Ford Falcon vs Holden Commodore: the 2026 Edition

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As we approach the 10th anniversary of the first of Australia’s ‘Big Two’ ending local manufacturing, we thought we’d ask a few ‘what ifs?’ – What if Ford continued to offer the Falcon? What if Holden survived and GM backed the Commodore? What would the classic Falcon XR vs Commodore SS fight look like today?

Let’s get one thing straight, while this is definitely a flight of fancy, we want to keep it anchored somewhat in the realms of possibility. Those wanting a locally produced, V8-powered large sedan with a $45,990 sticker price are going to be sadly disappointed.

These would be niche cars bought by an enthusiast audience in relatively tiny numbers making local production an economic impossibility, but there are enough attractive bits in the respective Ford and General Motors worlds to put together some tasty offerings.

It’ll surprise no one that both these vehicles lean heavily on US hardware and let’s start with the Commodore.

There are no more base variants, there’s simply no market for them. As such the 2027 Holden Commodore range starts with the SS, which sits on the platform of the Cadillac CT5 – having tried a smaller Commodore with the ZB, Holden quickly returned back to a large car.

Taking the CT5 as a base, it measures 4923mm long, 1882mm wide (without mirrors) and 1452mm tall with a 2946mm wheelbase, give or take the same dimensions as a VF II.

But what of the mechanicals? The base SS mirrors the CT5-V, powered by a 268kW/550Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with a 10-speed automatic and the option of rear- or all-wheel drive. Equipped with the latter, you’re looking at 0-100km/h in just under 5.0sec.

In order to keep the base price down, MagneRide adaptive dampers are an option, but 19-inch wheels with 245/40 tyres and Brembo front brakes (345mm discs front; 315mm rear) are standard.

Inside there’s a configurable digital instrument display, widescreen infotainment with wireless smartphone mirroring and connected services, and the leather-clad seats are heated and electrically operated.

A loaded equipment list is important, as even the best will in the world isn’t going to get the 2027 Commodore SS into showrooms for less than $80,000 plus on-road costs. Realistically? Call it $84,990.

But wait, there’s more. Performance fans will need to stump up $94,990 for the SS Redline, but it’s worth the extra spend. In goes the 352kW/603Nm 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 from Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing with the choice of a six-speed manual or 10-speed auto.

Rear-wheel drive is now the only option, but traction is improved by an electronically controlled limited-slip differential, MagneRide is now standard, the brakes now feature 380mm discs with six-piston calipers at the front and 340mm discs and four-piston callipers at the rear, and the 19-inch wheels are staggered, with 255mm- and 275mm-wide tyres front and rear respectively.

Inside, you’ll find sports seats, a head-up display and GM’s performance data recorder for straight-line and lap timing. Is there room for an HSV-badged GTS using the 498kW/893Nm 6.2-litre supercharged V8 from the CT5-V Blackwing? Absolutely.

Ford has taken a similar approach, using an existing platform and cherry-picking performance parts from other performance applications.

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Not only is there no V8 in the 2027 Falcon, leaving the XR6 Turbo as the range-topper, there’s no rear-wheel drive, either.

While extending the Mustang platform is probably theoretically possible – rumours persist Ford will do just that to create a four-door Pony Car – a much more likely course of action is to use the Chinese-market Mondeo as a base, which is effectively the last remaining sedan in Ford’s global portfolio.

At 4935mm long, 1875mm wide and 1498mm tall with a 2945mm wheelbase, it’s almost identical in size to the Commodore, though could possibly weigh a little less than the Holden’s 1880kg (Redline 1850kg).

Like its rival, there’s a two-tier performance range, starting with the standard XR6 Turbo. All four wheels are driven by the 298kW/562Nm 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 from the Explorer ST, matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission.

Like the Holden, 0-100km/h takes just under five seconds.

Large brakes (363mm discs front, 350mm discs rear) sit behind 20-inch alloys with 255mm tyres at each corner, though once again, the entry-level XR6 Turbo puts adaptive suspension on the options list.

It becomes standard on the XR6 Turbo Sprint, along with larger front brakes (405mm discs with six-piston callipers) and 265mm-wide rubber on half-inch wider wheels.

Under the bonnet sits the larger 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 from the Ford F-150 Raptor, punching out 336kW/690Nm through a 10-speed auto, dropping 0-100km/h time to just 4.4sec.

While there’s no possibility of rear-wheel drive, Ford’s previous experience with the Focus RS pays dividends with a torque splitter rear differential that allows for a drift mode in the Sprint, ensuring the Falcon can still smoke its tyres in time-honoured Aussie tradition.

Inside, the Falcon is a humbler affair, with cloth seats standard (leather optional, standard on Sprint), no head-up display or data logging, but there is a digital instrument cluster and widescreen infotainment using the latest SYNC software.

The benefit of this simpler layout is a lower price, with the $69,990 (+ORCs) XR6 Turbo rising to $79,990 (+ORCs) for the Sprint.

So, which would win? It would be a tough call, especially as the two have diverged on price and specification; the Cadillac-based Holden being more luxurious and better equipped but bested in terms of performance by the cheaper Sprint.

Realistically, when it comes to the buying public the verdict would be the same as it’s always been: Holden people would buy the Commodore, Ford people would buy the Falcon.

Cars of this ilk are not entirely gone. Genesis offers the rear-drive, twin-turbo V6 G70 for $88,000, while the Hyundai Sonata N-Line ($55,500) and Skoda Superb Sportline ($67,990) are both relatively fast four-doors, but none adequately fill the sizeable gap left by our homegrown heroes.

The final word should go to you, the readers. If you’re a traditional Ford or Holden buyer, would the cars outlined above have you heading down to the showroom? Or is the lack of local manufacture the sticking point?

What this article really illustrates is how good we had it for so many years.

* Concept images generated by AI