HSV teases hotted-up Colorado as part of post-Commodore reset

HSV, Holden’s tuning house, has teased what’s believed to be a warmed-over version of the Colorado trade ute that will mark the brand’s first departure from the Commodore since the HSV-badged Astra VXR.

The death of the locally built Holden Commodore, speculation has been rampant as to what the folks at Holden Special Vehicles will work on next.

However, HSV has quelled the rumours after releasing a teaser image and announcing it will confirm future plans this week.

The image consists of a single illuminated headlight belonging to a Holden Colorado.

Dual-cab utes have become increasingly popular in Australia over the last 12 months, and it makes sense for HSV to put their tuning know-how to work on the pick-ups.

Posted to HSV’s social media channels, the picture is accompanied by the caption: “Thursday at Midnight.”

“When the clock strikes twelve, the covers come off and our future will be revealed!” the posts read.

It is uncertain what the extent of HSV’s modifications on the Colorado will be, but it’s clear the high-riding ute will be a major part of Thursday night’s news.

Wheels revealed last month that HSV’s parent company, Walkinshaw, is working on a high-powered Colorado-based model called the Wildfire. It is expected to be powered by a 313kW twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 shared with the Cadillac CTS Vsport.

Ford announced earlier this year it will produce a performance version of its popular Ranger dual-cab, dubbed the Ranger Raptor, although it is expected to be powered by a twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine.

Its likely HSV’s fettled Colorado and the Ranger Raptor will be direct competitors when they go on sale, continuing the iconic Blue vs Red battle left behind by the locally built Commodore and Falcon duo.

While the teaser image has a Colorado headlight, Thursday’s announcement could also confirm speculation HSV will import and convert Chevrolet Camaros to right-hand drive for Australia.