Limited Run For New Olympic Ute

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday May 6, 2000

By EWAN KENNEDY

AS THE excitement of the Olympic build-up continues, Holden has launched a number of special edition models, the latest being a value-packed ute with a performance flavour suited to the world's most prestigious sporting event.

Holden is, of course, the official automotive partner for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and will supply vehicles, including numerous utes, for the occasion.

Only 1100 of the special-build utilities are on offer and they carry up to $4500 worth of extra equipment, yet cost just $960 more. Very much a sports ute, the Olympic has 16-inch alloy wheels with low-profile tyres. There are chrome insets in the front bumper, radiator grille and side mouldings.

The exhaust is finished with a chrome extension.

Letting others know that this is a special Holden are Olympic edition badges.

Body colour choices are limited to phantom (black), heron (white) and amazon (blue/green).

Airconditioning is standard, as are power windows and velour seats with leather bolsters. Continuing the luxury of leather are the steering wheel and gear knob facings.

Holden is lagging badly in the introduction of its new utility - the models still use the old VS Commodore body, not the new-in-1997 VT Commodore bodyshell. Ford has had its AU ute on the market for almost a year and is cleaning up on the sales front.

Holden is being coy about the release date of the VT ute and is thought to have postponed its introduction on several occasions, though it will neither confirm nor deny this.

There is some speculation that Holden's engineers have gone back to the drawing board after seeing Ford offering the option of a cab-chassis to complement its standard ute body.

In the meantime, the VS is certainly a well-sorted package, having been on the market since 1995, and getting a minor updating to Series III format in May 1998.

The VS ute in standard and Olympic versions is offered with a choice of a 3.8-litre V6 engine or a 5.0-litre V8. The V6 is similar to that used in the VT range but the 5.0-litre is dragging the chain in power and efficiency when compared with the new 5.7-litre Gen III Chev engine used in the VT sedans and wagons.

Like the rest of the Holden utility range, the Olympic special edition comes with a choice of a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic transmission with each of the engine options.

The Olympic ute in V6 manual form costs $27,990, with automatic transmission adding a mere $700. Prices of the manual and automatic V8 are $31,010 and $31,710 respectively.