HSV wears the name Holden proudly, but the Tom Walkinshaw-owned high-performance 'haus' has hinted that it could go its own way with non-Holden-badged models and new markets in the future.
Talking at the launch of the flagship Grange this week, new HSV boss Scott Grant and company chairman John Crennan hinted that the company would not necessarily be bound by Holden's local model line-up in the future.
Further, Crennan revealed that HSV-fettled (but not badged) models could be launched in more non-Holden markets such as China.
Addressing questions on whether Holden's decision to (in the main) source cars from its Daewoo affiliate (rather than European GM brands such as Opel), limited HSV's product expansion, Crennan was not fazed.
"We don't necessarily have to replicate the range that Holden brings in," Crennan told the Carsales Network. "There are other alternatives to broaden our portfolio."
"There are some other European cars in the GM family we're having a close look at," Crennan admitted.
"I can quite openly say [Opel] Corsa [VXR] is one of those," he said, but admitted that while work is proceeding on a business case, HSV was still "a mile away from doing it..."
Crennan said the company had no plans to pursue a model based on Holden's recently-released Epica. Other HSV sources also confirmed it was "highly unlikely" Captiva would go under the HSV knife either.
"The thing about doing something at a local level [like Epica, is], the cost of doing that is exactly the same as it is on a Commodore... You're not getting any change on $5m and the clawback on that over 500 cars makes it impossible unless there's an export opportunity," Crennan explain.
"The best opportunity really, is along similar lines to the [Astra-based] VXR where someone else is doing it for you," he said.
Just what additional models might appear is a mystery, however. Perhaps a performance variant of the new generation Vectra expected to debut in Europe in 2008? With distinctive coupe-like lines and VE-familiar details plus all-wheel drive (more here), the model could be a potent addition to the future HSV range.
Closer to home, Crennan said, however, there was significant export opportunity afforded HSV with the addition of the long-wheelbase, Grange.
"The primary area is the Middle East because Holden sells there a ratio of three to one, long-wheelbase to short wheelbase. If we can get into that market in could be a great opportunity for us."
The product would not be HSV badged, however.
"It might be nice to have HSV as a global brand but in fact if the main product being pursued in [for instance] China would be a Buick, it [the HSV-sourced car] could be a 'Buick Special Vehicles'... In the Middle East, a Chevrolet.
"It [the branding] would be in accordance to what the [corporate] customer would want out of the brand and I dare say they would want to complement their own brand," he said.
After literally just 24 hours in the job, Grant was not keen to talk in absolutes but said he believed HSV had to work towards a wider product line-up, wider customer base and more differentiation.
"People have already asked me what I am going to bring to the table and we should really wait some time to answer that question but I would love to see [HSV with] a broader product range and I would love to see us selling to a broader series of customer segments," Grant said.
"You can see with the Grange and the Senator we have the opportunity to push into a slightly different customer segmentation and aspect of the luxury market than perhaps where the core aspect of HSV heritage is.
"If you add that to what you might call entry-level performance products then you've go a pretty wide product portfolio. One that would appeal to a broader range of people than what you'd generally have said was a traditional HSV customer," he said.
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