General Motors and Holden Special Vehicles have
reached an agreement which will ensure the latter company remains active
following the death of the rear-wheel drive Holden Commodore.
Described as a "pivotal moment" in HSV’s history,
the agreement paves the way for an assortment of new vehicles to come to
Australia. There will be two "product streams" and the first will
consist of the familiar vehicle enhancement program that is offered on existing
Holden vehicles.
An example of this is the new HSV SportsCat which is
based on the Holden Colorado. The model features an all-new front fascia with a
revised grille, tow hooks, and LED fog lights. Other notable features include
new fender flares, a retuned suspension, and an increased ride height.
Power is provided by a 2.8-liter Duramax Turbo
Diesel engine that produces up to 197 hp and 500 Nm of
torque. It can be connected to either a six-speed manual or a six-speed
automatic transmission. The second product stream is more exciting as it will
see HSV launch all-new vehicles in Australia. These include the Chevrolet
Camaro and Silverado HD which will retain their bow-tie badging.
On the Silverado side, HSV will offer 4x4 Crew Cab
variants of the 2500HD WT, 2500HD LTZ, 2500HD LTZ Midnight Edition, 2500HD LTZ
Custom Sport Edition, and 3500HD LTZ. All of the models will come equipped with
a 6.6-liter Duramax Turbo Diesel V8 engine that produces approximately 445 hp and 1,234 Nm of torque. The engine will be paired a
standard six-speed automatic transmission.
The Camaro, on the other hand, will arrive in 2018
in 2SS guise. The model will have a 6.2-liter V8 engine which produces up to
455 hp and 615 Nm of torque. Unfortunately for performance
fans, it will only be offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The model will come nicely equipped with HID
headlights, a rear spoiler, and 20-inch alloy wheels with Goodyear Eagle tires.
The Camaro also has heated / ventilated leather sport seats, a dual-zone
automatic climate control system, and a 9-speaker Bose audio system.