Holden Ute to go to US (G8 Sports truck).

[BadMac]

I had a quick look but couldn't see this. Mods delete/lock if its already been posted.

Seems the $AUD-$USD can't be causing too many issues and I'd say by the reaction in many of the US forums, this may sell well (better than the Monaro did).

EMBARGO: 3.01pm (AEST), 15 March 2008
AUSTRALIA DELIVERS TWO NEW SPORTY
EXPORTS TO NORTH AMERICA
General Motors announced today that GM Holden will export two new vehicles to North America, to join the already successful Pontiac G8 performance sedan.
The Pontiac G8 sport truck - based on Australia’s iconic ute - and Pontiac’s new flagship, the G8 GXP high performance sedan, will both officially be unveiled at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday 19 March 2008.
The export programs were confirmed today by GM Holden’s new Chairman and Managing Director, Mark Reuss, who described them as great additions to Pontiac’s portfolio, a brand renowned for driving excitement.
“It’s not everyday that a manufacturer announces a vehicle that creates a whole new segment in a market, but with this, the first ute export to North America in the form of the G8 sport truck, is exactly what Pontiac is doing,” Reuss said.
“The addition of the new G8s to our export program further enhances GM Holden’s position as the centre of global rear wheel drive expertise in the GM organisation and reinforces that the cars we are building are truly world class.
“The design, engineering and performance of the G8 sedan is already drawing praise from US media and Pontiac fans alike and we’re confident that the sport truck and the GXP sedan will be as warmly received.
“This is another example of how at GM Holden we are expanding our export opportunities and operating globally.”
The Pontiac G8 sport truck will adopt the same level of comfort and convenience as the G8 GT sedan which went on sale in the US earlier this year. It offers electronic dual-zone climate control, cruise control and remote start, plus a high level of safety features including ESP®, driver and passenger front curtain and side impact airbags.
Powered by a 6.0L V8 engine matched with a six-speed automatic transmission it boasts Active Fuel Management technology that provides performance with car-like fuel economy.
In the US, Buick-Pontiac-GMC general manager, Jim Bunnell, said the G8 sport truck highlights Pontiac’s commitment to style and performance.
“Pontiac has never shied away from offering segment-defining vehicles. There’s simply nothing else like the G8 sport truck on the road today, and we definitely believe that there are customers who will be excited by its distinctive design, performance and cargo capabilities,” Bunnell said.
In an interesting twist, Pontiac is running a competition allowing consumers to come up with a name for the new vehicle currently being called the G8 sport truck. The public will be able to submit their suggestions through the Pontiac website www.pontiac.com/namethiscar.
Pontiac’s marketing director, Craig Bierley, said they were aware that ‘sport truck’ didn’t fully describe the vehicle’s ability to blur the lines between sports car and truck and so they were opening the decision to the public. The winning entry will be announced April 15 2008.
Full production of the Pontiac G8 sport truck will commence at GM Holden’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia, in the second half 2009 with the Pontiac G8 sport truck expected to arrive in dealers’ showrooms in late 2009.
Also being unveiled by Pontiac at the New York International Auto Show will be the new flagship vehicle of the GXP performance series, the G8 GXP, which adds to the existing line up of the G8 and G8 GT and will also be built in Adelaide starting later in 2008.
The GXP sedan export program will see Holden’s Elizabeth plant expand its production to 44 models off six variants. And with the sport truck variant on board in 2009, this will increase to seven variants.
The G8 GXP takes the G8’s responsive driving experience, refined passenger environment and aggressive good looks to a new level. It is also the first GM Holden export to Pontiac to offer a manual variant with both 6 speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmission available.
GM Holden’s Export Manager, Kristian Aquilina, believes the car will complete Pontiac’s G8 range and will give it a definite sports performance edge.
“Not many would have thought Pontiac could have taken the G8 GT one step further, but the GXP has done that and it is sure to impress. This is a very exciting product,” Aquilina said.
Buick-Pontiac-GMC general manager, Jim Bunnell, said that the GXP is more than just raw power.
“The GXP delivers the sophisticated yet exciting driving experience that enthusiasts expect in a car costing far more than the GXP,” Bunnell said.
At the heart of the G8 GXP is the 6.2L LS3 small-block V8, currently rated at 300kW and 546Nm* of torque. This engine is the newest member of GM’s small-block V8 family.
The G8 GXP exhibits strong Pontiac design cues with a unique front fascia with a lower splitter. A distinctive rear fascia diffuser also contributes to its sporty look. The dual-port grille, fog lamps, bold wheels and confident, wheels-at-the-corners stance are all unmistakably Pontiac traits.
New York’s International Motor Show runs from the 21-30 March 2008 at the Jacob Javits Convention Centre.
* Estimated power and torque figures pending final SAE certification.

[The G6ET Spot]

Saw this on the news today. They will sell like hotcakes over there.
the yanks love the utes,but the manufacturers have always stayed with the pickups.

Ford Australia looked into it some years ago, but the bean counters in the US were afraid that the utes would take too many sales away from their sh1thouse pickups. Thus resulting in less production over there. So much for the great free trade agreement.But I suppose it doesn't come into play when head office calls the shots.

Just another thing for Ford to play catchup with

[alecrain]

n an interesting twist, Pontiac is running a competition allowing consumers to come up with a name for the new vehicle currently being called the G8 sport truck. The public will be able to submit their suggestions through the Pontiac website

I'd vote to call them a "UTE", as they have pickups only, over there.

[FPV 5TH]

They wont like it, it wont be powerful enough for the yanks

[Bossxr8]

And Ford Australia have to bend over and touch their toes while Detroit wonders why they keep losing billions of dollars. When are these clowns going to wake up and let Ford Australia export, even if its makes their cars look like the pieces of garbage they really are. :

[asusdragon]

read this is today paper in the motor section, sound slike if it does take off it will be good for Holden and GM, cant see why they will not sell well over there, and yes i do think FOMOCO need to get there heads out of thier well i wont finish they sentence, but anyway, if FordAUS were able to sell over there it would really help turn the company around seems on alot of america forums they love our cars, GT, F6, so why not out ute

[MethodX]

Amreican taste is different though, on the GM forum a lot dont like the G8 or G8 ST.
"Too bland, mid 90's styling, ungainly", not American steel, i want a firebird"

hard market to crack.

[Wally]

Originally Posted by alecrain

I'd vote to call them a "UTE", as they have pickups only, over there.

Probably a thing with the native americans......naming rights, discrimination, etc. Either way it will probably be fitted with a godawful front bar.

[McobraR]

I think this is great and i hope GM sells HEAPS, only then will Ford US hopefully realize what they're missing out on and fast track the RWD program. Who knows, they mite just modify the Orion platform since it was originally made to accomodate RHD if im correct.

[aualright]

Can't imagine there would be much money in it with the high AUD and small numbers to be exported, but good on Holden for at least getting into GM management's ear.

****

[irlewy86]

Somebody at GMH must have photos of Bob Lutz with a goat. That seems to be the only way to crack the US market

[dallasv8]

might give the yanks something to leak onto after a night on the grog

probably would sell well over there, the ve is butt ugly but they dont really have low utes over there.

[outback_ute]

Originally Posted by MethodX

Amreican taste is different though, on the GM forum a lot dont like the G8 or G8 ST.
"Too bland, mid 90's styling, ungainly", not American steel, i want a firebird"

hard market to crack.

Whoever said that has forgotten what mid 90's cars looked like!

[HSE2]

300kws from the LS3. Hmmmmmmmmmm

[irlewy86]

^^^^^^ haha took me a while to get what you were on about.

So does that mean HSV has to tune it before putting it in the Clubbie, or is it different units of measure in the US?

[phoenix99]

In terms of the conversion for the US market holden would have to do bugger all to the VE ute except obviously LHD, so it kinda makes sense to export.

The G8 however is not just a VE with LHD, the G8 chassis and everything had to be strengthened i think cos the yanks dont have to wear seatbelts so you get the point.

G8 ute is classified as a truck so nothing extra really has to be done to change it for the US market.

[theboss290]

whopty figan doo dad, They can have them, butt ugly peaces of ####. Americans will love them!! send them all there LOL.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by irlewy86

^^^^^^ haha took me a while to get what you were on about.

So does that mean HSV has to tune it before putting it in the Clubbie, or is it different units of measure in the US?

I doubt they are doing anything. It’s the same engine in the Vette which makes 320. It makes no sense for HSV to be mucking around with multiple tunes for local and export markets.

Some people seem to think the US move is to make the Vette look better on paper, which doesn't make too much sense to me. They get 307 from the LS2 so it’s really hard to see less from an acknowledged better performer. It’s probably just PC and mind games, although with the 427 it might be an issue out here as well. Not sure HSV will be too keen to have an R8 with nearly 330 with the 150 k 427 just a further 40 odd above that. On paper a 70 odd kw gap for the ask is much more palatable.

[DanielXR8]

Unfortunately a lot of readers on Autoblog, just don't like the concept of a ute at all. They think its a poor mans truck and totally impractical for anything.

If the reception doesn't improve on its US launch, that will be one more reason for Dearbourne tol use as a reason not to export Falcon to the US.

[Bossxr8]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

totally impractical for anything.

That sums up the VE ute to a tea.

[crYnOid]

Originally Posted by HSE2

I doubt they are doing anything. It’s the same engine in the Vette which makes 320. It makes no sense for HSV to be mucking around with multiple tunes for local and export markets.

Some people seem to think the US move is to make the Vette look better on paper, which doesn't make too much sense to me. They get 307 from the LS2 so it’s really hard to see less from an acknowledged better performer. It’s probably just PC and mind games, although with the 427 it might be an issue out here as well. Not sure HSV will be too keen to have an R8 with nearly 330 with the 150 k 427 just a further 40 odd above that. On paper a 70 odd kw gap for the ask is much more palatable.

Here is a relevent article on this issue.

carsales.com.au

Holden is building a high performance VE Commodore derivative for Pontiac -- yet HSV is nowhere to be seen


One feature of the Pontiac G8 GXP revealed to the media over the weekend shows a trace of HSV DNA. The wheels fitted to the GXP (more here) in GM's media photos appear to be the same as the 20-inch jobs fitted to the HSV GTS.

And that raises a question allowed to go begging. What has been HSV's involvement in the development of the LS3 application for the G8 GXP?

"The GXP itself, in terms of building it, that's going to be a Holden [product]," said John Lindsay, Holden's Manager - Media Relations.

"We have our global rear-wheel drive team here and they're developing this car globally. These guys [Holden and HSV engineers] talk to each other, but formally, the car is developed by the international team based here in Melbourne.

"They would be developing it with Pontiac, to their requirements," he said, explaining that the design and development of the car was an all-in effort, without demarcation.

"HSV engineers worked closely with their Holden counterparts on the development and testing of the Pontiac GXP program, as part of GM's centre of global rear-wheel drive expertise in Australia," said HSV's Group Communication Manager, Simon Frost.

Frost could not be drawn on whether the LS3 might find its way into the HSV range, but the Corvette-power precedent has been established in the past and HSV's involvement in the GXP application -- no matter how far out on the periphery -- is noteworthy.

But as for the wheels, Frost was not at all sure that the wheels fitted to the car were for anything but show.

"It does look a little like a GTS wheel, but I've spoken to our guys and they don't believe that Bridgestone would be in a position in Australia to supply the quantity that would be required in America, so it must just be for the [New York] show car," he said.

Simple put, it's a Holden job and doesn't have much to do with HSV. HSV will happily piggy back on to the LS3+TR6060 installation in the VE with there own tune (vette tune IMO, not G8 tune).

[HSE2]

Yeah I had read that already but it makes no sense. Doesn't actually say HSV didn't do the tuning work.

Don't believe it’s accurate in that the reason for Pontiac wanting to falsely protect the Vette will mostly come into frame with HSV wanting to maintain margin to the new W427.

[XRtowcar]

See its the 6.2 litre fitted in the Pontiac.
Won't be too long before its in the Commodore.
Or will they just make the 7.0 litre standard to save them another upgrade.

[StookEB]

Originally Posted by DanielXR8

totally impractical for anything.

The VE ute is more a sports vehicle then a true "UTE". It is practical for the general person who will carry light-medium loads and who wants performance.

How many of the americans on this GM forum have actually driven the G8 or the Monaro??? They would probably like it if they drove it.
There one-sided patriotism would probably go right out the window.

[HSE2]

Originally Posted by XRtowcar

See its the 6.2 litre fitted in the Pontiac.
Won't be too long before its in the Commodore.
Or will they just make the 7.0 litre standard to save them another upgrade.

The 6.2 will definitely be in the HSV cars by year’s end. I think they intended on the introduction towards the end of this year or 12 months after the Maloo, but due to greater than expected demand they have run out of LS2s and need to switch earlier.

I also suspect that HSV spec engine will be below 320. HSV are tuning the LS3 for Pontiac. There is a different exhaust system on the HSVs or so I am told. I wouldn't be surprised if it’s as low as 315 for the HSV cars but you know what "people in the know are like"

[XRtowcar]

Mmm. The yanks love our Holden....
From NYtimes:
What they didn’t say: Who exactly was clamoring for a two-seat, gas-guzzling pickup with the cheapest-looking interior this side of a Motel 6?
How’s it look? Like Hell Camino: a pointless hodgepodge that’s worthy of an expletive-filled diss from 50 Cent himself.