hsv 2018 roundel carbon stacked sml
walkinshaw park
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2018 camaro gal ext 17 gmjr
2017 chevrolet silverado 2500hd z71 010 u1i2
Marton Pettendy8 Dec 2017
NEWS

HSV reveals 2018 plans

Colorado SportsCat, Chevrolet Camaro and Silverado – but no hot Commodores – to come from Holden Special Vehicles

Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) has announced its product plan for 2018, following the end of General Motors manufacturing in Australia, and it doesn’t include any hot imported Commodores.

However, the good news for rear-wheel drive V8 muscle-car fans is the 2018 HSV range will be headlined by the Chevrolet Camaro SS coupe, although it will be $20,000 pricier than Ford’s equivalent Mustang GT at up to $80K.

Before HSV begins right-hand drive Camaro conversions in July, it will start RHD production of the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD pick-up in April, followed by the even heavier-duty Silverado 3500HD by mid-year.

In a move that GM denies marks the first step in Holden being rebranded as Chevrolet, the Chevy brand will be established in selected HSV dealers in Australia and New Zealand to sell both the Camaro and Silverado.

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The first cab off HSV’s 2018 rank will be the Colorado SportsCat ute, which enters production in late January and will become the only HSV-branded model available once stocks of the Commodore-based MY17 models are sold.

HSV managing director Tim Jackson said the ‘Colorado SportsCat by HSV’ — which will be available in two spec grades, both offering more capability both on road and off but no more power — was another example of HSV enhancing the capability of a Holden model.

However, he suggested it could be followed by an even hotter version of the Colorado, perhaps sold and badged as an HSV and positioned as a direct rival for Ford’s upcoming Ranger Raptor.

HSV sister company Walkinshaw Performance, which has trademarked the ‘Wildfire’ brand name, is believed to be developing a Colorado powered by a twin-turbo GM V6 and employing suspension tech from the US-spec Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.

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“Some of our traditional customers will expect more power, and if the opportunities present themselves we will look to develop powertrain enhancements where it makes sense. [But] The segment is about much more than drag-strip times,” said Jackson.

“If we then take some vehicles further up the food chain, and both Holden and HSV believe the best branding approach for the vehicle is to receive the full HSV designation, then we will make that call at the time.”

You can read full details of the Colorado SportsCat by HSV here, the Chevrolet Camaro here and the Chevrolet Silverado here.

2017 chevrolet silverado 2500hd z71 010 u1i2

New HSV deal
The three new models were announced as part of a new multi-year deal between the Walkinshaw family’s TWR Group Limited and GM Holden, whose joint-venture company Premoso Pty Ltd trades as HSV – a name Holden owns the rights to.

Another separate Walkinshaw joint-venture with Neville Crichton’s Ateco Automotive, American Special Vehicles (ASV), also converts RAM 2500 and 3500 pick-ups in the new 28,000 square-metre 'Walkinshaw Park' facility in Clayton, where up to 160 staff will also produce the Colorado, Camaro and Silverado.

Jackson told motoring.com.au that a fifth production line will be added later and although the project is yet to be signed off we understand it will include the smaller Silverado 1500 and the large Suburban SUV, which is based on the same ladder chassis as the pick-up and was sold here previously by Holden.

Also expected to eventually be sold by Chevrolet dealers alongside the Camaro, Silverado and Suburban is the eighth-generation Corvette – the all-new, mid-engined flagship super-coupe that’s expected to be a global model built in the US in both LHD and RHD by 2020.

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Jackson said he made no apology for HSV -- which from 2018 will produce a number of 4x4 pick-ups and a RWD coupe followed by an SUV, but just one HSV-badged (ute) model and no sedans -- for reinventing itself post local GM manufacturing by focusing on key growth markets.

He said that combined with RAM volume, Walkinshaw’s Clayton factory would produce up to 3000 vehicles per annum in the next 18 months (including about 1000 Camaros and 1000 Colorados), and up to 5000 in five years with five production lines.

That’s far more than the number of Commodore-based products HSV ever built annually at its old facility, where the last GTSR W1 will roll off the line before Christmas.

Jackson said there will be no ‘geographical’ change in 2018 to the HSV dealer network, which currently numbers 56 outlets in Australia and six in New Zealand, and still has about 500 GTSRs in stock.

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Revealing a new lion-and-helmet logo and product plan dubbed ‘New Horizons’, Jackson said the new agreement struck between HSV and Holden “marks a pivotal moment in HSV’s 30-year history in Australia and begins an exciting chapter in bringing a whole new breed of vehicles to customers”.

He said the focus of the new arrangement is to utilise HSV’s design, engineering, manufacturing and marketing skills across a broader range of products, giving customers access to the best vehicles from GM.

“This marks a whole new era for HSV and Holden and I hope our customers are as excited as we are,” said Jackson.

“HSV is moving beyond simply ‘hotting up’ existing models, and customers will see two product streams from HSV over the next few years. This is ‘game-on’ in a very big way.”

In a joint Holden-HSV statement released overnight, Holden chairman and managing director Mark Bernhard said the new agreement was a pivotal step for both companies.

“For a number of years, we’ve been talking about bringing customers the best vehicles from around the GM world, and today we’re proud to announce the next step in that strategy,” he said.

“Our partnership with HSV, utilising their world-class engineering and design capabilities, means we’re able to work together to bring the iconic Chevrolet Camaro muscle-car and the best-selling Chevrolet Silverado pick-up to customers in Australia and New Zealand. Not to mention the imminent launch of the red-hot Colorado SportsCat. Today is a great day for customers”.

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Read a review of the Colorado SportsCat here

Chevs, not hot Commodores
Jackson said a higher-performance version of Holden’s German-built 2018 ZB Commodore -- which will be topped by a VXR-badged V6 all-wheel drive variant – was “not currently in the plan” because “the right solution hasn’t presented itself yet”.

He stressed that the first two Chevrolet models (Silverado and Camaro) would not wear HSV badges, but will be sold with full-volume Australian Design Rule compliance.

“Our engineering involvement starts and stops with the conversion of the vehicles from left- to right-hand drive. These are iconic Chevys to the core and we’ll let the famed bow-tie speak for itself,” he said.

The Holden boss reiterated the introduction of the Camaro and Silverado under the newly established Chevrolet brand.

“We’re excited to re-introduce the Chevrolet brand to the Australian market as part of an expanded GM presence in Australia, in partnership with HSV,” said Bernhard.

“As far as dealership branding is concerned, the existing HSV dealer network will be progressively updated to carry the Chevrolet ‘bow-tie’ logo and branding, as part of our new ‘dealership of the future’ program. The DNA of both of these vehicles is pure Chevrolet and we’re going to honour that.”

Holden executive director of marketing Mark Harland said the Camaro and Silverado could never have been sold as HSVs or Holdens, but insisted that the Chevrolet brand’s official introduction in Australia was not the beginning of the end for the Holden brand.

“They are going to market clearly as Chevrolets. You couldn’t put a Holden badge on them – people wouldn’t believe it,” he said.

“Holden is here to stay. Holden has a place and there are no plans to change course.”

The Holden marketing chief confirmed the Camaro was not the ‘rear-drive V8 sports car’ previously promised to Australians by GM, continuing expectations the C8 Corvette will be sold here.

“This [Camaro] is certainly our first step, There were some promises made in terms of having a right-hand drive sports car coming to Australia. That’s still on the plan. There is still a RHD sports car in the plan.”

What’s coming from GM:
Colorado SportsCat by HSV ute — January
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD pickup — April
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD pickup — June
Chevrolet Camaro coupe — July
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup — TBC
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 SUV — TBC
Chevrolet Corvette — TBC

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