HSV heads to the Gulf

A new Chevrolet Special Vehicles banner is set to be established in the Middle-East to market HSV's first LHD exports of its latest E-Series range in that region. Holden and HSV are set to make a joint announcement at the end of this week to leverage this weekend's V8 Supercar round in Bahrain.

At last week's launch of the new E-Series Maloo, HSV management made an oblique reference to HSV's latest export program. They let slip that a number of GM divisions had been visiting HSV to study the high-performance marketing and branding model that has been so successful in Australia.

It is expected that Holden and HSV will soon announce that Middle-East exports will shadow the HSV model with a special brand and marketing arm called Chevrolet Special Vehicles or CSV.

The full significance of this move has been missed by many local enthusiasts who assumed that the new CSV brand indicated that local Commodore hot-up company Corsa Specialized Vehicles (aka CSV) had beaten HSV to the punch in the Middle-East market.

However PR images of the HRT Commodore racecar Todd Kelly will race this weekend clearly show the HSV-based CSV logos.

The first Chevrolet Special Vehicles model, which is based on the ClubSport R8, has been re-badged CR8 for obvious reasons. If it remains true to the local HSV marketing model, all reference to its Lumina origins will be deleted.

The timing of the new CR8 will ensure that it is launched with the latest Maloo improvements that carry over to the ClubSport R8. These include a lift in cabin finish from the previous plain cloth trim to the new Cloth and Glore seat combination of sporty cloth inserts with suede bolsters.

The CR8 will also benefit from HSV's latest calibrations to the six-speed automatic that allows faster and smoother manual downshifts by replicating the throttle-blipping of a manual car. Engagement of the auto's Sport mode has also been simplified into a simple sideways movement of the main selector instead of the previous separate switch.

It now appears that the local timing of these simple but important changes is not just tied to the arrival of the new Maloo.

Although some HSV fans worldwide are disappointed that the HSV brand is not being launched in overseas markets, the huge success of the VXR branding for a series of past and present HSV models in the UK suggests that the new Chevrolet Special Vehicles entity is the smart way forward.

The new Chevrolet Special Vehicles branding provides a foundation for General Motors to unite other special vehicles under the CSV badge including various European Astra and Corsa-based models, special US versions of the Corvette and Camaro and even an enhanced Chevrolet-badged version of the Captiva.

With the local Walkinshaw Performance arm reportedly working on a hot Hummer, this is also another possibility.

The extra investment in differentiating HSV models from the Holden Commodore range which HSV has justified on their export potential now looks set to provide dividends.

The long-wheelbase WM Statesman outsells the standard wheelbase Commodore by three to one in the Middle East, therefore it seems only a matter of time before a Grange-based model is also offered in the region.

One of the biggest challenges for HSV will be supply. The monthly sales figures for the latest Grange are equalling or exceeding annual sales tallies for previous generations.