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By EWAN
KENNEDY
14 December 2009
It
hasn't taken HSV (Holden Special Vehicles) long to respond to the
challenge issued by arch-rival FPV (Ford Performance Vehicle) when
the blue oval guys introduced their new Falcon GS 302 in August.
Aimed at the relatively-affordable high-performance buyer, the
Ford is being sold in sedan and ute format.
Now HSV has announced that its ClubSport GXP and Maloo ute will
roll out of the company's Melbourne plant from February 2010.
Fascinatingly, these new HSVs are based around the now defunct
Pontiac GXP muscle cars. These were designed and built in
Australia for American muscle car lovers but, unfortunately,
became victims of the global financial crisis. The Americans’
bad luck became Aussie good fortune as you can see from these
stunning new models.
Even better is the price of the Commodore based HSVs: the GXP
sedan comes with a recommended list price of $59,990, with the
Maloo ute having a tag of just $53,990. These prices are for the
six-speed manual variants, if you want an automatic transmission
add $2000. And don’t forget to include the charges made by
government agencies and dealers. For a driveaway price contact
your local dealer.
Power for the new GXPs comes from a 6.2-litre Chev based LS3
engine developing 317 kW and 555 Nm. This engine has proven to be
ideal for HSV products for some time now and the latest iteration
has received a lot of praise for its fast throttle response and
general driveability, the latter even shining in day-to-day
traffic situations.
Brembo brakes of a design specially developed for these new models
should have no trouble in keeping all that power under control.
The suspension for the HSV GXP ClubSport sedan is carried over
from that designed for the Pontiac GXP four-door sedans. But the
introduction of the Maloo ute has meant a new setup has been put
together especially for it.
Styling differences for this hot new model see the GXPs use the
HSV E
Series 2 front fascia, bonnet and fender vents. The interior is
the one used in the ClubSport R8 and comes with sports cloth
seats.
Though the new HSV models won't go on sale until February 2010,
HSV can take orders now, in which case qualified buyers may be
able to take advantage of the federal government’s 50 per cent
investment allowance. But they must buy their car before December
30, 2009.
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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