Just gotta wait until July 2018.
Just as was rumoured, even teased, the big joint announcement made by GM/Holden and HSV confirmed one of our higher hopes of 2017: that the Chevy Camaro is coming to Australia. That news is sure to put Ford Australia on notice as they will soon have a direct competitor to the Mustang.
Of course, there’s plenty of unknowns about the final car that Aussie buyers will actually be receiving when the right-hand drive conversion begins in earnest and at scale in July 2018, such as how much it will cost relative to the Ford and any issues arising from the conversion itself.
It was rumoured for some time that HSV had a few Camaros at their facility near Melbourne, refining the technique they’ll need to apply to what surely would be many units. In the intervening months, we’ll assume that all the technical and operational hiccups have been overcome.
It’s a good thing, then, that Ford will be introducing a facelifted version of the 6th-generation Mustang in 2018, moving the target a little further forward from where HSV had time to aim for. It seems that, for now, the Chevrolet Camaro - which will be sold under that badge and not Holden’s - will be competing for the same set of buyers as the Mustang GT.
In 2SS guise, the forthcoming single-variant AUS-spec Camaro is powered by fifth-generation LT1 V8 petrol engine, a naturally aspirated 6.2-litre unit that generates 340kW and 615Nm. Thrust and twist are sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Some standard goodies include the Sports suspension package, Brembo front and rear brakes, high intensity discharge (HID) headlamps, rear stanchion spoker, dual-outlet exhausts, and 20-inch 5-spoke alloys wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres.
Inside, the Camaro comes rather well equipped with power-adjustable heated/ventilated leather sport bucket seats, a leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, 24-colour ambient interior lights, head-up display, and a 9-speaker Bose audio system.
For more on Holden and HSV cars, check out our Showroom.
