Picture yourself in an alternate reality where General Motors chose to maintain the Holden brand presence in Australia, and as a result, the Opel Insignia-derived ZB Commodore remains available on the market.
Take a look at the images accompanying this story; these are probably the cars you'd find showcased in Holden dealerships nationwide right now.
That's because even though GM sold Opel to PSA Group back in 2017, and the German marque shifted over to Stellantis following the merger between PSA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles four years after that, the vehicle based on the Insignia continues to be known as the Buick Regal in China.
・ This came at a significant cost for Holden, and the upcoming Toyota RAV4, Toyota Corolla, Toyota HiLux, Ford Ranger, and more should take notice as Holden’s ‘AU Falcon’ celebrates its 60th anniversary.
・ Can an electric car last as long as my 20-year-old 2005 Holden VZ Commodore One Tonner? Or will EVs such as the Tesla Model Y, MG4 and BYD Seal fail to go the distance?
・ Designer of iconic Holden Monaro, Holden Commodore VE, Chevrolet Camaro, Cadillac Celestiq and more to retire from GM Design Chief role
And that inter-dimensional Commodore has just received what would surely have been the evergreen Holden’s final facelift.
SAIC General Motors is enjoying ongoing success with the Buick brand in the Chinese domestic market with the Regal serving as “a mid-to-high-end car with super driving value”.
A 2024 facelift introduced a new grille and bumper treatment to freshen up the car’s look, although its 2018 origins are still clear.
But headline news is this month’s introduction of a GS ‘Gran Sport’ high-performance version of the four-door, five-seater.
However, rather than the up to 7.5-litre (455ci) V8 engines powering Buick GS muscle cars of the 1960s and early ‘70s, the new Regal offers a 176kW/350Nm version of the ‘Ecotec’ 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine driving the front wheels through a nine-speed auto transmission.
Externally the GS sports an ‘Obsidian Black’ grille with cells arranged “in a three-dimensional matrix” and a "fang blade” across its centre. There’s also a black “Tail Wing” spoiler across the boot lid and GS badging front and rear.
Underneath the skin the Regal GS’s suspension has been given “European-style sports chassis tuning” and upgraded Brembo brakes are standard, but there are no changes to the interior.
Interestingly, owners of 2024 and onwards model Regals will be able to retrofit their car with a GS upgrade kit.
SAIC GM says it has sold more than 1.8 million Buick Regals in China over multiple generations and more than two decades on sale. But Holden devotees can only dream of the Holden Commodore GS that could have been.
