HSV Cruze

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HSV hints at go-fast Cruze
Toby Hagon
September 25, 2010


Hatching plans ... an artist’s impression of an HSV version of the Cruze.
A pocket rocket may join the fold at Holden's performance arm, writes Toby Hagon

Australia could have a home-grown hot hatch within two years, with Holden's performance-car arm, HSV, confirming it is considering a four-cylinder model.

The managing director of HSV, Phil Harding, confirmed the Cruze, which will be built in South Australia from next year, was the "best option" for the company to break its V8-led mould.

Speaking at the launch of the E3 range (the E-Series 3 line-up of Commodore-based V8s), Harding confirmed the brand was looking to expand beyond its large-car repertoire, giving a hint a small car could be in HSV's future.

"We're constantly on the lookout for that sort of stuff," he said when quizzed about vehicles other than V8-powered derivatives of the Commodore.

"The Cruze [small car] is probably our best option for showing progress [outside the Commodore-derived range]."

Stopping short of confirming HSV was working on a version of the Cruze - which will be produced at Holden's Elizabeth plant from March - Harding said small cars could reduce the brand's reliance on large V8s.

The Cruze will have the option of 1.8-litre four-cylinder or more-powerful 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engines, as well as a diesel. The sedan version of the car will be launched first, with a hatch expected to arrive towards the end of the year.

A HSV version of the Cruze isn't likely to happen soon, as HSV appears focused on its core business and ensuring the V8-powered large cars have a solid future. It added a raft of technology to its V8 range recently in the new E3 models.

HSV has barely touched the power outputs of its vehicles for four years and has, instead, been steadily adding features and technology, partly to appeal to more computer-literate and tech-savvy buyers, who include younger drivers.

However, many youngsters are bypassing the Australian large car in favour of a hot hatch or turbocharged four-cylinder. Volkswagen says about a quarter of its Golf sales are the performance-oriented GTI.

Four-cylinders are far from foreign to HSV. One of the first cars it built in the late 1980s was a tweaked version of the Astra, the SV1800.

More recently, HSV sold a turbocharged four-cylinder version of the Astra coupe, which it sold as the HSV VXR. The car was never a hot seller but opened the brand to new customers.

"When we did the Astra, we met a whole new customer base who would only buy a turbo small car because they thought that's what technology was," Harding said.

He said the VXR tended to appeal to younger buyers, something crucial for the future of the muscle-car brand.

Small cars account for about one in five new-vehicle sales in Australia and turbocharged pocket rockets continue to prove popular for those chasing performance in a compact, more frugal package.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

FORD needs to make the Focus RS a permanent model !!! or be left behind, AGAIN !!!