Eight is not enough: HSV looks to four-cylinder future

HSV needs to grow beyond its V8-base to ensure it has a long-term future. Despite this week's high-profile launch of the new VE-based E-Series 6.0-litre V8 models, that's the tune Holden Special Vehicles boss Phil Harding is humming in the lead up to the Holden-affiliate's official onsale of its European-sourced VXR.

The Astra Turbo-based 175kW turbocharged four-cylinder coupe is literally "on the boat" on its way to Australia (for more details click

Due for release in October, demand for the VXR has already outstripped initial supply. According to Harding, HSV dealers are already holding enough orders to move around 250 cars. The first shipment is just 100, though Harding says annualised volume should grow to the 250-300 unit mark.

And they're customers new to the HSV brand, says the upbeat exec.

"We're meeting a whole load of new journalists in that [hot fours] segment and certainly our dealers are meeting a whole load of new potential customers. At the [Melbourne] motor show I was staggered by how many of people that wouldn't normally even come on our stand wanted to talk about the VXR.

According to Harding, the Opel OPC-sourced two-door VXR is first step in HSV's wider appeal as a brand. Harding views OPC's (Opel Performance Centre) relationship to GM's European arm, as HSV's is to Holden.

It's time, he says for HSV to look beyond V8s.

"After 17 or 18 years of performance brand development I think the [HSV] brand is mature enough to try it on other things and see where we get to. Okay, we may have made one or two mistakes in the past but I think we know where we're going now and strategically we want to be able to expand our range.

"[The VXR] is the first step of a long journey and if that segment with a HSV brand on it gets up and builds in its interest and volume then we'll do some trick stuff in it," Harding said.

"I want to see, fairly quickly, a non-V8, non-Commodore-platformed percentage in our sales of around 10 per cent. I'd like to be able to get to the stage that [regularly] we're doing other things than V8," he said.

But what other models, CarPoint quizzed Harding.

The VXR was a logical choice to restart four-cylinder HSV sales, he opined

"The HSV DNA is already there [in the VXR] and that's the reason we chose that car. We went to Europe and said does that meet the HSV brand values? Is it worthy of the HSV brand footprint and we decide it was."

Harding however says the company has considered and rejected the OPC-fettled Vectra (see photo hereabouts). Featuring a 188kW/355Nm turbocharged V6, the hi-po midsizer certainly has the performance potential worthy of a HSV-badged model -- it accelerates from 0-100km/h in 6.9sec and has a 260km/h top speed. Our guess is that price and the relatively advanced age of the model stopped the green light.

HSV has also said no to the hot version of the Zafira mini-peoplemover and Harding has ruled out a fettled Captiva for the foreseeable future. "Not HSV" and "a tough business case" said Harding respectively

Harding admitted, however, that it was not beyond the realms of possibility that HSV could be an importer of different models than Holden. In other words hypothetically, HSV could import the European-sourced performance version of the Astra or Corsa while Holden chose to continue down the 'Made in Korea' path with Viva and Barina.

With that in mind there's no doubt an opportunity exists as Opel and OPC update their models, including a performance version of the new generation Corsa -- though that's some time away. The same could be said for the next generation Vectra -- though that's even further down the track. In talking with Harding one get’s the impression the brand is keen to move sooner rather than later.

So where does that leave HSV in actually practicing what Harding's preaching?

It's mouthwatering to think what HSV could have done with the stillborn TT36 Torana concept (look out M3). In the meantime could it be that HSV is planning something special with Holden's upcoming GM Daewoo-sourced Epica?

With impressive young Aussie designer (and petrolhead) Max Wolff chucking the pencils around at GM Daewoo there's every chance a more muscular version of the somewhat anodyne front-wheel drive inline six could be on its way. Already Chevrolet Europe has displayed a big-wheeled version of the car, dubbed the Epica L6 (also pictured).

Another case of watch this space?