A diesel for petrolheads?

Seriously folks, forget the rhetoric from some carmakers diesels are good. Set up properly, they deliver a very good balance of economy and output. They can be quite refined, with the right sort of attention to NVH from the factory.

There's no concrete evidence to support this, but a large capacity turbodiesel -- something like the 750Nm V10 from Volkswagen's Touareg -- would be a sensational device in an HSV, if it could be shoehorned into the engine bay.

Thus we put this kind of scenario to Scott Grant, HSV's Managing Director during the launch of the Maloo ute recently.

His response surprised us, not because he poured cold water on the idea outright, but because he chose instead to point out the flaw inherent in being a relatively small player in the motor industry… The need to keep up with technological advances and major changes of direction in engineering philosophy.

"We're quite often investigating speculative technologies and variations in powertrain or other situations we may not even produce," Grant said. "We may consider a technology today and decide in the end that it's not suitable, it's not appropriate -- it's not right for us at this point in time. And you might [then] find that the next iteration -- that [Diesel] technology, for example -- in as little as two years might be completely different. Its suitability has to be revisited continuously..."

During the past ten years alone, diesels have adopted -- as a norm -- common-rail direct-injection with turbocharging, variable vane geometry and now, particulate filters. The rapid progress made in diesel engine technology is following the same general climb as petrol engine development.

If you're not already working in the field, it's hard to pick a lull in the storm to join the slipstream sweeping companies along.

With Daimler AG working on the 'DiesOtto' engine, this could be the next step in combining economy, clean running and efficient power production. Perhaps it's too early -- or too late, if you look at it another way -- to join the diesel set when the whole apple cart may be overturned by something like 'DiesOtto'.

HSV has previously conducted engine swaps as part of the production line process. The company was swapping the 5.7-litre LS1 engine from the donor Commodores for the 6.0-litre C4B Callaway engine imported from the States. But in that case, you're swapping an all-alloy petrol V8 for another alloy petrol V8.

The diesel issue for HSV is further muddied by the complexity of the company's close-knit relationship with Holden. For HSV to consider a suitably powerful and refined diesel for the product range, Holden would have to be dragged along for the ride.

It goes without saying HSV would need Holden to develop a diesel Commodore variant first -- and undertake all the engineering and homologation for such an engine. The special vehicles operation would simply be unable to assume the role of installing extra sound insulation material or fuel/particulate filters and re-calibrating suspension and steering for a heavier engine. Much of that engineering would need to come from Holden.

HSV is proud of the fact that no HSV-fitted part has been the subject of a product recall in the company's 20-year history, but taking on a whole new type of drivetrain is not without its pitfalls, as Grant says.

"There's an element of risk in what we do anyway, in modification of vehicles -- and all the things that go with that in terms of warranties. There's potential litigation and all kinds of things [to consider]."

So for HSV, it's about scrutinising new technology, new procedures, new business plans -- and being flexible enough to react appropriately -- or not react at all, if that's the appropriate (non)-response.