2018 Holden Commodore

By Alex Forrest

The previous rear-drive VF Commodore held on for a lot longer than was economically viable. 

It was at the end of its model cycle, but it wasn’t just the model that was long in the tooth, it was also the business model. 

In a shrinking market for traditional large cars, it simply made little business sense for these cars to be built locally in diminishing numbers. 

The new ZB Commodore needed to be cheaper to produce for Holden’s parent company, General Motors, but it also needed to continue its role as an affordable, safe and multi-purpose car that also still appeals to people who like to drive.  

Versions of this car are sold into a number of markets worldwide. In the US, it’s known as the Buick Regal, while in Europe it’s sold as an Opel Insignia and in the UK it’s called a Vauxhall Insignia. 

Holden’s own suspension and drivetrain engineers spent a huge amount of time developing the suspension and calibrating the nine-speed automatic to ensure the car was suitable for Australian conditions. 

We were able to road test one of the prototypes before it had received the Australia-specific suspension, transmission and changes, and then drive a selection of the Australian-tuned Commodores. 

The ZB Commodore also has some important technical advances over the previous VF model, most notably that autonomous braking is standard across the range.

The adaptive all-wheel drive system available on the V6 variants is also clever, utilising a twin clutch setup which delivers the engine’s power to those wheels which can use it best. It’s particularly impressive on wet roads. 

The most obvious change, of course, is that the Commodore can now be had as a liftback. Two wagon types are also available, comprising the Sportwagon and the slightly higher-riding Tourer.

The previous Commodore had few competitors in the large car market, but it was a dying segment. 

Now, the slightly smaller ZB Commodore has more competitors, which Holden has said include the Mazda6, Subaru Outback and even the Kia Stinger.  

The ZB Commodore is a more relevant car to the market than its predecessor, and bears a badge people know. But it’s still the new kid on the block, and time will tell as to whether it can grab sales from the established competition.