Holden VFII Ute revs up

The iconic Holden utility will bow out with a bang. Officially on sale from this month, the Holden VFII Ute range starts at $33,490 (unchanged from the outgoing model) and, as a headliner, will feature some serious heat – 304kW of LS3 V8 muscle to be precise.

And it’s not just the V8 that benefits from changes. SV6 models come with passive entry and start, new-look 18-inch alloy wheels and the [subtly] updated front fascia first seen on the VFII Commodore sedan and wagon.

Top-shelf SS, SSV and SSV Redline Ute models get the beefier 6.2-litre LS3 V8 that belts out 304kW and 570Nm, enough mumbo to see it rip from 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds – the "quickest Commodore Ute in history" (read: non-HSV) says the car maker.

The SS models also get a bi-modal exhaust with mechanical sound enhancer and bonnet vents, while the SSV adds a colour head up display and larger 19-inch alloy wheels.

Step up to the SSV Redline, which Holden expects to be even more popular in this swan-song generation, and Brembo brakes front and rear are standard for the $50,490 asking price. For some added bling, 20-inch forged alloy wheels are optional for $1500.

Revealed at the world famous and Guinness Record-breaking Deni Ute Muster in rural New South Wales, the last ever generation of the locally-built Holden Ute will be offered in nine colours, including the new Slipstream Blue ($550 extra).

All VFII Utes come with a three-year or 100,000km warranty, whichever occurs first, along with Holden's lifetime capped price servicing scheme.

Sales of the Holden Commodore based Ute have dipped by almost 12 per cent in the first nine months of 2015, to 3859 from 4382 the year prior. Nevertheless Holden is confident of improved sales, stating that "demand for the unbridled V8 variant expected to be extremely strong".

The new VFII Ute range's catchcry "hearing is believing" centres around the fact that the company has transplanted the bigger, more powerful 6.2-litre V8 engine into SS models, complete with bi-modal exhaust and a mechanical sound enhancer. In other words it should be louder.

We'll know later this week when we drive it.

Holden's chief engineer, Andrew Holmes, said it has taken years of hard work developing the new VFII Commodore range, and the new V8 provides the Ute with “more authority”.

"The new 6.2-litre LS3 engine, combined with its unique sound character makes an already thrilling sports vehicle even more special.

"We have tested the Ute alongside sedan and wagon, completing in the region of 250,000kms of development driving and can say this is absolutely the best car we have ever engineered and we know our customers will enjoy driving VFII as much as we enjoyed creating it," said Holmes.

The VF Holden Ute set a Nurburgring lap record of 8:19 in 2013 making it the fastest ute or pick-up around the famous road circuit. The new VFII Ute is faster and gets stronger anchors but it remains to be seen if the company will return to Germany to reset the record.

Holden Ute VFII pricing:
Evoke: V6 Auto -- $33,490
SV6: V6 Man/Auto -- $33,990/$36,190
SS: V8 Man/Auto -- $40,990/$43,190
SSV: V8 Man/Auto -- $44,490/$46,690
SSV Redline: V8 Man/Auto -- $50,490/$52,690