Autoblog

Brisbane Motor Show: Aussie Utes

Dane Muldoon — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 15:03:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Ford, GM

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of Ford and GM Holden Utes.

At the Brisbane Motor Show, which started on Friday, Ford and GM Holden, plus their tuning groups Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) and Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), had plenty of top Aussie utes on display, ranging from the workman Ford Falcon XR6 Cab Chassis, through the higher performance Ford Falcon XR8 and Holden SS Crewman and up into the fully-blown FPV Super Pursuit Ute and the HSV Thunder.

As a ute driver myself, it was great to see the totally Oz vehicles proudly flying the flag as fast, fun, rear-wheel drive sports cars with big boots.

On the side: our friends over at the Jalop uncovered a story in CarPoint that reports that the launch date for the new Holden Commodore Ute has been bumped forward and that a left-hand drive version is in the cards. Could this mean that GM is considering a El Camino comeback? An even better question is: would you buy one? - Ed.

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Brisbane Motor Show: Aussie muscle

Dane Muldoon — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Ford, GM

Click on the image for a gallery of high-res images of Ford and GM Holden muscle cars.

At the Brisbane Motor Show, which started on Friday, Ford and GM Holden had plenty of muscle on display at their booths courtesy of their tuning groups, Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) and Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) respectively. Highlights included the HSV GTS, Clubsport R8, Senator Signature and Grange, while over at FPV, the Force 8, F6 Typhoon and others were proudly displayed.

Aggressive styling, fat alloys, huge red brake calipers, gills, rear wings, fog lamps, dramatic chrome badges, extra centre console-mounted dials and loud colours all seemed to be common elements across both ranges. Some of the highlights included the FPV Force 8 with its evil-looking black paint job, and the fully kitted out HSV Senator Signature with its circular, LED tail lights.

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Gallery: Brisbane Motor Show: Aussie muscle

Brisbane Motor Show: Aussie muscle originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Feb 2007 11:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden gearing up for increased global exports

Alex Nunez — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 17:57:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Sedan, Pontiac

In the latest hint that the Holden Commodore SS-V is headed to the US to be the new Pontiac Grand Prix, the Australian website GoAuto reports that GM Holden is preparing for a possible future in which it sells more vehicles overseas than it does in Australia. In an interview with the website, Holden chairman and managing director Denny Mooney said of the heavily-rumored Pontiac deal, "You will see an announcement in the next three to four months. Assuming it happens, (shipments) would start a little beyond that. I am not making an official announcement (in this discussion)."

That sure sounds like a "yes" (with a little CYA thrown in at the end), which jibes perfectly with earlier reports that the Holden-sourced GP will be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show in February. Mooney expects the Grand Prix to be more successful than the previous Holden import, the GTO because the US has a much greater demand for sedans than it does for coupes. We agree there, but also feel that the next GTO, which will borrow more from Pontiac's heritage than the rebadged Holden Monaro that previously bore the name, should connect better with consumers.

There's more. read the rest after the jump.

[Source: John Mellor/GoAuto.com]

Continue reading Holden gearing up for increased global exports

Holden gearing up for increased global exports originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Nov 2006 17:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden recalls the new VE Commodore, WM Statesman and Caprice

Alex Nunez — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 06:53:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls

UPDATE 1 - According to the drive.com.au blog, this is actually the second recall for the new Holdens. The first dealt with a fuel hose issue on some V8-powered cars.

New model launches have their ups and downs, and GM Holden is currently experiencing one of the "downs." A few months after the very high-profile debut of Holden's exciting new VE Commodores and their long-wheelbase siblings, the WM Statesman and Caprice, the automaker is issuing a recall on the handsome new sedans. It stems from a possible issue with the rear seat belt buckles that applies to 13,000 of the cars in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

In their recall statement, Holden explains that their supplier informed them of a scenario in which the buckle's internal spring could have been bent during the manual assembly process. This, in turn, could potentially cause the unit to not latch properly. Said supplier has since adopted an automated assembly process and taken full responsibility for the possible problem and the associated changes made to their manufacturing process.

No incidents involving buckle failure have been reported, and Holden will notify owners of the issue in writing. The automaker will replace all the back seat belt buckles in affected cars. Any overseas readers who might be affected and want to know more can read GM Holden's full statement after the jump.

[Source: GM Holden]

Continue reading Holden recalls the new VE Commodore, WM Statesman and Caprice

Holden recalls the new VE Commodore, WM Statesman and Caprice originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 14 Nov 2006 06:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Holden's dual-fuel (LPG/gasoline) V6 engine option

Alex Nunez — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 09:26:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Sedan, Green, Technology

Holden's dual-fuel V6 is being offered in the new VE-series Omega, Berlina and select Commodores. The 3.6L Alloytec powerplant can switch seamlessly between LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) and gasoline without any serious difference in power. Furthermore, the setup is said to offer an operating range of 1100km (683 miles) or better (assuming both tanks are full at the beginning of a journey).

The dual-fuel V6 produces 235 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque in LPG mode and 245 hp/243 lb-ft when it's running on gasoline. In terms of fuel economy, the Omega and Berlina each get 16 liters/100 km (14.7mpg) in LPG mode and 11.1 liters/100 km (21 mpg) running on gasoline. LPG burns cleaner and costs around half as much gasoline in Australia, which makes it a very attractive alternative fuel on the continent.

In Holden's dual fuel sedans, the 73-liter LPG tank is trunk-mounted (based on the photos, it looks as if a fairly good chunk if space is sacrificed), while the gasoline tank lives in its normal spot. The Dual-fuel option costs $3,900 AUD, which is partially offset by a government rebate of $2,000 AUD.

According to Wikipedia, LPG and/or dual-fuel vehicles are offered by Australia's major auto manufacturers. If you're an Aussie reader who drives one of these types of cars, we'd love to hear your opinions in the comments.

(Press release, photos after the jump)

[Source: GM Holden]

Continue reading Holden's dual-fuel (LPG/gasoline) V6 engine option

Holden's dual-fuel (LPG/gasoline) V6 engine option originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Oct 2006 09:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A family reunion for the Holden Efijy Concept

Alex Nunez — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 12:28:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Coupe, Etc., Misc. Auto Shows

The stunning Holden Efijy Concept recently got the chance to meet its forebears at an event staged outside Holden's headquarters in Port Melbourne, Australia. The Efijy was joined by a fleet of old-school FJ and FX Holdens, the very cars that served as the inspiration for the Aussie concept in the first place. Efijy made its debut at the 2005 Australian Motor Show and since then has been featured in just about every automotive publication imaginable. It was recently profiled in North America's Hot Rod magazine -- not bad for a car wearing a nameplate the average American is not familiar with (though they unwittingly see one every time a Pontiac GTO cruises by).

Looking like some kind of Boyd Coddington creation and not an in-house factory concept, the Efijy seemed right at home next to all the rodded-up Holdens that took part in the event. It's fun when automakers go out of their way to acknowledge their heritage like this. General Motors wouldn't happen to have something stateside it could host a similar type of event around now, would it?

(Click to read Holden's press release and see more pics after the jump.)

[Source: GM Holden]

Continue reading A family reunion for the Holden Efijy Concept

A family reunion for the Holden Efijy Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Jun 2006 12:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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