Ford Maverick vs Holden Commodore
What's the difference?

Ford Maverick

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2024 price

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Holden Commodore

$7,800 - $28,980

2018 price

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Summary

2024 Ford Maverick

2018 Holden Commodore

By Stephen Ottley

By Malcolm Flynn

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

5.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Looks like a ute
Drives like an SUV
More practical than an SUV

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

Dislikes

Not available in right-hand drive
Light on back seat amenities
Thirsty for a small vehicle

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

2024 Ford Maverick Summary

Is this the car Ford Australia is crying out for?

It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves from afar ever since the Maverick first appeared in the USA in 2021. In simple terms this is an SUV disguised as a ute, or if you prefer to look at it another way, a ute designed for the urban environment.

Why does Ford Australia need it? Because utes are what it does best and SUVs are what it struggles with. The Ranger is, by some margin, its best-selling model and the F-150 is coming to a showroom near you soon, while the Escape SUV has been dropped due to consistently low sales.

The Maverick isn’t quite a true replacement for the Falcon ute, but it’s arguably closer in concept than the more rugged Ranger.

It’s the kind of vehicle that should pacify people calling for Subaru to bring back the Brumby. In other words, this is a vehicle that has the potential (key word) to appeal to a broad audience; even more so than the niche Bronco off-roader.

There's a significant catch, though. Ford doesn’t make it in right-hand drive.

Fortunately for CarsGuide we were recently given the opportunity to sample the Maverick in the USA getting behind the wheel of the XLT Tremor variant in Los Angeles, California.

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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

2024 Ford Maverick 2018 Holden Commodore

Verdict

Potential is the key word when it comes to the Maverick. It has loads of potential to be a sales hit in Australia, provided Ford can get it in at the right price and specification level. In many ways, for all the success the Ranger has had for the company, the Maverick is the closest thing Ford has built to the Falcon Ute since its demise.

There’s obviously no guarantees in the automotive business, but if Ford could add the Maverick as a would-be Escape replacement it clearly has the potential (there’s that word again) to do a much better job for a brand known for its adventurous models. Whereas the Escape struggled to attract attention in a crowded SUV market alongside the likes of the Mazda CX-5, Toyota RAV4 and others, that wouldn’t be the case for the Maverick.

It’s been a hit for the Blue Oval in the US, with more than 22,000 examples sold in the first three months of 2023 and the company hiring more workers to try and keep up with demand. Which will only delay any plans to bring it to Australia, as the US market clearly has priority.

Which is a shame, because it would appeal to the large number of Australians who live in urban centres but have an active lifestyle. Especially the hybrid model, which would be ideal for weekday use while allowing owners to chuck their mountain bike or surfboard in the tray and head for adventure on the weekends.

Maybe that’s an idealistic view, but the Maverick left a strong impression and would fit so neatly into Ford Australia’s line-up it would be a waste if it never made its way Down Under.

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:

Ford Maverick vs Holden Commodore What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Ford Maverick vs Holden Commodore
What's the difference?