In an effort to stay relevant following the demise of the locally manufactured Commodore, Holden Special Vehicles has announced its first new model will be the Colorado SportsCat.
HSV are obviously looking to capitalize on Australia’s booming dual-cab market and plant a flag prior to the arrival of Ford’s Ranger Raptor.
Based on the top-spec Colorado Z71, HSV will offer two variants; the SportsCat and SportsCat+.
Interestingly, HSV will present both SportsCat models with the same 2.8-litre 147kW/500Nm Duramax turbo diesel engine found in the regular Holden Colorado. HSV has elected not to retune the engine to extract more performance.
Tim Jackson, HSV Managing Director, said “Some of our traditional customers will expect more power, and if the opportunities present themselves, we will look at powertrain enhancements where it makes sense. However, we see an opportunity to appeal to customers by investing in enhanced vehicle specification and capability that really delivers a great driving experience and a competitive advantage in various segments.
“SportsCat is a great example of how we can deliver improved on-road and off-road driving dynamics, and combine a great new look with improved vehicle capability and versatility. The segment is about much more than drag-strip times.”
HSV engineers have spent their time working on the Colorado’s chassis to deliver improvements in ride and handling along with off-road performance.
The front springs have been stiffened and the dampers retuned, while ride height has been increased by 25mm.
The SportsCat’s Traction Control System has also been recalibrated for less aggressive interventions to deliver owners a more performance-based vehicle response.
Moving to the SportsCat+ provides a Rear De-Coupling Anti-Roll Bar to improve higher speed driving and off-road ability. There’s also a larger brake master cylinder that enhances pedal feel.
A 6-speed manual transmission is standard, however, there’s an optional 6-speed automatic transmission.
The SportsCat is capable of being a genuine workhorse with a braked towing capacity of 3,500kg and a maximum payload of approximately 1 tonne.
Style-wise, the SportsCat and SportsCat+ get all-new fascias, grilles, LED fog lamps and functional tow hooks.
The SportsCat+ features an aggressive bonnet bulge, wheel arch fender flares and 18-inch alloys wearing all-terrain Cooper tyres.
A clever hard tonneau with load-rails and a quick-release mechanism is standard. The SportsCat also gets a sports bar while the SportsCat+ gets a good looking sail plane.
On the inside, standard kit includes heated SV Sports seats with uniquely designed seat foams. The seats and dash are trimmed in Jasmine leather and Windsor suede with twin-needle red stitching.
HSV will begin production of the SportsCat in late January, official pricing will be announced closer to this date.
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