Holden Ends Manufacturing of Cruze in Australia

Australia's Holden has ended manufacturing of its Cruze model as part of its transition from manufacturing to becoming a design, engineering, and importing business, according to the automaker.

“As with any other model ending production, we hold 10 years of spare parts, and there will be no change to warranties or service agreements,” said Richard Phillips, executive director, manufacturing.

The end of Cruze production will see around 270 Holden employees leave the business, all on a voluntary basis, according to the automaker. This is fewer than forecast in July, due to ongoing domestic demand for the locally made Commodore models, Holden said.

Cruze production has been forecast to end in 2016, as part of a gradual scaling down of production. Holden will continue to build the Commodore model until late 2017.

Beyond 2017, Holden will retain a presence in Australia for the long-term, including its sales and marketing operations, spare parts organization, design studios, and an ongoing engineering department, according to the company. As a full-line importer, Holden will replace or refresh every model in its portfolio by the end of 2020, the automaker said.