider stance than the outgoing model, sporting broader shoulders and a shorter wheelbase for a significantly more aggressive appearance. LED taillights and alloy wheels ranging from 17 to 19 inches add to the Camaro-inspired exterior package.

Production of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu will begin early next year. More details of the 2012 Holden Malibu will be revealed closer to the vehicle’s launch.

Mike Devereux Easter Safety Pledge

Watch Mike Devereux, Chairman and Managing Director GM Holden, make his pledge to drive safely this Easter. Make your own pledge today on Facebook or Twitter.

Targa Tasmania 2011 Sheffield - 8 cars went off on this stage

As an ex-rally navigator and driver, I love this clip! It looks easy. NOT!

Welcome back Martitia!

We are so happy to welcome back Martitia to our Beecham Motors family. Martitia was previously Holden's number 2 Saleperson in Queensland; she is passionate about her cars, and is ready, willing and happy to help you decide which car is right for you.

Call her now on 54 951477 and have a chat today. Welcome back Marty!

Holden Salemen's Guild Dinner 2011

Great Wall visits our new Showroom

Great Wall Motors visted to inspect our nearly completed showroom.Vist them here! We are proud that Beecham Great Wall is the #1 Dealership in Australia.

Beecham Holden Staff Reward Go-Karting

Holden rewarded our Dealership for Best POS, and we in turn rewarded our staff with an afternoon Go-karting!

Customer Testimonial

As a recent purchaser of a vehicle from Scott Boyall I would like to pass on my positive experiences.

As this was not a walk in walk out deal there were a number of things we had to work through to cinch the deal comfortably. Scott was always punctual and courteous and in this day and age where a quick deal is important it was refreshing to have someone with this attitude. To be honest I could have bought this car locally since I live 10 hours away however Scott made the whole thing worthwhile, the price was good and the service fantastic. I was shocked when he told me he had only recently started with the dealership, my advice is don’t let this guy go.

You will get flow on work from this sale as I have spread the word where I work.

Regards,

Brendan McHutchon

Go Karting - Staff Reward

My staff won a special reward from Holden for having the best POS diplay in recent Sales. As a thankyou I took them Go-karting, and yes, they loved 'lapping the Boss' endlessly lol. Thanks to everyone.