Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) has added two new entry-level models to its ClubSport and Maloo ranges.
The Clubsport GXP ($59,990) and Maloo GXP ($53,990) are based on the Pontiac G8 GXP export program and offer significant savings over the R8 sedan ($65,990) and the R8 Ute ($62,550).
Engine outputs from the 6.2-litre unit remain at 317kW/550Nm (8kW less than the sedan, equal to the ute), but the brakes are smaller (355mm) and the suspension tune in the sedan is the same as a Commodore SSV.
HSV’s Tim Jackson said the GXP was not a reaction to the GS from Ford Performance Vehicles, which is a cheaper version of the GT at $54,950.
“I can understand why the question would be asked but this was in our system well before we found out about FPV’s effort with GS,” he said.
Jackson insisted that the new GXP would appeal to different buyers.
“We’ve pretty consistently said we see that there are a lot of competitors for us, of which FPV is one, but when we look at our data we don’t get a lot of crossover between HSV and FPV.
“But there are a lot of competitors in that market place so for this one we’ve really focused on performance and the price point.”
And despite starting just $4700 above the SSV, HSV does not see the GXP cannibalising that market either.
“We obviously work closely with Holden on how our range complements their range. There’s a level of comfort there that it’s not going to be a drama,” Jackson said.
The rear of the sedan shares more with Holden than HSV, with the standard wing replaced by a lip spoiler.
The GXPs also get a less high-tech stability control system that misses out on the ‘Track’ setting and comes without launch control in the manuals.
Despite the detuning, HSV managing director, Phil Harding, said the new models could still wear the badge with pride.
“We receive lots of enquiries about introducing a model to sit as an entry-level to our brand and the GXP program provides us this opportunity.
“I have always said that in order for a car to wear the HSV badge it needs to satisfy three criteria: performance, handling and design.
“Clearly these cars tick all three boxes,” he said.
HSV will build 400 ClubSport GXPs and 350 Maloo GXPs for Australia and New Zealand with production taking place in February 2010 and delivery in March.
They are on sale now, allowing buyers to qualify for the Federal Government’s 50 percent investment allowance which ends on December 31.
This reminds me how BMW and Mercedes used to comment that they do no consider Audi as a competior. Of course :), FPV are sold to a completely different group of people and that fact that they just a released a cheaper base model is pure coincidence. Stand by to hear that Omega is not a competitor to Falcon…
If CA reported the whole article like another website I can’t say, you’d know the HSV guy said they’d planned this long before FPV announced the GS.
Don’t be surprised if both Holden and Ford know more about each others’ future model plans than they let on… It makes business sense to spy on the opposition to counteract or predict new releases, so you can match their product range. Wouldn’t you try it if you were running one of them???
Thge line up would be complete is a HSV 2010 Astra and Corsa – oh how one can dream, and dream, and dream – oh well, im sure a Daewoo Cruze will suffice – NOT
Well said, love those VXR Corsas, they’d sell like hotcakes!
HSV have been looking at importing the OPC Corsa and Insignia for some time
and now that GM have decided to hold on to Opel there is still a chance of them making their way to Australia.. particularly with the Aussie dollar as strong as it is ATM.
Wheelnut you have obviously never drived an Insignia. Yes they look ok but they are noisey, have weak engines, low rent dash, restricted rear seat head room and are outclssed in almost every respect by Mondeo which is not a particularly great car itself. I personaly think that Holden are not interested in importing Insignia because it not that good.
Read any European magazine road test and they back this up. I have driven a few and was so disapointed wit them.
Bloody hell, that is a bargain
This is so bogans can please their bank managers :oP
Yeah ok its a bargain for an over styled commodore(hsv has lost it in the styling department)and its a direct competitor for FPV’s GS falcon, but isnt the GS a direct competitor to the SSV?? So infact, hsv is selling a car that is a line up competitor with HOLDENS SSV……WTF?!
Doesnt matter how much it cost………..it still is so damn ugly with that front end glitzy crap……..thats why I am EX HSV……..
Yeah………sure its not a reaction to the FPV GS !!!! lol do they think we are stupid? The FPV is nicer inside and out…….
They probably had a lot of stuff laying around from the cars they used to export to the US so decided to make a new model using them. That is what it looks like anyway.
that would mean that they would have to keep producing these parts as this is permanent model and not a special edition.
Other sites I’ve seen say that these are limited edition models.
GM Inside News just confirmed that they are permanent until the next refresh or update.
I imagine the VF commie release will be quite close to the spare parts bin being exhausted.
Srry just found out it is a limited run with only 750 models to be made(HSV site)
No its not – the HSV doesn’t have the Same “Parrot” grille as the G8 does it? nor does it have the same front bumper or rear indicators etc
The “leftover” parts from the G8 have been put onto a limited run of Holden SS-V utes.
Whilst the looks may be “controversial” – HSV had to do something to distinguish their cars from the SSs Commodores on which they are based.. not only in terms of performance and handling but also looks.
However; they would look better if they got rid of the nostrils on the bonnet and had the louvred [WPS] bonnet bulge.
As for FPV’s they look just as tacky – particularly with the raccoon eyes and the decal across the bonnet.. why not just have “W@nker” written across it instead?
Latest Wh**ls has a comparo between SSV and GS.
SSV is faster despite having less kw, and uses about one l/100 less go-go gas.
GS is nice but I find it boring and it looks odd, something about the wheels.
HSV will sell a motza of these things at this price.
I think both the Hsv’s & Fpv”s look alot better in real life than photos.LONG LIVE AUSSIE CARS.
Thank You
“We’ve pretty consistently said we see that there are a lot of competitors for us, of which FPV is one, but when we look at our data we don’t get a lot of crossover between HSV and FPV.
“As you know the V8 Supercar series is just a Holden racing event. Ford cars, seen racing on the track at the same time, are just a figment of our very active imaginations,” Jackson said.
Bring back the HSV VXR Astra and release the Insignia and Corsa. Come on HSV. Are you VXR Enough?
Yummy, Insignia.
HSV’s Tim Jackson said the GXP was not a reaction to the GS from Ford Performance Vehicles, which is a cheaper version of the GT at $54,950. – Yea,Sure.
“I have always said that in order for a car to wear the HSV badge it needs to satisfy three criteria: performance, handling and design.”
What about quality? Features? Service?
Not what HSV is about, their about stonking rear drive performance with space for a family and extras. The fact that they have some nice features is an add on.
If you look at interviews with their senior management they compare themselves to the BMWs of the world – hence my comment.
i get your drift. im a loyal fan and even i think any manufacturer would be stupid to compare themselves to BmW unless they have JAAAAAAAAAAAAG in their name.
God how many models do they have to offer to sell cars? Realistically if they built something decent they would sell themselves.
Problem there is, they are selling.
Yeah in what numbers?
quite a few.
Yeah if they were a decent car they wouldn`t have to offer so many models. Just shows you how many foolish people there are.
Too Right Jon!!
Rubbish car dressed up with a lot of bolt on go fast kit!!
You really have to be a hardcore, brainwashed bogan to ever aspire to own one!!
Jon, same goes for the Falcon…
If you don’t like Aussie cars don’t buy them or even better,move to somewere that don’t sell them.
What about the TRD Aurion / HiLux then eh Jon..?
If they decent “performance” cars then they would still be available. and they might even have a waiting list similar to what HSV does for the Clubbie and the Maloo.
Not only that but the signs that were erected at various Toyota dealerships [with the TED logo on them] after TRD pulled out of oz wouldn’t look so stupid.
LOL, you got to laugh at the predictable wheeltard’s kneejerk anti-toyota response!!
As if we really cared mate!!
if you didn’t care; then why did you reply?
To teach you the idiocy of your way!!
Yet how are my predictable Anti-Toyota comments any different to your predictable: Anti-Holden Comments?
Well for one, this is a HSV article, and your very emotionally charged response is about Toyotas!!
I know what you mean Wheelnut.
Local Toyota dealer STILL has flourescent-lit TRD signs at their dealership.
My Cars Called T-Rex….If you dont like the cars let alone the country then you know what you can do champ……. F&CK OFF!!!!!!!!!!! To just put it politly that is
AMEN!
Typical Redneck/Bogan babble!! Or I must have missed the part where jon said he didn’t like the country?!
Der,BEN YOU TOOL, YOU MUSN’T BE ABLE TO READ OR UNDERSTAND.READ ALL MY POSTS FOOL,BEFORE YOU JUMP,TOSSER
As if id read every single one of ur posts, the one i seen that u put up said it all, wanker
Ben sorry for going off hard but The whole point of the name My Cars Called T-rex is in responce to tossers puting down aussie built cars(calling them Dinosaurs).I will always defend aussie cars,I was aiming those comments at Jon,Martin and Tomas79(The aussie car haters).
The funny thing is that people always comment on how Holden and HSV have to push fleets and massive discounts, but the fact is that they are so overpriced that Holden can still make a running profit with fleets and heavy discounts. No matter what any people say on this site HSV will sell every car it makes.
They aren`t profitable, tax payers are propping them up. Go look up how much we give these fools.
they do make a profit on the cars but in the end they have too mnay costs and thus they dont make a post tax profit.
Revenue – expenses = gives you a number.
Positive no. = profit
Negative no. = loss
Currently their expenses outweigh their revenue, hence this is the loss.
So I don’t get your logic about making profit on their cars.
it costs them a certain amount on their cars eg 30g to make a car, then they chuck on their profit margin eg 5000. So if they can sell the car for above 30g they have made a profit. But they have topay 30% compnay tax on their pre tax profit and then the other costs on top lead Holden to a loss post tax.
Hence LOSS and no PROFIT (Fullstop)!!
I never knew the basics of profit and loss were so complicated????
Of course a profit is made before expenses are taken out.
If I bought an apple for $4 and sold it for $2 dollars, I havent made a profit, If I sell it for $6 I have.
You cant claim to have made a profit selling the apple for $2 just because you dont want to tell someone you paid $4 for it
Im more sh*tted off about the money we give to the other fools in those that dont want to work.
Government money is a fact of life and the annoying thing is that only the Auto industry seems to be put in the spot light.
At least government incentives keep people in work, other wise our workforce will fall victim of Australias high labour costs.
I could name plenty of things/industries/people less worthy of government money, the auto industry would seem like a golden child in comparison
I read an article in AFR a few weeks ago which outlined the sheer amount of middle class welfare and handouts distributed by Federal Coffers – and it aint pretty. During the boom times two years ago we still had unemployment of 5% – totally unacceptable.
But it would still be cheaper to close Holden and Ford Aus and put everyone on a pension
Would it??
Oh and just to make sure you arent singling any particular manufacturers out, please ensure you include toyota in list of manufacturers you wish to close as they get their fair share of bread too.
now back to the original question…
Would it really be cheaper to do so????
How much in handouts does Toyota, Ford and Holden recieve each year??
How many people work for Toyota, Ford and Holden??
How many people work for companies associated with supplying parts to Toyota, Ford and Holden??
Start with those, then get back to me…….
The workers from Holden, Ford, Toyota and their component suppliers pay over $100 million in PAYG tax annually. That is goverment income that needs to be deducted before you then even start to count unemployment costs.
Just like any industry, it is far better to have people working than not, and industry support comes in many forms. The big three industries that the haters of Aussie cars like to quote, Agriculture, Mining and Education are also very heavily relient on Government support programs, whether it be handouts, tax consessions or whatever other incentive you care to name.
Well said Andrew M & DE. Not to mention the positive social effects of having people employed. The Australian goverment is not the only one to help support their local automotive industry (eg. tax concessions are provided by the German govmt to their local industry: http://www.spiegel.de/internat.....2,00.html).
^^ To Jon, so because BMW offer almost twenty variants of the 3 series they arent a good car as well. If your logic cant be applied to the whole industry, dont use it.
Toyota is another example of a car company that offers multiple variants of the same model with similar features etc… and is much closer to home not to mention closer to Jon and Tom-assumes heart
Oh I thought they were HSV not Holden and I can`t think of too many variants of an M3, as M series being their performance model. No wonder you lose so much money on these things, they offer a new model every week.
the M3 is a 3 series coupe with beefed up suspension and a different engine. Better gearbox and slightly better looks. teh interior is pure 3 series and looks very anodyne.
But aren`t HSV just beefed up Commodores? I mean they look like a Commodore and have the same interior just clad in cheap leather.
Being neither a lover of HSV or FPV i have to say i would rather be rolling down the road in the ford , these latest scalloped hsv models are plain fugly , how many holes in a crumpet .
I love Aussie cars!
End of Story HSV is making a new model.
I’m sure HSV didn’t do this because of the GS lol.
This just reeks of falcon GS…… Just goes to prove Holden are imitators not innovators!!! “this isn’t a reaction”…. Yeah right!!
Actually HSV were offering cheaper version of their base model long before Tickford sorry FPV were even a stain in a Ford fanboy’s budgie smugglers.
Dare I mention the HSV Manta?
Dare I mention that the Clubsport started life as a stripped out track day special?
In this instance HSV = innovators, FPV = playing catch up
You forgot to mention in this instance Pooh Bear = whinny little bastard.
I think this is good for us, the consumer. Competition is king in any industry, and this is only good for those who like the large aussie performance car. Something to fit various budgets…you tend to buy the best you can afford don’t you.
I have to say I have seen quite a few of the new clubbies out there, so they seem to be selling quite well already.
What a waste of time this blog is.
As soon as the usual Tomas and Jon trolls dropped in I stopped reading any more.
Sorry ED
I however thank you DE for your very informative, on topic contribution!!!
The next time you, Tomas, come up with a “very informative, on topic contribution” will be the very first time.
Trolls who live under bridges shouldn’t burn them down.
General Motors is not so much re-arranging the deck chairs as the night of bleeding dead. You buy a General Motors product you buy an orphan. This neo-Lutzian rubbish is just another nail.
Will
You say buying a GM product your buying an orphan.
Yet you happily try at every opportunity to flog your beloved Eurotrash which will be an orphan in AU within a year due to slow sales & poor service. Hello!! anyone remember Seat? Veebub will leave owners high & dry same $h!t different badge.
Wishful thinking sinker of submarines.
Within two years the comformadore equivalent will be manufactured in China.
There is an Octavia RS TDI just waiting for Nemo. It will be better bolted together, have more than enough torque for everyday use, you can run it at club events for less than 7L/100km, you will be able to insure it and it will still be running when these neo-Lutzian bolt on adolescent hot-rods are dust. Oh, and the warranty will be honoured three years from purchase.
If you have read some of my previous posts moron you will know i already own a Eurotrash.
And i still stand by my comments most unreliable POS i have ever owned it will be sold long before the warranty runs out so who cares about honouring a warranty.
Yeah well Captain Memo, anyone can claim anything on the net and it doesn’t account for anything!!
How about all those reliability surveys/studies conducted in Europe, placing the SKODA Fairly high up?!!
So Will the Skoda salesman drops in to slag off another brand again, just to try to get his one monthly tyre kicker into the skoda showroom.
Will is the epitome of the UNETHICAL car salesman cliche.
Whats up with your fascination for Will’s profesion.
There are many more salesmen around here with agendas for their camp, yet you seem to be fascinated by will?
What do you do for living? And what do you drive?
Oh thats right, you are from adelaide, so if your not in prison, your proabably on the dole!!!
Tommy boy
Whats your fascination with defending Willy on almost every comment he makes. he’s a big boy and can defend himself where there is one of you there is always the other.
Or are you his bitch?? and feel you need to do it for him.
I am not a car salesman and otherwise have no affiliation with VAG.
You are obviously illiterate, you have not read the content of my previous posts. Sad, you can probably vote and breed.
So now it’s “Will the SACKED Skoda salesman” hahahahah
Thats the thing with posting on a blog like this, it stays as a record until the site owners delete it, and it IS on record as Will being a Skoda salesman (at some point anyway, maybe not anymore).
Or is it just more lies as examples of Will’s low morals and ethics. Very suited to the Skoda sales job.
Tomas79 says:
“What do you do for living? And what do you drive?”
DE says: Design Engineer, and Subaru Liberty B4 (and others).
Considering Tomas frequency on this site (including his many other aliases) clearly it is probably you that is unemployed, or in jail, or (more likely) in the mental institution. Hope you get well soon Tomas.
Design Engineer? For who,Breville? Guess that’s why my toaster doesn’t toast evenly.
Drives a Liberty B4 and others? Notice you didn’t mention what the others were?
Try again, that comeback was sooo weak.
(BTW I suggest you upgrade your 2nd Hand Vinnies toaster as it appear to be stuffed)
“HSV’s Tim Jackson said the GXP was not a reaction to the GS from Ford Performance Vehicles” LMAO pull the other one Tim
I am not sure of the wisdom in applying smaller brakes and crappier suspension in a car of this size and this much power. I am not convinced this is worth compromising to save some dollars.
‘crappier suspension’?
The brakes and suspension tune are from the SSV.
If you want to go sliding around corners pay the extra and stump up for a GTS.
With a less expensive car there is always compromise to save dollars, a la the GS
Anyone have anything contstructive or relevant to add to this article or any aus made article? most of you should check out whingingbitch.com or iwannabeanacccountantforacarmanufacturerbecauseiknoweverything.com.au or ireallywantonebutmywifewontletmesoillbagthehelloutofit.com.au/mywifebeatsmeandwearsthepantsinmyhousewhichiswhyidriveahondacivic(VT-L a nice car by the way……….for a chick!!!). CA should only allow useful contributions. any chance of a caradvice for adults website?????
For what it’s worth to any grown ups out there, With the GXP filing a gap i think holden/hsv now have a great range of cars from small 4′s thru to perf v8′s which like them or not are unmatchable on safety and performance $$ 4 $$.
http://www.hitittuning.com
tuning
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