Hatchback News

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

A new budget EV hatchback could be coming soon.

We’ve been calling for it and it’s finally here!

In the age of increasingly dominant Chinese car brands, how can Japanese favourites stand out?

Toyota dominates the new car market thanks to an expansive line-up of models that spans from the pint-sized Yaris hatch to the jumbo Toyota LandCruiser.

BYD is plotting hybrid versions of its latest small electric cars - but here's why they might not make it to Australia.

Volkswagen Group has become the top-selling EV brand in Europe, overtaking Tesla, through the first 10 months of 2025, according to an article in AutoNews.

MG4 gets significant interior upgrades.

Smart is poised to return to its roots with an ultra-compact city car, according to new spy images.Smart's fifth model since its Mercedes-Benz and Geely re-boot, the #2 has already been teased in Chinese social media as the ForTwo’s successor, but new ‘spy pictures’ shared via the brand’s official channels confirm it will even follow the original Smart car’s aesthetic and proportions.Built on a new platform dubbed ECA (Electric Compact Architecture), and equipped with just two doors, the #2’s design will be be led by the Mercedes-Benz design team. Smart confirmed the car would be built in China and is targeting global export markets.Specifically, the brand teased the #2 at the Munich motor show, with a European release slated for 2027.Due to its ultra-compact dimensions, Chinese media is speculating a battery size of roughly 30kWh, equivalent to other ultra-compact vehicles sold in Australia like the BYD Atto 1 (From $23,990, 30kWh, 220km range) or Hyundai Inster (From $39,000, 42kWh, 327km range).Smart’s reboot looks to continue full steam in Australia, with the brand following up on the #1 crossover and #3 small SUV with the recently-revealed-in-Australia #5 mid-sizer, which is likely to be the first Smart offered in Australia as a plug-in hybrid.It is unclear whether Australia will see the recently-revealed #6 sedan, which looks to be a hybrid-first proposition equipped with a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid drivetrain.The two-seat #2 which returns the brand to its low-cost and ultra-compact origins may be a perfect fit for markets like China, Japan, Korea and Thailand, but it is unclear whether the brand will take another shot at the poorly-served city car segment in Australia.Generally, cars with ultra-compact dimensions are difficult to comply with Australia’s stringent design laws, and many brands often don’t want to roll the dice with such a car receiving a sub-five-star ANCAP safety rating.However, the segment has again received more interest locally, as brands look to exploit an under-served space that's well suited to electric vehicles. BYD’s Atto 1 recently bucked the trend of associating low safety with ultra-compact vehicles, scoring a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating.BYD’s affordable offering is yet to put its first runs on the board, but Hyundai’s more expensive Inster has thus far chalked up 426 registrations in Australia. Meanwhile, Smart is not a member of the FCAI and its sales numbers do not appear in the VFACTs industry report.The original Smart ForTwo was sold in Australia between 2004 and 2007 equipped with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. Its line-up expanded over time to include the ForFour hatch and even a roadster model.

Nissan is making no bones about the fact that it needs more models to sell in greater numbers in Australia, with China emerging as a key supplier moving forward. With the current range coming from Thailand (Navara), Japan (X-Trail, Ariya, Patrol), United Kingdom (Qashqai, Juke) and North America (Pathfinder), a lower-cost source is seen as a solution to one of the company’s biggest hurdles.