2007 Holden VE Calais V

Press Release Information Here

After calming down a bit, I have to say it's not the freshest looking car in the world, but there's nary a line misplaced.

The exterior looks like a mixture of Japanese and Korean designs. Though, Korean design can best be described as Japan lite... so I guess it's a mixture of Japanese designs. Specifically Mazda. But if you must include a Korean automaker, then I'd choose Hyundai.

Now, it's still attractive but unique design themes are sparse. The side port hole, if that's what you would call it, is a nice touch. It doesn't have that "oh let's tack on this port-hole at the very last minute" look that is present on the new Escalade.

I love the huge wheel flares and the vehicle's stance gives the illusion that the car is in motion.

The interior is the best part of the whole vehicle.

It's something that Holden obviously spent a lot of time developing.

It's overall design, like the exterior, borrows the clean and conservative approach seen in the higher end models from Honda and Mazda but switches it up a bit by adding visual cues from Opel, showing that Holden hasn't forgotten it's roots.

The VE Calais is Holden's bread and butter model and they want to keep it that way by making it look as inoffensive as humanly possible.

Though, it's still attractive and it's still better then any sedan GM offers North America right now other then Cadillac.

If this is any indication of where GM wants to take it's Zeta platform, the future is looking pretty bright for Chevy, Buick, and Pontiac.

Edited July 16, 200619 yr by Cadillacfan

Exterior - no.

Interior - yes please!

Edited July 16, 200619 yr by nzr

korean ?...japanese???? .......TRY THIS ;

ITS A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX....!!!!

Edited July 16, 200619 yr by MRDETROITMETAL

The exterior is bland and not offensive but the stance is good. The interior looks great, though. I like how it is very simple in design and appears to be well constructed.

  korean ?...japanese???? .......TRY THIS ;

ITS A PONTIAC GRAND PRIX....!!!!

I see no resembalance to the GP.. this car has proper RWD proportions, not the wierd FWD proportions of the current GP.. I see some 3-series resembalance in the doors and the overall wedginess reminds me of the C-class and others (side character lines sloping from back to front)..

I like it, though..good looking car..it will be interesting to see if any of the rumoured US-market Zetas use this same styling...it would make a nice range-topper sedan for Saturn, I think. (Or with a different nose, a Pontiac?)

Edited July 16, 200619 yr by moltar

Hmm... It is a good looking sedan. I like the taillights.

The model introductions reveal they are all relatively the same, so I won't bother placing my opinion in all the topics. The lines on styling between the brands are relatively blurred. This one doesn't do anything radical, but it does do the most appreciable aspects justice. I particularly like the stance from all angles, as well as the subtle crease-lines that make their way around the car 360 degrees. I like the greenhouse with the low beltline at the front cabin...but wow does that cowl look tall.

I see a lot of cars in its design, but that doesn't mean anything negative. If anything, it takes great elements of design from many sources with its own blend of aggressive lines and contours.

The interior appears relatively unique, but the two-tone split seems wonky with the brushed aluminum dash trim that doesn't seem to have any visual place with that scheme...and black seatbelts with a beige interior? IMO, the black/beige split just has too much contrast in areas. It strikes me as odd to see a black rear-deck directly behind beige headrests. Eh... Is it the lighting, or is the carpet in this image another tone altogether?

114.7 inch wheelbase?

Now GM should take that basic chassis and motor...Add in some really wild sheetmetal aka Roadmaster or whatever and market that in the USA!

Seems like a slam dunk move to me...(leave the greenhouse and hardpoints where they are and style up a wild ride.

Professional but not a great step forward, IMHO

The large car market in Australia is VERY conservative, and this is obviously playing to those tastes

Also Holden has never actually designed a full car, not since the early seventies at least. All the commodores until this one were based to some extent off Opels

114.7 inch wheelbase?

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(AGAIN!!) Were did you get this?---------((PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!!))--------TELL US!!---Is it a GUESS? ---Are you PSYCHIC? ---Do you work for GM? ---(((WHAT!!)))

Oh my god look at that huge hump they put in the rear to accomodate the driveshaft... this thing will never sell. [/camry_owner]

Holy Cow, I love it! Where do I sign? [/rational_human_being]

OK, I'm bored. Now that the hype has died, I really don't care for the styling anymore. Hope the US version gets much fresher sheetmetal.

I have to agree it has the evolved look of a cleaned up Grand Prix.

The wheel flairs, taillights, rear pumper, vent in the side, guage pod, and for sure the steering wheel have traits and elements of the present GP.

Now that That I look at it the steering wheel looks much the same.

Lets put it this way if this car was brought out first at Pontiac it would not have shock many other than the RWD.

Scale may be off...

The interior appears relatively unique, but the two-tone split seems wonky with the brushed aluminum dash trim that doesn't seem to have any visual place with that scheme...and black seatbelts with a beige interior?  IMO, the black/beige split just has too much contrast in areas.  It strikes me as odd to see a black rear-deck directly behind beige headrests.  Eh...    Is it the lighting, or is the carpet in this image another tone altogether?

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I agree the brushed aluminum doesn't exactly suit the tan well. I for one love the two tone though. BMW has done black on tan/beige for a while now. They never did it in the e39's (actually, in the M5 they did with black on a richer tan looking color). I have always loved that look. I for one have the two-tone tan/beige interior (darker tan/brown on top and lighter tan/beige on bottom) and I actually want to find a donor car and grab the black interior off of the upper doorpanels and dash. I know it would look great. That's what I've always wanted in that car but I know it never came with it. Maybe it is just my car, but the contrast works very well. I already have black carpet mats as well as the steering wheel, guage cluster, and a bunch of other trim pieces being black. I for one like the contrast, but I guess everybody has their opinion, which is hwy there is more than one interior color option. :AH-HA_wink:

The interior is great. Holden should do all of the interiors for GM. Also, why are the radios so much more attractive than North American radios?

Still love it. Clean, elegant, balanced, beautiful.

Not an empty headed super model but a smart, sexy, girl next door type who's a lioness in the bedroom.