GM And HSV Announce Camaro SS And Silverado HD Heading To Australia Next Year

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 (147 kW) and 368 lb-ft (500Nm) 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 (332 kW) and 910 lb-ft (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 (340 kW) and 453 lb-ft (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.

According to HSV Managing Director Tim Jackson, “This marks a whole new era for HSV and Holden and I hope our customers are as excited as we are. HSV is moving beyond simply ‘hotting up’ existing models, and customers will see two product streams from HSV over the next few years."

His sentiments were echoed by Holden Managing Director Mark Bernhard who remarked, "Today is a great day for Holden and HSV, but even more importantly, for our customers”.