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Holden Colorado flagship performer could come to tackle Ranger Raptor

A more extreme off-road or performance-oriented version of the 2017 Holden Colorado could be on the cards, if buyers want it, the car maker has admitted.


Speaking at the launch of the new Colorado, Holden chairman and managing director, Mark Bernhard, told CarAdvice that customer demand would dictate which editions they build.

Ford Australia is rumoured to be working on a Ranger Raptor — a more extreme off-road version of the current-generation Ford Ranger — with spy photographs and a trademark registration suggesting its release could be imminent.

When asked about a similar vehicle for the Holden range, Bernhard said that anything would be possible, given the demand.

"If the demand is there and we can foresee demand, we need to build a business case. Each [business case] needs to stand up in its own right and we will go after it," Bernhard said.

While the current six-speed manual gearbox in the Colorado is limited to 440Nm of torque, it's understood that the automatic version (which is currently limited to 500Nm) could withstand extra power and torque being fed through it.

Other vehicles in the GM world that use the Duramax diesel engine are available with a locking rear differential, suggesting that it may not be overly difficult to develop the same technology for a more extreme version of the Colorado.

Holden's executive director of sales, Peter Keley, told CarAdvice that the company already has a couple of ideas up its sleeve regarding a potential Ranger Raptor competitor.

"There’s definitely opportunity and we’ve got a couple of ideas there. There is a lot of appetite in the pickup truck market for that type of vehicle. It’s a niche market, but something of interest."

"If something like that was to exist, it would be because the customer tells us they want it. We see what customers are doing to their vehicles," Keley said.

"We are in close contact with our dealers and we have a product committee with the dealers to have feedback on what customers want in the showroom."

Would you like to see a more extreme version of the Holden Colorado? And, would you like to see the Ranger Raptor come to fruition? Tell us in the comments below. 

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