2018 Holden Commodore

Well now, here’s something a little different.  Having been in development for around seven years, Holden’s new Commodore is very modern, has more features than ever and feels much more refined as you breeze down the road.  There are some interesting engines to power the Commodore liftback or wagon, and an AWD option gives the car a nice secure feel over any road surface.  Base models get economical FWD underpinnings.

Coded the ZB Commodore, the 2018 model has plenty of interior room (though down a little on outgoing models) and boasts fresh new styling with honourable lines.  Big road presence is still there and the detailing for the Commodore is smart and looks good.  The 2018 Holden Commodore has sleek lines with a more elegant front nose – with narrower wrap around headlights and plenty of chrome outlines for the grille and air dam.  Side on, the new Commodore has a bold crimp line low down the rear door, and the rear C pillar is lengthier in appearance.  The rear bumper is chunkier and gives the Commodore’s tail plenty of substance, finishing with a nicely raised boot spoiler for that sporty look on the Liftback model.

Out on the road the electronic steering gives great feedback and the road-holding is superb – even for quick driving stints.  There are different driving modes, sport mode having firmer characteristics.  Holden has picked up on FWD and has let go of RWD and V8 power plants.  What it has introduced is AWD for the 3.6-litre petrol models.  Adding FWD, having a 2.0-litre turbo petrol and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel option also widens Holden’s clientele.  For diehard old-school Commodore fans, do drive the new models before making a judgement.  These new models are nice handling cars that are capable of comfortable travel.  Holden is prepared to lose the odd V8, RWD fan in order to gain a larger group of followers with the ZB’s wider appeal.

Specs for the 2.0-litre turbo petrol reveal 191 kW of power and 350 Nm of torque.  It’ll sprint from 0-100km/h in around 7.0 seconds, which is sprightly enough.  Impressive fuel economy has this model using less than 8.0-litres/100 km on average.  It will be offered exclusively in FWD, while the car comes with a smooth nine-speed automatic gearbox.  The 2.0-litre turbo petrol motor is available in both hatchback and wagon.

One of the exciting new engines to power the 2018 Commodore is the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel packing 125 kW and a healthy 400 Nm of torque.  The 125kW/400Nm figures are very solid in reality, and the diesel is muscular and strong in any situation.  Fantastic fuel economy backs up the great drive.

More familiar to some of you might be the 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine which is available as an AWD alternative.  Performance is sprightly, and the Commodore certainly feels quick with its 230 kW and 370 Nm.  You can expect to complete the zero to 100 km/h in around 6.0 seconds.  In 3.6-litre guise, the Commodore is available as a Liftback.

2018 Holden Commodore Interior

Inside the new Commodore the cabin has more colour options, trim options and more features as standard.  The seats feel nice and comfortable, especially roomy in the front.  You also sit lower down in your driving position, adding to the car’s sport appeal.  Having a shorter wheelbase than the outgoing Commodore model the ZB has slightly tighter dimensions for rear seat passengers but that’s not a biggie as room is still good.  Cruising ability is first class and the comfortable, quality interior impresses.  Cup holders are present, a large padded glovebox swallows those frivolous travel items and there is phone storage and USB connectivity.  The new Commodore comes with a beaut  infotainment system across the entire range which offers built-in satellite navigation, plus Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and DAB+ digital radio.

With the arrival of a Liftback style there is handy luggage carrying capacity, though when the rear seats are in place the boot space is five litres smaller than the outgoing model (490-litres)

New 2018 Holden Commodore models start off with the LT versions which are priced around the mid $30k bracket, which is really very competitive.  For this sort of money you’ll find that 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, auto headlights and wipers, passive entry and push-button start, remote start, a Holden Eye forward-facing camera, Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist, Lane Departure Warning, a Following Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert with Head-Up Warning, Advanced Park Assist (semi-automatic parking), a reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors, Holden MyLink with its 7.0-inch colour touch-screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone projection, full iPod integration including Siri Eyes Free, cruise control, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40-split folding rear seats, a space-saver spare wheel, and both the 2.0-litre turbo petrol and 2.0-litre turbo diesel available.  As you can see, this is hugely well equipped and set to draw new buyers to the Holden Commodore brand.

Move to the Holden Commodore RS, and you add to the LT features a Liftback and Sportwagon option, 18-inch alloy wheels, a sports body kit, sports front seats, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a leather sport steering wheel, a rear lip spoiler and a hands-free power tailgate (Sportwagon only).

Step up again to the RS-V Holden Commodore models, and the features added to the RS variants are the 3.6-litre V6 AWD powertrain, adaptive AWD with electric LSD, a HiPer Strut Suspension, a rear sports fascia, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting, Holden MyLink with an 8.0-inch colour touch-screen, Embedded satellite-navigation, DAB+ digital radio, an 8.0-inch colour cluster screen, a colour head-up display, leather seats, heated front seats, a sports steering wheel with paddles and alloy-faced pedals.

The sporty VXR Holden Commodore Liftback has more features that add to the RS-V equipment levels, and these are 20-inch alloy wheels, Selectable-mode Continuous Damping Control (CDC), Brembo brakes (front), an electric sunroof, VXR floor mats and sill plates, Adaptive LED Matrix headlights, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control, performance leather sports seats, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, front seat powered side bolsters and a BOSE premium audio system which produces lovely sound quality.

2018 Holden Commodore Calais models feature Liftback and Tourer styling with 18-inch alloy wheels, leather appointed seat trim, heated front seats, wireless phone charging, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, a Holden MyLink 8.0-inch colour touch-screen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone projection, full iPod integration including Siri Eyes Free, Embedded satellite-navigation, DAB+ digital radio, a 4.2-inch colour cluster screen, the 3.6-litre V6 AWD powertrain (Tourer only), Adaptive AWD with electric LSD (Tourer only), a High-ride suspension (Tourer only) and a hands-free power tailgate (Tourer only).

The Holden Commodore Calais-V adds to the Calais features 20-inch alloy wheels, a rear lip spoiler, Adaptive LED Matrix headlights, a electric sunroof (Liftback only), a panoramic sunroof (Tourer only), an 8.0-inch colour cluster screen, Colour Head-up display, a 360-degree camera, a BOSE premium audio system, driver’s seat power side bolsters, a massaging driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and a sports steering wheel with paddle shifters.

Pricing for the Liftback, Sportwagon and Tourer models put the 2018 Holden Commodore in charge and dangling a carrot to many more new car buyers across the board than they could have done with the previous big RWD Commodore.  Holden’s new Commodore has a FWD transverse-engine format as an option which now sets it to compete directly with Toyota Camry, Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6, Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat, Skoda Superb, Subaru Liberty, Hyundai Sonata, and Honda Accord.

There are very few imperfections to be found in the latest ZB Commodore.  To those poor disillusioned old-school Commodore fans; do make sure you give these first next generation Commodores a drive.  They are quite favourable machines, and Holden has made a great effort to encompass a broader buyer appeal.

2018 Holden Commodore VXR.

The current Holden Commodore model series includes the:

• Commodore LT
• Commodore RS
• Commodore RS-V
• Commodore VXR
• Commodore Calais
• Commodore Calais-V

For any more information on the new 2018 Holden Commodore or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Holden dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!