Genesis G70 vs Holden Commodore
What's the difference?

Genesis G70

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2024 price

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Holden Commodore

$7,800 - $26,990

2018 price

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Maserati Quattroporte

Mazda 6

Mercedes-AMG E63

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Mercedes-Benz A35

Mercedes-Benz AMG GT

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

Mercedes-Benz CLA250

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Mercedes-Benz E-Class

Mercedes-Benz E53

Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Summary

2024 Genesis G70

2018 Holden Commodore

By Emily Agar

By Malcolm Flynn

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Twin Turbo V6, 3.3L

Diesel Turbo 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Diesel

Fuel Efficiency

10.4L/100km (combined)

5.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Gorgeous looks
After-purchase program
One highly-specified variant

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

Dislikes

Relatively small cabin space
Not heaps of individual storage
Road and wind noise creeps in

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

2024 Genesis G70 Summary

I’m family testing the updated Genesis G70 this week, which has seen some tweaks to its technology and safety systems.

The G70’s release also sees the line-up trimmed to one highly-specified Sport Luxury grade, available as a four-cylinder Shooting Brake wagon or the V6 sedan on test here.

It competes with other mid-size sedans like the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. So, how does the G70 handle life with a small family of three? Keep reading to find out!

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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 Genesis G70 2018 Holden Commodore

Verdict

The updated Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Luxury is beautiful to look at and drive. It features premium features, trims and great power but the cabin is tight on space. Which makes it a little awkward to use, so this will suit a small family best or families where this may not be the primary mover. That said, I love the after-care program and it suited my small family of three, so it gets an 8.0/10 from us.

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:

Genesis G70 vs Holden Commodore What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Genesis G70 vs Holden Commodore
What's the difference?