HSV Maloo R8 2007 Review

Heeled over hard left, front end planted to the inside line, the rear tyres lick at the edge of adhesion. A series of low amplitude ripples - purpose-built to challenge suspension geometry and vehicle stability under load - shudder through the 20-inch Bridgestones. This is the point at which the previous-generation VZ Maloo would have bucked, squirmed and skipped across the crowned tarmac as the rear bumper tried to overtake the front.

But just as my brain pre-loads the opposite-lock order to my hands and brake signal to my foot, this brute ute simply streams across the bumps, absorbing the ripples and staying resolutely stable. This is very good.

The key to the Maloo's new-found stability is the switch from the VZ's slightly crude semi-trailing arm rear suspension, to the more sophisticated multi-link arrangement introduced on VE Commodore. Based on long-wheelbase WM architecture (as is the Holden ute range), HSV's hard-charging Maloo is pure Clubsport sedan from numberplate to B-pillar. The front-end module, floorpan, and thundering 307kW, 6.0-litre V8 is all shared with the four-door.

From B-pillar to tailgate, the Maloo is structurally identical to the VE ute, including high-strength steel reinforcements under the tray. Where the HSV differs is in suspension tune.

Spring rates have been stiffened by approximately 40 percent at the front and 50 percent at the rear. The additional firmness is a nod to certain load-carrying duties (dirtbikes and eskies, rather than bags of cement), and aimed at imparting some "sports coupe" handling, according to HSV's chief engineer John Clark. However, there's no MRC adaptive damper option for the Maloo. There's also just a single R8 specification, rather than the two models offered for VZ.

Find an extra $3750 for the 'Performance Pack', though, and you'll upgrade from 19in wheels to the 20in alloys and the full-leather seats of the GTS sedan.

Initial development on the Maloo began with a WM Caprice sedan test mule. The rear-seat module was removed allowing weight distribution to be altered, and the dynamic attributes of the production ute to be simulated. Engineers did the bulk of preliminary chassis, brake and ESP tuning on the Caprice testbed, then shipped it off to Sweden to test the ESP system on the frozen proving grounds of the Arctic Circle. Part of the program involved HSV's own 'moose test' - an emergency swerve and recover at 150km/h. On ice.

My wheel time didn't extend to avoiding arctic mammals at warp speed, but at Holden's Lang Lang proving ground, the Maloo's ESP system (like the rest of the VE range) proved expertly calibrated. It's a subtle helping hand, rather than a panicking nanny designed to mask fundamental chassis shortcomings.

HSV fielded criticism in the past for not providing enough aesthetic differentiation between its premium stable and Holden's base models. That won't be a problem this time - there's no mistaking the Maloo for an SS. The most obvious change is, of course, the new tailgate.

And before you ask, no, the two cut-out sections in the tailgate are not a part of the light cluster, just strips of reflective material. The lower bar is also unique to the Maloo, as are the deeper side sills, and the tonneau gets an electronic release feature on the key fob for the first time.

Perceptions of the R8 as the bogan's Ferrari aside, make no mistake that HSV has developed an impressive vehicle. The chassis set-up offers excellent levels of handling and grip, coupled with rock-steady stability, while the engine delivers real muscle-car performance. Plus there's room in the back for the dirtbike.

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