How the 2026 Holden range would look

The date December 31, 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of the end of new Holden vehicle sales.

With the world reeling from Covid-19, the final Astra, Trax, Equinox, Acadia and Colorado models left GMH dealerships with a whimper not a bang.

But what if General Motors HQ in Detroit didn’t pull the plug? What if the brand survived beyond 2020 and into the halcyon three years of over-demand and under-supply? We reckon it’d still be here today.

Read more about

• Ford versus GM, 2023 style! The all-new Chevrolet Colorado might end up in Australia, so here's how it lines up against the latest Ford Ranger ute
• The coolest cars Ford, Chevrolet, Cadillac and others are keeping from Australia | Opinion
• Is this the biggest threat to BYD and Tesla? 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV lighting up the sales charts but no sign of it coming to Australia

Here are the international General Motors models that might have made the grade as Holdens.

2026 Holden Acadia

The 2018 Acadia represented a big gamble by Holden, going to huge expense of re-engineering and improving-upon the then-new second-gen GMC version of the Chevrolet Traverse for right-hand-drive.

And why not, since, the big-selling Toyota Kluger continues to be also sourced from the US.

Released in 2024, Acadia number three adopts fresh styling inside and out, GM’s VSS-S modular architecture (evolved from the previous platform), longer wheelbase for family-friendlier three-row seating and a gutsy 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol powertrain.

Handsome and ultra-spacious, it looks and drives well enough to have resonated with Australian buyers.

2026 Holden Colorado

This one would have been a shoe-in for Australia.

All three generations of Colorado ute sold in North America since 2004 have been unrelated to the Isuzu D-Max/Rodeo models Holden imported.

Today’s US Chevy, unveiled in 2022, is big (and roomy) for a mid-sized ute, even compared to the Ford Ranger, betraying the fact that it is a scaled-down Chevrolet Silverado. And that’s no bad thing given how relatively sophisticated the latter full-sized pick-up is.

And here’s a fun fact. Back in 2018, then-Holden managing director, Dave Buttner, revealed that what’s now today’s Colorado would probably have been the basis for a formidable Ranger rival, suggesting that – like the Acadia – it might already have been future-proofed for right-hand drive.

Plus, as the current US engine choice is a 2.7-litre four-pot turbo petrol unit, Australia’s sizeable 4x4 dual-cab ute segment may have dictated a diesel application.

Ah, what might have been…

2026 Holden Trax

A product of GM Korea that grew from the ashes of GM Daewoo, the original Trax was derived from the Opel Corsa platform that also provided the basis of the final Holden Barina supermini. It was an early and successful example of a city-sized Light SUV.

The second-gen Trax, again from Korea, is based on a small/medium scalable version of VSS-S, and is powered by either a 1.2-litre three-cylinder turbo or 1.5-litre four-pot turbo depending on sourcing, as it is also built in China with SAIC.

Obviously larger and sleeker than the first version, Trax II is a smartly-styled and spacious alternative to the Chery Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion, and would likely resonate with Aussie consumers.

2026 Holden Equinox

Barely a year old in its US home market, the fourth-gen Equinox is yet another variation of GM’s ubiquitous VSS-S platform, and remains a Toyota RAV4 challenger.

To that end, the redesigned medium SUV offers a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) option in some markets to the standard 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol powertrain. There’s also an EV version.

And, since GM does not seem to offer a world-class small car…

2026 Holden Astra

Sadly, GM doesn’t seem to know or care about making great B- and C-segment hatchbacks.

And since this is a fantasy scenario, we’re inclined to think that the alt-universe Holden might want to have continued its association with the Stellantis-owned Opel/Vauxhall and offer the known and respected Corsa and its larger Astra stablemate lines.

Now, the Opel Corsa GSE Vision Gran Turismo may or may not preview the next-gen supermini due in about 2028, but clearly, away from GM stewardship, the decades-old Opel/Vauxhall smaller cars are flourishing.