HSV line-up gets special treatment

By ALASTAIR SLOANE motoring editor

Holden Special Vehicles surveyed its customers and asked: What car would you have instead of an HSV? About 25 per cent replied that their first alternative would be a BMW.

"Those statistics set the tempo for the Y series," said HSV general manager Chris Payne of the facelifted go-fast Holden range.

"We deliberately set out to refine our suspensions, powertrain calibrations and braking system upgrades to lift the level of refinement to meet that European expectation. We also aimed for some very high benchmarks in terms of material quality and design."

The new line-up will go on sale in New Zealand in December. It shows that HSV continues to move further away from its humble donor, the Commodore, and towards a role as a luxury European alternative.

It calls the upgraded HSV range the Y Series, not VY after the new-look Holden line-up. It has gone to some lengths to add new features inside and out to "provide clear differentiation to their Holden counterparts".

There's a new four-spoke steering-wheel, and an extra pair of gauges in a binnacle above the centre console. The speedo reads 260km/h. The Commodore's standard digital multifunction display has been reprogrammed to flash up the HSV logo as well as the car's build number and model identification.

The exterior, too, shows off the new direction - especially in the front where the lower spoiler was inspired by the wing on Formula One cars.

"It's the most eye-catching feature of the design," says Neil Simpson, the British designer who also penned the Monaro-based HSV Coupe.

"The 'V' [in the spoiler] forms part of the centre bar and reinforces this as the HSV signature.

"Side elements link the whole design, and the rear continues the themes of width, and the centre bar with a 'V' in the spoiler echoes the front.

"I'm particularly happy with the way the spoiler hugs the rear lamps and takes the eye down to the air outlets and on to the inset area."

Simpson, the head designer for Thomas Walkinshaw Racing - a major shareholder in HSV - describes the new-look range as clean and sophisticated.

"I wanted to build on the HSV image with an even more muscular yet sophisticated package," he said.

"An important design aspect was to create more significant differentiation between the GTS and the Senator body styles.

"The GTS is a powerful looking machine, while the Senator makes a more discrete Grand Touring statement that will appeal to customers who have previously looked at only the most exclusive of European autobahn expresses."

There's that European influence again. It's also had an effect on the sportier inside of the HSV, thanks to Ferrari.

"The centre sports binnacle reinforces the fact that the interior is focused on to the driver," says Simpson. "Take a look at any serious driving machine, particularly if it's red and Italian, and you'll see where we drew our inspiration."

HSV says that the Y Series introduces a new ride/handling mix courtesy of new suspension tuning and revised power steering with improved feel.

The result, says last Sunday's Bathurst winner and HSV consultant Mark Skaife, is a set-up that has "less roll/pitch when you head into a corner. It makes the inside wheel do more work, which gives a sharper turn-in feel".

HSV developed two suspension packages for the range. Clubsport, Clubsport R8 and the Maloo ute get "Touring 3", which offers a more sporting bias.

The Senator and Senator Signature get the more ride-oriented "Luxury 3" set-up. The GTS gets an individual package that increases traction over poorer surfaces.

Said Skaife: "There's a ride quality improvement across the board but Senator [with its standard 19-inch wheels] is where it's most noticeable. It's the best we've ever had."

The refinements extend to the 5.7-litre Chevrolet V8 engine, says HSV. Power in the standard unit is up from 255kW to 260kW at 5600rpm, but torque remains the same (475Nm at 4000rpm). The 300kW unit delivers its peak power at 6000rpm and its 510Nm of torque at 4800rpm.

The main change to the engines is more precise electronic matching of engine revs to torque output. The result, says engineer Gerry Bechet, is a lift in drivability and refinement.

The engine's knock sensors (which monitor ignition timing, combustion and fuel quality) were improved, too.

"They were a bit over-sensitive," said Bechet. "They'd hear one little knock and retard the spark, which means you lose engine performance.

"We re-mapped the sensitivity and now they're working hard to give you maximum performance and efficiency all the time."

The smoother power delivery has a positive effect on handling, says Skaife. "Now small changes to the throttle in the middle of a corner definitely make a difference."

The new range includes, for the first time, an automatic option for the 300kW GTS. HSV strengthened the standard four-speed transmission to cope with the engine's torque.

Sprint tests showed it got the GTS from zero to 100km/h in 5.4s, against 5.1s for the six-speed manual gearbox.

Said HSV chief Payne: "Y Series is set to make life very difficult for European competitors.

"Many of our customers are attracted by a wide selection of European cars that generally offer good dynamics and refinement. That expectation drives us to lift the bar in all aspects of the HSV brand.

"People tend to forget that HSV models are often compared with much more expensive vehicles, and now with Y series we're clearly on a par."