Holden Malibu

Since the early 1980s, Holden has had a mixed history with mid-size cars. The original Camira was panned, the Apollo was a re-badged Camry, the Vectra sold well but had reliability issues and the Epica was a Daewoo-built epic fail.

Fast forward to 2013 and Holden gave the super-competitive segment another go, this time with the US-designed, South Korean built Malibu.

Malibu was available with a petrol or diesel front-drive powertrain and was aimed at fleet buyers who might have considered the Commodore too big and thirsty.

Holden re-tuned the suspension and tested the Malibu extensively on Australian roads to ensure it was more suited to local conditions than the US-spec model on which it was based.

The Malibu came standard with Holden’s MyLink infotainment system and a seven-inch touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity and more.