Abarth 595 vs Holden Commodore
What's the difference?

Abarth 595

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2018 price

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Holden Commodore

$7,800 - $28,980

2018 price

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Summary

2018 Abarth 595

2018 Holden Commodore

By Tim Robson

By Malcolm Flynn

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Turbo 4, 1.4L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Unleaded Petrol

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

5.8L/100km (combined)

5.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Good engine/chassis combo
Surprising grip levels
Unusual

Comfortable but dynamic chassis
Strong and smooth 2.0 turbo
Liftback's boot practicality over a sedan

Dislikes

Terrible driving position
Ride not great around town
No reversing camera

Relatively unassuming looks
V6 not as refined as the 2.0 turbo
VXR doesn't match the romance of old V8 SS

2018 Abarth 595 Summary

Since 1949, Abarth has been giving the venerable Italian brand, Fiat, a patina of performance, based largely on giant-killing feats in small modified cars like the Fiat 600 of the 1960s.

More recently, the brand has been revived to boost the fortunes of the smallest Fiat on sale in Australia. Known formally as the Abarth 595, the tiny hatch packs a bit of a surprise under its distinctive snout.

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2018 Holden Commodore Summary

For many Australians, calling the new ZB a Commodore is tantamount to being forced to call your Mum’s new boyfriend ‘Dad.’

It's not built here, available in rear-wheel drive, there's no sign of a V8 or a sedan body, so why should we accept it as a worthy heir to the badge worn by Holden’s proudest model since 1978?

One big reason is that it was always going to be the next Commodore, even before Holden decided to stop building cars in Australia. Yes, it was even set to be built here.

Once the VE/VF Commodore’s Zeta platform was axed during General Motors’ post-GFC rationalisation, the next best thing was to align with the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia designed primarily for Europe.

Holden was actually involved with the new Insignia’s development from the beginning, which has led to some key details for the Commodore version and Australia, and a whole lot of input from our world-renowned Aussie engineering team.

So it’s a whole lot more Commodore than you may realise. Whether it lives up to its reputation is another matter.

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Deep dive comparison

2018 Abarth 595 2018 Holden Commodore

Verdict

It’s tough to be kind to the Abarth 595. Based on a platform that’s more than a decade old, the car has been left behind by its rivals in many ways, including basic ergonomics and its value equation.

The larger engine does work well in this smaller package, and its road-holding ability belies its size. However, only die-hard fans of the Abarth brand will be able to cope with the uncomfortable seating position and a complete lack of even the most perfunctory features that cars costing $10,000 less are able to offer.

Verdict

So will the new Commodore become Australia's favourite car? I strongly doubt it, but it's not the car's fault, and it wouldn't be any different if it was a rear-wheel drive, V8, Australian-built sedan. Australian buying habits have just moved on, and diversified into a range of SUVs, small hatches and dual-cab utes.

Taken as an all-new entry in Holden's revitalised line-up though, the new Commodore ticks all the important boxes required of a mid-size to large passenger car these days. It may not be anywhere near as exciting as a 6.2-litre Redline sedan, ute or wagon, but it’s objectively a far better car overall, and you should definitely give it a drive before dismissing it.

The pick of the bunch in my eyes is the $39,490 RS Sportwagon with the 2.0-litre petrol engine. Yep, the best new Commodore is now a four-cylinder station wagon.

Be sure to check out what James Cleary thought of the new Commodore in prototype guise here:

Abarth 595 vs Holden Commodore What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Abarth 595 vs Holden Commodore
What's the difference?