Get ready for GMSV … and Corvette

It’s all over for HSV … but, don’t worry, there’s a good reason.

 CONFIRMATION today that Holden Special Vehicles is going, GM Speciality Vehicles is taking over within a couple of months and from now on the push is with American Chevrolets, pick-ups and a certain two-seater sports car … to start with.

Nothing about the above will surprise: Talk about a re-emergence as GMSV traces back to comment aired during the General Motor’s announcement on February 17 about Holden heading for the grave.

The one twist in today’s announcement from the remnants of the soon-to-go Holden operation is that the guy who has developed GMSV for New Zealand and Australia won’t be holding the reins when this new enterprise springs into operation.

Peter Keley, a General Motors and Holden ‘lifer’ who in rising up through the ranks of the Lion Brand served a popular term from 2005 to 2008 as managing director of Holden New Zealand, has elected to leave the brand at the end of October.

The amiable and energetic Australian will work with Joanne Stogiannis, announced today as Director – GM Speciality Vehicles, to establish the GMSV dealer network in Australia and New Zealand in the lead-up to his departure.

She’s been Holden’s dealer development manager, with more than a decade of experience working with the lion brand.

GMSV establishes alongside GM’s existing business units in the region, Holden Aftersales and Isuzu New Zealand.  It is scheduled to commence operations in the fourth quarter of this year.

Full clarification on what this means for those dealers currently flying the HSV flag in is yet to be spelled out. Currently, HSV has 56 dealers in Australia and eight in New Zealand, all but two in the North Island. Does GMSV need that many outlets?

There’s also no word about what this means for any employees of HSV in New Zealand.

When this writer last spoke to Andrew Lamb, the specialist make’s New Zealand regional manager, it was on April 28.

 His comment was sought then on talk then that has also come to prove true now – that central to the future programme is a deal between GM and Walkinshaw Group, the powerhouse behind HSV, which dates back to 1988. 

As was speculated then is confirmed now. GMSV be a joint venture between Walkinshaw Group and GM and its task initially will be to continue exactly what HSV has been doing now; take North American-built, left-hand-drive GM product and convert it to right-hand drive in Melbourne.

Specifically, that’s just the Silverado. HSV ceased remanufacturing of the Camaro into right-hand drive in April. There’s no plan to restart this. 

Speculation about GMSV and what it meant for HSV rose at an interesting time for Kiwis as it was when dealers here were finally told that the Silverado 1500 pickup was coming here.

GMSV comment today is that this model will be core to ongoing operations, though the larger 2500 will also be expected to pull its weight.

However, it’s clear that if any one vehicle will pull punters in for tyre-kicking, it’s the world’s first factory right-hand-drive Corvette, whose availability in 2021 has been signalled. No more news than that, however.

And then? Well, there’s already conjecture GMSV will want to add in more metal to fill in some gaps. So, conceivably, the Chevrolet Tahoe and some Cadillac variants might also show.

Goodbye HSV, hello GMSV?

Is HSV about to disappear? The famous performance make’s New Zealand boss is coy about rebranding talk.

 CONJECTURE about Holden Special Vehicles being set to soon morph into a new set-up involving General Motors has garnered a cool response from the New Zealand operation.

 Andrew Lamb, the specialist make’s New Zealand regional manager, was approached for comment on media speculation across the Tasman that a public announcement on a new branding and direction will be revealed very soon.

Talk about a re-emergence as General Motors’ Speciality Vehicles traces back to comment aired during GM’s announcement on February 17 that Holden was heading for the grave.

References were made to GMSV that day in a media release and during a subsequent trasntasman press conference.

Yesterday Australia’s top car mag, Wheels, ran a story on its website suggesting this scenario has progressed to a deal between GM and Walkinshaw Group, the powerhouse behind HSV, which dates back to 1988.

According to the Wheels report: “GMSV is expected to be a joint venture between Walkinshaw Group and GM and its task initially will be exactly what HSV does now; take North American-built, left-hand-drive GM product and convert it to right-hand drive in Melbourne.”

It also cited that those vehicles will then be distributed through a revised, slimmed-down dealer network. Currently, HSV has 56 dealers in Australia and eight in New Zealand, all but two in the North Island. 

The speculation is that GMSV’s focus will initially be on Chevrolet pick-ups, SUVs and performance vehicles. The new mid-engined C8 Chevrolet Corvette is expected to be part of the line-up. 

As for the Camaro? HSV last week acknowledged it has ceased remanufacturing of that vehicle into right-hand drive and has no plan to restart this.

Chris Polites, HSV’s executive director of sales and marketing, is reported by the CarAdvice website as saying: “There are no plans to bring back the Camaro. Once these cars are gone, they are gone.” 

Questions for Lamb included what was the status of HSV here presently and are HSV Camaros still available here and, if so, for how much longer?

He was asked if he wished to share any thoughts about emergent conjecture about the future of HSV and the likelihood of it becoming GMSV and if he had any messages for HSV customers and potential purchasers.

In response to this, he indicated no change to business. “We continue to sell vehicles through our specialist HSV and Chevrolet NZ dealer network and plan for this to continue for the foreseeable future.”

In respect to Camaro and its stock count and ongoing availability here, he offered: “HSV re-engineered RHD Camaro 2SS and ZL1 models are still available through HSV dealers in NZ.”

In respect to the potential for GMSV, he contended: “That is being discussed well above my pay grade and when finalised appropriate announcements will be made”

He said HSV owners and intending purchasers could be reassured that all HSV and HSV re-engineered Chevrolet vehicles in NZ “are fully backed by HSV with a three-year warranty and three-years’ roadside assist so owners can buy with confidence. 

Lamb also confirmed the Silverado 1500 pickup released in Australia several weeks ago has now been priced for New Zealand – it’s a $123,990 ask before options - and would soon be available.

“First vehicles are already built and should be with NZ dealers later next month.”

Just a single version, a feature-laden LTZ Premium Edition, is being converted by the Melbourne operation with the RAM 1500 cited as the primary rival.

The Chevrolet is slightly larger but gives away a little on payload capacity, 845kg vs 712kg.

Under the bonnet there is a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 petrol engine producing 313kW and 624Nm, driving all four wheels via a 10-speed automatic transmission and resulting in a maximum braked towing capacity of 4500kg.

Drivers have four different driving modes at their disposal depending on the journey at hand, those being Touring for everyday driving, Sport for increased throttle response, Off-road for slippery conditions and Tow/Haul for towing duties.

Features include 10-way power adjustable, heated and ventilated leather front seats with memory function, heated leather steering wheel, leather rear seats (outboard seats also heated), dual-zone climate, keyless entry and start, powered sunroof, express front and rear windows, tyre pressure monitoring, 60:40 split-folding rear seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror and dual-zone climate control.

On the safety front, lane change alert with side blind zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision alert, low speed forward automatic braking, front pedestrian braking, Intellibeam automatic headlamp control, following distance indicator, front and rear park assist, safety alert seats, six airbags, electronic stability control, trailer sway control and hill-start assist are all fitted as standard.