Holden boss Mike Devereux has confirmed that a next-generation Commodore will be launched once the latest model, the VF, to be revealed on Sunday and sold in the U.S. as the 2014 Chevrolet SS, ends production in 2016.

There were fears that Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors Company [NYSE:GM], was going to drop the Commodore from its lineup after the VF had run its course due to declining sales, but Devereux has now put those fears to rest.

The Holden exec didn’t go so far as to reveal what bodystyle the new Commodore would feature, though a switch to a crossover, which was rumored due to the bodystyle's growing popularity in Australia and other markets, is unlikely given the car’s history of being a sedan.

The Holden Commodore was first launched in 1978 as a mid-size sedan and was based on technology borrowed from Opel. It has since spawned multiple generations and is now a large car.

“A lot of folks have been speculating about whether this is the last Commodore ... I can categorically tell you we have already begun working on the Commodore that comes after this one [VF]," Devereux told Drive.

“This thing will run through end of '16, after that time we're going to be putting two architectures into the plant ... one of them will underpin the Commodore that replaces the VF,” he added.

Those two architectures referred to by Devereux are global architectures, as confirmed by Holden in April of last year. One of the platforms, code-named the D2XX, will be for the next-generation Chevrolet Cruze. Holden already sells its own version of the current Cruze.

Holden hasn’t confirmed what the second platform will be though many are expecting it to be the award-winning Alpha platform underpinning the Cadillac ATS and next-generation versions of the CTS and Chevrolet Camaro.

This would mean that the Commodore retains its rear-wheel-drive layout, although there’s also the chance that Holden may use the platform of the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu, which will remain a front-driver. The new Commodore is expected to return to the mid-size category to suit changing customer tastes.  

However, helping support the theory that the new Commodore will be based on the Alpha platform are reports that Buick is planning a new rear-wheel-drive sedan to revive the Grand National nameplate.

As previously reported, Holden is an expert in the development of rear-wheel-drive cars and may end up developing the new Grand National alongside its new Commodore, with the Buick to arrive in the U.S. and possibly China, the brand's most important market. Holden has been tasked with designing cars for the Chinese market, and one of these cars could be the new Buick Grand National.