Our man Tristan has snagged the keys to a Holden Ute Series II SS V8 model for a first drive in Queensland, Australia this week, and just to make it a bit more interesting, he’ll be driving the Down Under-flavored El Camino to a classic car gathering in Brisbane.
Blurring the line between cars and trucks, the Holden Commodore-based sport pickup comes from a long line of Utes dating back to the middle of the previous century. The Ute almost made it to North America when Pontiac revealed the G8 Sport Truck at the 2008 New York Auto Show, but GM’s growing financial troubles at the time put a stop to that plan, and eventually the brand itself which was discontinued in 2009, and finally shut down in 2010.
The Holden Ute Series II you see here was presented in late 2010 alongside the rest of the Commodore lineup which includes a four-door sedan and a snazzy looking Sportwagon.
The first notable update to the series since the introduction of the VE Commodore and Ute models in 2006 and 2007 respectively, brought some minor styling revisions, equipment upgrades and most importantly, the ability to run the 3.0-liter SIDI V6 and 6.0-liter V8 engines on Bio-ethanol [E85], E10, Unleaded, Premium or any combination in between. Holden also makes word of improved fuel efficiency across the range.
Our test car is the Holden Ute SS Series II featuring a 6.0-liter Generation IV Alloy V8 engine pumping out 260kW (equal to 349-horsepower) at 5,700 rpm and 517Nm (381.3 lb-ft) of peak torque at 4,400 rpm. Power is transferred to the rear axle through a six-speed automatic transmission, with buyers being able to opt for a 6-speed manual gearbox.
Stay tuned for Tristan’s encounter with the Ute SS, which will be published on Carscoop next week.
By John Halas
[Photos Copyright Carscoop / Tristan Hankins]
PHOTO GALLERY
