S3X takes on Territory

The S3X Concept on Holden's Sydney motor show stand is a near-as-dammit preview of its Territory-rival due here next year.

In confirming the production version of the S3X - although it probably won't be called that by the time it gets here - Holden boss Denny Mooney also reinforced the car-maker's focus on Korean-bred vehicles.

Badged as a Chevrolet at its 2004 Paris motor show debut, the S3X originally was to have been a Daewoo. In fact, it was the first vehicle developed in South Korea by the Daewoo team - including Australian designers Mike Simcoe and Max Wolff - under General Motors ownership.

The seven-seater is built on the same platform as the three-door Opel Antera Concept shown at this year's Frankfurt motor show and is destined for other GM brands, including Pontiac, Buick and Saturn.

Like the Korean-built new Viva and Barina, the be a Korean-built Holden.

"The S3X production version will fill Holden's most obvious portfolio gap in a truly convincing way," Denny Mooney said at the show unveiling. He said it could seat up to seven in three rows and would deliver "sporty suspension".

Apart from the Simcoe-Wolff design connection, Holden engineers had been involved during development of the production version.

"Being involved at such an early stage brings great rewards in terms of how the car looks and just as importantly, how it performs," he said.

However, it's doubtful that the production version will wear the S3X concept's 20-inch, nine-spoke wheels. Ditto the long, louvred glass sunroof.

It obviously will have the same exterior dimensions - overall length 4639mm, overall width 1848mm and overall height 1722mm. Wheelbase is described only as "about 2.7 metres".

All of which makes it 217mm shorter, 50mm narrower, and just 8mm taller than Territory. Depending on which way either side of "about 2.7 metres" the S3X's wheelbase actually is, it's still going to be shorter than the Territory's 2842mm.

The S3X concept's powertrain uses hybrid technology, although Holden wasn't saying what sort of hybrid technology was involved. The strong rumour among motoring media at the show was that the production car would use a smaller capacity version of the Commodore's V6.