2008 HSV Maloo Reviews

It might have been born to work, but the humble Aussie ute has evolved into a much more sophisticated car that is now used more for recreational pursuits than it is for slogging it out on the job site.  Vehicles like the HSV Maloo are the ultimate expression of this new-age ute possessing a level of performance, safety and refinement never imagined by the original ute's creators in their wildest dreams.Gone are the days when utes were uncomfortable, evil handling and sometimes downright dangerous; today's utes do everything just as well as their sedan siblings.  They're so good, in fact, that Holden even describes its Ute as a two- door sports car. If that were true the HSV Maloo would have an even greater claim to that moniker.Model WatchWhile the ute began life as a humble working class vehicle it has over the years become something of a cult car with true-blue Aussies of all ages.  It's no longer just a working class vehicle; all sorts of people use it in all manner of activities.Holden and Ford long ago recognised the trend to the ute as a recreational vehicle and have both moved to satisfy the demand with a series of stylish sports models aimed more at out-of-hours pursuits than those on the job site.  To put this into some sort of perspective Holden said when releasing the VE ute that some 70 per cent of all VE Holden utes sold were the sportier models, the SS and SV6.It's a reality that today's ute is more likely to carry sports or camping gear than it is bricks, timber and tools.  If the Holden ute set the bar for sports utes higher, the HSV Maloo took the concept to an even loftier performance plain again.Like all HSV models the Maloo builds on the Holden ute with a unique set of body front and rear parts, along with a unique hard tonneau cover, that give it its own distinct muscular look without cutting into the basic Holden body structure.It's a craft HSV has perfected over more than 20 years of building hotter Holdens and the result is that the Maloo looks as tough as nails.  Matching the muscular look is the Maloo's musclebound 6.0-litre LS2 V8 engine that turns out a whopping 307 kW at 6000 revs and 550 Nm at 5100 revs.Two rugged gearboxes are offered to Maloo buyers. One is a six-manual 'box, the other a six-speed auto that channels the V8's muscle to the rear wheels.  With all that grunt under the bonnet HSV was wise to ensure the chassis was up to the task of handling it, and with independent suspension front and rear, sports shocks, monster brakes, and huge 19- inch wheels and tyres, it is more than capable to taming the beast.But while the Maloo has the credentials needed for a place on the performance car grid it doesn't lack anything in refinement either.  Inside the cabin the driver and passenger have leather sports seats, steering wheel, and dials, and well as a full array of features like air, cruise, power windows and mirrors, automatic wipers, as well as rear parking sensors to ensure those special bumpers don't get scratched.In The ShopGenerally the Maloo is a tough and reliable unit, the issues it can have are the same that an equivalent Holden ute might also have.  The LS2 V8 engine appears to give little trouble, same goes for the transmissions and diff.Look for signs of abuse, the Maloo will stand up to hard driving, but like all cars won't cope well with abusive driving.  Check for a service record to ensure oil changes have been carried out as recommended.In A CrashThe E Series Maloo is fitted with a comprehensive array of safety gear, including dual front airbags, electronic stability control, anti-skid brakes, traction control, and brake assist with brake-force distribution.At The PumpThe E Series Maloo is no fuel miser and the fuel consumption achieved is heavily dependent on the weight of the driver's right foot.  HSV claimed an average fuel consumption of 14.9 L/100 km.Anyone put off by the Maloo's high fuel consumption might want to think about fitting a dual-fuel vapour-injection system, which has the potential to almost halve the running costs based on the current pricing of unleaded and LPG.  Vapour-injection systems are configured to use unleaded petrol to the start the engine and for the first few seconds of warm-up before automatically switching over to gas.That way they start quickly and run smoothly while the engine comes up to its running temperature.  Once it has switched over to LPG gas is used almost exclusively, and the system only switches back to unleaded if the demand for fuel exceeds the LPG system's capacity to supply. That means there is no loss of performance.A dual-fuel Maloo will run just as hard as one running on petrol, but the running cost will be much lower. Look ForHead-turning looksBlistering performanceCar-like handlingLimited load carrying capacityThirsty for fuelGood candidate for LPGThe Bottom LineHSV's hot ute looks the goods, goes hard, and doesn't have to be expensive to run.Rating80/100

All eight cylinders are firing hard at Holden Special Vehicles and the punch will only get strong with the arrival of V-Series cars with an LS3 V8 under the bonnet.

That's despite sitting slap-bang in the middle of the nation's knife-edge economy, diminishing disposable income, plummeting large car sales and soaring petrol prices.Last year it sold 5222 cars, up 42 per cent on the previous year — and a long way north of the 421 sales it made 20 years ago, in its first year of trading.HSV managing director Scott Grant says his company was bucking the big-car sales spiral.“Our customer order book is very strong,” he said. “There's a two-and-a-half month waiting list for some of our models.“WA, for example, is extremely strong because of trades and mining booms. We could sell another 100 Maloos a month in WA.“We can sustain a volume of 4000 to4500 units a year for the next three to five years. That's a great position to be in.”The average age of an HSV buyer is 38. But within that figure is specific groupings. Grange owners average in the low 40s and Astra (yes, there's still the VXR) buyers are in the low 30s.HSV's buyer profile is changing from buyers who primarily desired the big-bore engines to more professional customers getting out of European sports sedans: “About 20 per cent of our sales are `conquests' to buyers trading in Audis and BMWs.”Grant makes HSV's position a clear distinction from Holden.“We are a stand-alone unit. We are for customers who want a premium product and that's not discounting Holden, it's just to show that we have very different customers. The VE is an outstanding platform.”And to appease its customers, there's a new model with a numerically bigger boot badge.HSV last week launched a significant running change to its range, slotting in the Chevrolet Corvette's hot 317kW 6.2-litre LS3 V8 to justify the distinctive “317” boot badges.The engine goes into the E-Series models — ClubSport R8, GTS, Senator Signature and Maloo R8 — and the stretched WM Grange. Technically, the LS3 gets a bigger 103.25mm bore — yet retains the outgoing engine's 92mm stroke — for 317kW at 6000rpm and 550Nm of torque at 4600rpm.Valve lift is higher, exhaust ports are wider, and intake valves jump to 55mm diameter from the LS2's 50.8mm. There are new cylinder heads and, probably more significant, a stronger engine block that puts more meat around the bores.Gearboxes have also been revised, with the six-speed Cadillac auto getting partial lock-up in the top three cogs and a quicker sequential change.Play with the auto box and you'll discover neat features, such as subtle engine run-on when down-changing to keep it on the boil when cornering.The auto gets a standard oil cooler that improves fuel economy by allowing the box to change up at lower revs.HSV engineering manager Joel Stoddart says the LS3 changes up at lower revs than the LS2. “That improves economy and comfort when driving gently,” he says. “Overall the new engine offers better driveability thanks to improved torque and power.”The MRC adjustable suspension remains on selected models without change, though there is a ride and visual enhancement in the form of new 20-inch Pentagon alloy wheels.These are standard with the performance pack on the Maloo R8 and GTS, and a $2500 option on the rest of the fleet.HSV adds new colours to the 2008 palette, including Sting (red), which teases buyers into making a statement and the more restrained Karma (grey).Buyers wanting to turn their car up to “loud” can go red paint with 20-inch Pentagon alloys and red-painted brake calipers.“These buyers want to show off their car,” says HSV sales and marketing manager Darren Bowler.“To them, it's the number on the boot; a case of “mine is bigger than yours'. That's part of the reason why there's a bigger number each model.“The VS was 195kW; now we have 317kW. Buyers want badges.”However, not all get them. Grange and Senator owners will smugly make do with having all the numbers but no flagrant display. Even the brake calipers are silver.At the top of the tacho, around 6500rpm, the latest LS3 engine sounds like a muted V8 Supercar. The exhaust note is a guttural roar yet it's delivered with a clean and fuss-free spin, like the engine has found its sweet spot.HSV doesn't make a song and dance about the new sound on the street. But it makes delightful background music to what's happening under the right foot.Where the LS2 could sometimes bog down at low speeds, the LS3 is confident. It's an easier engine to drive and that's helped by a smoother clutch action and slightly better shift changes on the six-speed manual. I say slightly because it still needs a firm hand, and demands you follow every angle of the shift pattern's bends.But the package feels immensely strong. You can be an absolute bastard to the box and the engine and it'll just cop it without complaint.The auto loses no points in acceleration — the same 100km/h sprint time of 4.96 seconds as the manual — but gains heaps in driver ease. The sequential change is crisp and quick and the availability of six cogs puts any four-speed light years behind.Tickle the accelerator and there's that 550Nm of torque raising its head. It makes driving the manual an easier experience but its immediacy is more pronounced with the automatic transmission. Steering is firm yet nicely weighted — more appreciated at cruising speeds — and is razor-sharp for fast corners and impromptu lane changes.The MPC adjustable suspension — standard on the GTS, Senator and Grange — is a two-stage affair giving a firm, sporty ride for fast corners and track work, and a surprisingly compliant and quiet ride for suburbia.It makes a substantial difference to the turn-in for the big cars and doesn't hurt the kidneys unless the bitumen is especially irregular.Seat comfort and cabin room are first class, naturally borrowing from its VE Commodore donor.It makes the most of the grunt but, surprisingly, keeps its rear wheels incontact with the bitumen — most ofthe time — because of its weighty rear fibreglass deck cover and sticky big wheels.The Maloo even feels perkier than the sedans, though that's more attributable to the mileage on the odo.