Review HSV Maloo
The queue for a new Maloo will end in May. The five-month waiting period reflects the immediate success of Holden Special Media’s new transportation carrier.
Not everyone who buys the Maloo R8 is capable of carrying more than their toys and a big, big smile.
It’s all about the performance and enjoyment of a sports truck, with a 307kW V8 engine and the kind of brakes and suspension you expect to find on a top-drawer car.
Holden has been promoting two-door sports cars for the ute since the VE’s announcement earlier this year and its sales figures reflect the popularity of the new pickup.
More than 60 percent of the people who walk out the door at Holden dealers are V8-powered SS models and when you add the SV6 hottie, that number rises to more than 70 percent.
So you can’t see any bricks, barrow, glass or plumbing in the back of an HSV ute.
But it is also difficult for you to see a Maloo because the demand for regular utes has strangled the supply from GM Holden’s plant in Elizabeth to the HSV production line in Clayton.
Things will ease next year, but the wait is hard to shrink to anything less than three months.
Maloo goes all the way for Holden and, like other E-Series Merchandise models, it’s a far cry from the usual ute than previous models.
The handling of the tail is unique – even if some of the lights look stuck – the nose is brand new, the more upscale cabin and even the lift cap have a unique and different HSV electrical bulge but inefficient locking system.
The result is a head-turning ute with a supercar 0-100km / h sprint time, and a relative bargain at $ 59,990.
It is priced higher than the six turbo engine from Ford Performance Vehicles and higher than the basic 5.4 V8 ute, but matches the Super Pursuit in the bottom line.
The HSV has the advantage of a full 6.0 liter LS2 V8, which has a large number of kilowatts, but more importantly creates 550Nm.
It’s a little hidden up on 4000 revs, but dominant character for the car.
HSV is doing a lot of Maloos with a six-speed automatic transmission, a surprisingly effective but effective choice, and the rest of the package includes monster brakes with 365 mm discs on the nose, electronic stability control, Fully independent suspension, huge wheels and tires and the same red-illuminated instrument cluster are used in HSV’s R8 and GTS models.
The seats and wheels in the cabin are the same, with finely cut leather, and safety equipment including front and side airbags, and anti-slip with brake assist.
It was an impressive package and a proud HSV offering.
This is a hot sexy product. We think we completely nailed it, said Scott, the new HSV managing director, Scott Grant.
Maloo Crane is our latest model and so the waiting time is the longest. But the current clubs are about two months and Grange still sells more than 20 cars per month, contrary to our prediction of 10 months.
He said that HSV will easily set a sales record by the end of the month, increasing by more than 1,000 vehicles from the previous year in 2005, with Maloo contributing about 600 sales per year.
On the road
Maloo is a great drive. It is crisp, responsive and very, very quick.
Most people won’t be able to pick it up from an HSV, without looking over their shoulders, which is as good as on land.
FPV does a similar job of upgrading Falcon Falcon, but even they are not as delicate or car-like as the new Maloo.
If you try to compare the same with any Japanese imported car, even the standard Toyota HiLux, you will find economy cars that do more than play.
I ran the regular SS ute through the test program and it came out with class markers, but Maloo took a significant step further. And it’s not just a hot bar.
It’s smoother and more refined than the SS, thanks to the surprisingly good suspension compliance.
I have not tried Maloo with a lot of loads, but most owners want them to be sports cars and they will get a winner.
It turns into a car, runs like a car and clings like a car, even when you push hard. That’s when most of the utes turn into sliding monsters, spinning wheels.
Maloo testers have an automatic transmission and that will be our option. That’s partly because it smooths the engine response and partly because it has an excellent manual shift system, but mainly because it reduces the violence of a gear shift, which can often be a problem. threads in utes. (Holden has no paddle on the steering column).
So Maloo is quick and responsive, and only slightly dull compared to the R8 sedan. In addition, it has a luxurious and comfortable cabin.
There is plenty of legroom, with reasonable storage space behind the seats, which can be difficult to tilt, and the audio system is good.
But parking and lane changes are terrible. The shape of the cabin restricts visibility over the shoulders and rough grainy luggage covers a large part of the rear vision. Thanks for the kindness to parking radar. But vision is the only concern and HSV Maloo is one of my favorite drives of the year.
The bottom line
A success of Aussie, and a genuine sports truck. 81/100
Snapshot
HSV Maloo
Price: $ 61,990 when tested
Engine: 6.0-liter V8
Capacity: 307kW at 6000 revolutions
Torque: 550Nm at 5100 revs
Transmission: six-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive.
Body: Two-door utility
Dimensions: Length 5040mm, width 1899mm, height 1481mm, wheelbase 3009mm, rails 1952 / 1590mm front / rear
Steering: Supports and pinion gears
Fuel tank: 73 liters
Fuel consumption: 14.9 liters / 100km (required, combined)
Weight: 1852kg
Spare tire: Full size
Brakes: Anti-skid four-wheel discs with brakes
Wheels: 19×8 front, 19×8.5 after
Tires: 245/40 R19 front, 275/130 R19 rear
Safety equipment: Front airbag, electronic stability control, anti-skid, traction control, brake assist with brake force distribution.
Warranty: Three years / 100,000km
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