What is Chevys version of Holden?
In the United States, Chevrolet’s Holden-derived model is the Chevrolet SS, a rear‑wheel‑drive sedan based on the Holden Commodore VF, sold from 2014 through 2017. The Caprice PPV police vehicle uses the same Holden‑based platform.
Origins of the connection: GM, Holden and badge engineering
General Motors has long used global platforms and badge engineering to move vehicles between brands and markets. Holden, GM's Australian division, produced the Commodore and Caprice on a rear‑wheel‑drive chassis that GM later adapted for Chevrolet for the U.S. market. The most prominent Chevrolet adaptations are the SS civilian sedan and the Caprice PPV police car, both built on Holden underpinnings. Earlier, GM experimented with a Holden-based model in the U.S. market via the Pontiac G8, but that badge was used by a different GM brand.
Chevrolet models derived from Holden's Commodore
Below are the key Chevrolet-branded vehicles in the U.S. that originated from Holden Commodore engineering and were marketed in the 2010s.
- Chevrolet SS (2014–2017) — a full-size, rear‑wheel‑drive sedan based on the Holden VF Commodore.
- Chevrolet Caprice PPV (Police Patrol Vehicle) (2011–2017) — a police-focused sedan built on the Holden Commodore platform.
These examples show how GM leveraged Holden’s architecture to present Chevrolet with performance and law-enforcement options in the U.S. market.
Historical context and legacy
GM’s strategy extended from the early 2000s with the Pontiac G8 (2008–2009), which was based on the VE Commodore, to the 2010s Chevrolet SS and Caprice PPV. In Australia, Holden itself was retired in 2020 as GM reorganized its global operations, marking the end of new Holden-branded passenger cars. In the U.S., the SS and Caprice PPV remain as the most concrete Chevrolet examples of Holden-derived engineering in the modern era.
Summary
Chevrolet's Holden-derived offerings in the United States consist of the Chevrolet SS and the Caprice PPV, both rooted in Holden Commodore engineering. The earlier Pontiac G8 was a forerunner in the U.S. market. Together, they illustrate GM's strategy of borrowing international platforms to expand Chevrolet's performance and fleet-solution options.
