2018 Holden Commodore Photos, engines & full specs

In 2018, Holden introduced the fifth generation of the Commodore, shocking the brand's fans with the new creation that was just a badge-engineered European car that sold poorly in Australia.

It was the end of the road for the rear-wheel-drive Commodore and the beginning of a new era. In 2017, the French automaker Peugeot-Citroen agreed to buy Opel/Vauxhall brands from General Motors and expand its presence in the Australasian market. There were already a few cars made by Opel and sold under the Holden badge in Down Under, but not the most notorious model, which was the Commodore. Since the Australian automaker's factory was already closed, Peugeot-Citroen rebadged the European Opel/Vauxhall Insignia under the Commodore nameplate. However, there were two main problems: the new generation was built on a front-wheel-drive platform with an available all-wheel-drive version, while the traditional large sedan from Holden was based on a rear-wheel-drive architecture. But still, the car manufacturer tried its luck and revealed the fifth and final generation of the Commodore in late 2016. It built it in Germany and shipped it to Australia.

The 2018 Holden Commodore, known as the ZB, had a sharper, modern look. Its narrow and angular headlights were adorned by integrated daytime running lights on their upper side. The grille between them resembled the one installed on the Commodore VF II. In addition, the wrapped-around plastic bumper was extended downwards with an apron that sported a trapezoidal-shaped air intake flanked by narrow scoops that housed the available fog lamps.

From its profile, the car revealed an athletic stance, dominated by sharp lines and curved panels that made the 2018 Holden Commodore look like a sports sedan. Furthermore, the sculptured door panels featured a carved ascending line on their lower side, just above the aerodynamically profiled side sills. The sloped-down roofline and the short deck looked like they were carried over from a coupe, even though the car was a four-door sedan. However, the automaker also offered the vehicle as a five-door liftback or as a station wagon. Surprisingly, it wasn't available as a sedan. To make it look more upscale and convince customers that the new chapter was an appropriate one, Holden sold the car with an extensive package of amenities that included light-alloy wheels of 17-, 18-, and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Thanks to its new platform with a transversely mounted engine, the 2018 Holden Commodore provided a roomy cabin where a family of five could comfortably fit. At the front, the bolstered bucket seats were comfortable and available with either cloth or leather upholstery. Fronting the drive was a fresh instrument cluster filled with large dials for the speedometer and the tachometer that integrated a color LCD for the onboard computer. In addition, atop the center stack, the automaker installed a seven-inch touchscreen that supported Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Lower, on the center console, the car manufacturer placed the gear selector for the automatic transmission and the button for the parking brake. In the back, the car featured a split-folding (60/40) bench seat with enough shoulder room for three adults.

However, the new car was a far departure from what the previous Commodore was. Instead of a rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered muscle car, the automaker tried to attract customers with front-wheel-drive cars motivated by inline-four or V6 engines. Furthermore, the car manufacturer offered the 2018 Holden Commodore with a four-pot turbodiesel powerhouse. As a result, sales plummeted, and in 2020, the car was axed from the assembly lines. To add insult to injury, GM, who still owned the Holden brand, decided to retire the brand entirely.