On Corsa with a pocket rocket
They went that route with the cosmetically improved Nissan Pulsar-based Holden Astra in the 1980s, which failed miserably. But today, fuel prices are skyrocketing and are increasingly becoming an important part of the car buying equation.
HSV returns to the economy without leaving its traditional V8 hub. Today you can run a 177-kilowatt turbocharged Astra VXR tuned to HSV, and now the company is considering a turbocharged 1.6-liter Corsa VXR.
Already a hit in the UK, where it went on sale in March, the three-door pocket rocket will mark an ongoing evolution towards the HSV.
Former HSV chairman John Krennan, who stepped down last year but still wears the brand on his sleeve and remains part of the company, explains that HSV doesn't have to copy Holden's product in its lineup, meaning the Epica HSV is highly unlikely. . . “Corsa is one of the European brands we look at,” he says.
Krennan says there is no specific time frame for the arrival of the Corsa, but if the numbers add up, it could arrive within 18 months.
The car will be introduced in Mini Cooper S and Peugeot 207 GT territory for around $35,000. The Corsa VXR delivers 143kW at 5850rpm and 230Nm at 1980rpm from a lightweight 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, giving the car a zero-to-100km/h acceleration time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of over 220 km/h . A four-piston VXR engine is mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission. With its performance characteristics and bold styling, the mini hatchback fits perfectly into the HSV DNA.
The mirrors, fog lamp surrounds and center exhaust pipe are triangular in shape, while chunky front and rear bumpers, side skirts and 18-inch alloy wheels hint at the performance underneath.
Inside, there are sculpted Recaro seats, race car styling, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, perforated alloy pedals, and black dashboard trim. Like the Mini Cooper S, it has an Overboost feature that boosts torque to over 260Nm under hard acceleration. Power is controlled by a specially tuned ESP system, heavy-duty disc brakes, suspension and variable power steering that changes the weight and feel of the steering wheel depending on how the car is driven.
In Australia, Holden's previous generation XC Barina was a highly respected Corsa model made by Opel. But when the new TK Barina went on sale in late 2005, the company decided to purchase it from GM-Daewoo in South Korea. Despite being competitively priced, the newest Barina received poor marks in the Australian and European New Car Assessment Programs. He managed to get only two stars in the accident rating.
Meanwhile, the British are raving about our HSV Clubsport sedan. In a country with high gas prices and terrible traffic jams, they lack a 6.0-liter engine badged Vauxhall VXR8.
HSV Managing Director Scott Grant is also eyeing other markets. “We aim to supply the UK with 300 Clubsport R8s a year for the next three years,” he says, adding that the new long-wheelbase Grange is the next export candidate, possibly to the Middle East and China.
