The Holden names and replacements still available overseas, but are they actually the modern-day Holden Colorado, Holden Captiva and Holden Trax denied to Australians? – Car News

Holden – RIP – has long been vehemently regarded as Australia’s Own, just like football, meat pies and kangaroos. Which of course is nonsense given its (and that old ad jingle’s) American General Motors parentage.

The nostalgia also extends to evocative names like Premier, Kingswood, Monaro, Statesman, Torana, Gemini and – let’s all just embrace its ‘80s new-wave brilliance – Camira.

All are true-blue Aussie classics locked in time and forever Holden.

But what of the many, many other badges in the lion brand’s portfolio over its 72-year run? Many, like Scurry, Tigra, Epica, Volt and Cascada, are best-forgotten flops.

Yet – as Opel/Vauxhall’s recently-announced Frontera reminds us – it’s clear that a handful of the old names survive, gracing other, inevitably newer models from both within and beyond the broader GM family that once, of course, also included Holden.

What do they look like today? Would fans of their Australian namesakes even recognise any sort of connection? It’s time to reveal the Holden badges (as well as some models) still living on abroad.

And, who knows? Some may even make a return to Oz! Let’s go.

Colorado (Chevrolet): a continuation

Following the Commodore’s gradual sales collapse, the Colorado became Holden’s final big seller.

Based on the old-generation (RG) Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon twins, it was a GM/Isuzu co-development that also spawned two iterations of the pre-2020 D-Max.

But with GM and Isuzu parting ways, the 2023 Colorado/Canyon successors switched to the full-sized Silverado platform. A good-looking unit, you could speculate that, had it survived, this ute might have continued as Holden’s bestseller today.

Given the Silverado’s ongoing success here, don’t be surprised if we see the Colorado badge return on a Chevy to challenge the likes of Ford’s Ranger Raptor. Watch this space.

Captiva (Chevrolet via Baojun): a continuation

Very possibly Holden’s worst car and a likely contributor to its demise despite strong sales, the infamous Captiva name remains at large abroad.

But instead of emerging from GM Korea (formerly Daewoo) as before, the all-new Captiva II released in 2018 is based on budget Chinese brand Baojun’s 530 midsized SUV, and is the fruit of a long-running SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture.

Be warned though: SAIC owns MG, and there’s an MG Hector version too. The Captiva curse could easily continue in Australia…

Astra (Opel, Vauxhall): a continuation

How did Australians even keep up with Holden’s chameleonic small car?

Born as a government-mandated Melbourne-assembled Nissan Pulsar clone (1984, 1987), then switching to a Toyota Corolla copy (1989, 1994), before sneaking back in from 1996 as an Opel-built Holden that eventually dominated its class in TS guise (1998), then phased out again post-AH (2004) for the Cruze from Korea (2009), only to return again, first as a failed actual Opel (2012) and later wearing the lion logo (2015 PJ, 2016 BK) right to the end… Astra has a complicated past.

Except, of course, it’s not the end for Astra. Starting life as UK Opel affiliate Vauxhall’s version of the Opel Kadett in 1980, it has remained a Corolla rival ever since, even after GM sold its European operations to Peugeot/Citroen in 2017 – which became Stellantis after merging with Fiat/Alfa Romeo/Abarth/Lancia/Maserati/Chrysler/Dodge/Ram/Jeep.

Eight generations in, there’s today’s Astra L, released in 2021, made in Germany and based on the excellent Peugeot 308. There are petrol, diesel, hybrid and electric vehicle (EV) options, making it a C-segment small-car leader worldwide.

Unlikely to ever have been a Holden, it may return to Downunder someday as an Opel or even Vauxhall. And Australian consumers would probably think: “Oh, Astra’s back!”

Insignia (Opel, Vauxhall): a continuation

2025 Opel Insignia-previewing Opel Experimental Concept

There’s also an all-new, third-gen Insignia coming apparently from next year in Europe.

If you’re struggling to recall the Holden version, remember its short-lived Insignia VXR performance sedan from 2015, that was meant to prepare Australians for the second-gen Insignia-based ZB Commodore after manufacturing ceased in 2017?

Insignia III is expected to be built in Italy as an electrified Opel/Vauxhall flagship alongside a sister model from Lancia… but don’t expect that to attempt another Commodore nameplate revival over here!

Trailblazer (Chevrolet): no connection

2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Remember the Holden Trailblazer? A Ford Everest rival, that was based on the RG Colorado ute Series II facelift, replacing the underwhelming (and agricultural) Colorado 7.

Today’s Chevy Trailblazer couldn’t be further from that, being a light car-based monocoque crossover developed and built primarily by GM Korea for urbanites.

Sized even below the diminutive Trax in North America, the Trailblazer is now GM’s smallest SUV – but not the cheapest.

Trax (Chevrolet): no connection

The original Trax of 2013 was derived from the Opel Corsa/Holden Barina/Chevrolet Aveo-Sonic-based Opel Mokka, and was developed and built by GM Korea.

An early light SUV in Australia, it proved to be a much-needed hit at a time of real strife for Holden, and remained a solid sales performer right up until the end.

The second-gen Trax unveiled in 2022 for North America is actually another type of SUV altogether. Another SAIC-GM joint venture, it’s now Chinese in origin and positioned under the smaller Trailblazer, despite being a larger, value proposition. Confusing.

Chevrolet reportedly considered changing the name to reflect the newer Trax’s change of direction, but never bothered due to it being so strongly established.

Frontera (Opel, Vauxhall): no connection

Like the Trailblazer and Trax, another – but even earlier – ex-GM name has been exhumed, this time by arch-rival Stellantis brands Opel and Vauxhall.

The original GM Frontera was essentially an Isuzu Faster TF (1988 Holden Rodeo) ute with a ladder-frame wagon body, as per the popular Toyota HiLux-based 4Runner/Surf of that era. In Japan, it wore the mirthful MU initials – for Mysterious Utility.

Promising off-road adventure at the dawn of the SUV age, it nevertheless struggled as a Holden from 1995, as it was overshadowed by the larger and more-civilized Jackaroo also made by Isuzu. 1998’s pretty redesign also flopped, and was replaced by the VY Commodore-derived Adventra wagon in 2003, but that’s a whole other story of woe.

The 2024 Opel/Vauxhall Frontera, meanwhile, is a stylish, modish, compact urban crossover with hybridised powertrains, and based on a fresh Stellantis platform.

Acadia (GMC): a continuation

Released in 2018 to take on the Toyota Kluger, the Acadia was unique in being the only GMC ever sold in Australia. Handsome, comfortable and spacious, plenty of investment was undertaken for local re-engineering and factory right-hand drive development, with the series deserving to succeed as a result. It remained one of Holden’s better SUVs.

Unveiled in mid-2023, today’s Acadia is GMC’s third since 2007, and is considerably longer, wider and roomier than the Holden version we knew, with space for eight people. Think of it now as more of a Hyundai Palisade competitor.

If Australians were ever to see this style of GM vehicle again, it would more likely be its Chevrolet Traverse fraternal twin. Whether that happens is another matter.

Equinox (Chevrolet): a continuation

Holden’s replacement for the Captiva was the third-gen Equinox of 2017. Already a hit in the US since the series’ 2005 debut, Holden really needed this Mexican-made Toyota RAV4 rival to fire in Australia, given the sheer popularity of midsized SUVs.

Sadly, the volume just wasn’t there, meaning the considerable return of investment never eventuated, and you have to wonder whether this particular model’s failure here directly led to GM’s decision to pull the plug on Holden in 2020.

Today’s fourth-gen Equinox is all-new in North America, comes in 1.5L turbo-petrol or full battery EV guises, and has the looks to sell in even bigger numbers over there. If only Holden had been allowed to hold out for just a few years longer…

Malibu (Chevrolet): a continuation

Holden’s history of highly-successful mid-sizers started with the 48-215 and ended with the final EH in 1965, as successors from the HD onwards grew in size if not necessarily in stature.

The 1974 LH Torana was meant to recapture the EH’s spirit dimensionally but disappointed commercially, as did the initially-popular Camira (1982), failed Camry-based Apollo (1989, 1993), mediocre Vectra (1997, 2003), disastrous Epica (2007) and near-invisible Malibu (2013). The latter two hailed from Korea via GM Daewoo.

A similar downward trajectory means that – Camry and Honda Accord aside – midsized sedans are endangered in America too, with the 2016-vintage eighth-gen Malibu being Chevrolet’s last when production ceases at the end of this year.

Suburban (Chevrolet): a continuation

Back in 1998, Holden released the Suburban. At 5.6 metres long, two metres wide and nearly 1.8m tall, its sheer size – and considerable asking price – was deemed just too much for Australia. It offered up to nine seats, 4WD and a choice of a petrol or diesel V8.

Introduced in 2021, the world’s longest-continuing nameplate is now in its 12^th generation since 1935, and shares much of the same GMT T1XX platform as the popular Silverado.

Ironically, considering that Holden sold fewer than 750 Suburbans in fewer than three years, its GMC Yukon successor will arrive in Australia in 2025, under the GM Specialty Vehicles left-to-right-hand-drive rebuilding program in Melbourne.

This, technically, will make the Yukon the closest vehicle we have to a modern-day Holden.