Report: Chevy El Camino Still Being Considered for U.S.
A Holden VE Ute-based Chevy El Camino is still being considered for the U.S., according to a report by GM Inside News.
The El Camino isn't approved for production yet, which is said to depend on gas prices. If it's given the greenlight, the ute would launch in the 2013 calendar year. Documents obtained by GMI list the car-truck as "El Camino" under the program code Z2RC.
GM originally announced that it planned to bring the VE Ute to the U.S. as the Pontiac G8 Sport Truck during the 2007 New York Auto Show. U.S.-specific development work, including engineering side airbags to meet federal safety standards, was carried out but the project was cancelled before a single ST made it into showrooms.
The unibody VE Ute rides on GM's Zeta global rear-wheel-drive platform. Zeta underpins a set of new vehicles, including the Holden Commodore and Chevy Camaro.
[Source: GM Inside News via Jalopnik]
Comments
General Motors should bring it and make it available with a V6...because so many people worry about fuel economy.
@Buy American or say Bye to America
A I4 or V6 TT/DI would be cool.
what a joke
It would have to be the supercharged Ecotec I4, from the Cobalt Super Sport, at the very least. You should still be able to have a little fun.
This new El Camino and the re-tooled Colorado for 2013?
It's a Ute. I realize most of us Americans don't get out much, or know little if anything about the world, but there are about one gallion of these all around Australia, and they have been produced for decades in successive generations. Muscle car V8 power with a bed. And seriously, a 4 or a 6? That's like asking for a V6 in a Mustang. It's not the personality of this ute.
Kind of a bad boy ride out in Aussie as well as I recall from Sydney.
Chris Meyers-
I am with you about muscle car V8 power. I would not have anything less. I do not care for the V6 powered Camaros, Challengers, or Mustangs. A lot of people still buy them though without V8s.
yall know they sell them with 6.0 LS series V8 right?
I would expect engine choices the same as or similar to the ones available in the Pontiac G8.
A base-model ute would be a great commercial vehicle for tradesmen. (See: Australia)
These should be the new mini pickups for North America. Bring it!
The small truck market is dying as it is, for this to sell they would need to restyle it to look like an original El Camino with a modern twist, even then most people would just get a 1500 anyway.
@tom , this is a "Lifestyle vehicle" in Australia. The "Ulimate ute" is the Maloo basically a Corvette with a bed. They are speed limited to 155mph (180mph plus unrestricted.)and can carry a Motobike/ Bikes in the back. They out handle the Camaro Z28 around a track.
The green SS Ute can run a low 13 high 12's in the quarter mile with the 6.2 litre V8.
A 468kw(627hp) aftermarket Maloo
http://forums.justcommodores.com.au/attachments/general/61854d1238282794-nz-walkinshaws-compare-oz-maloo.jpg
A stock model of a Maloo
http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/FR4E4827-625x416.jpg
I really have to question how it could out handle a z 28
with the bed being lighter and presumably that much
more away from a 50/50 front to back weight distribution
than a car.
This will not likely be a big seller, especially if it's around
$28,000 like the Pontiac ute would've been. However,
it seems that GM is getting back to the successful
strategy of years past, for every Camaro and other
muscle car that sells there's 10 family trucksters that
the wife is signing papers on while the husband is
drooling over the Camaro in the showroom.
GM will bring it back again since they never learn from their mistakes.
Chris Meyers-
People here wouldn't be talking about this with V6s and I4s if GM didn't specifically say that their decision to bring it here is based on gas prices. It's not because we're all a bunch of ignorant stupid Americans who don't know anything about other cultures, sorry to let you know.
(I'm not making a judgment call that Americans aren't dumb or that they're smart or stupid either, just fyi)
I agree with you, though, this car is not meant to be fuel efficient, and frankly, if GM is considering bringing it over here to replace the Colorado to respond to the gas crises they're in big trouble. Guys with Rangers may or may not take to an El Camino ute, but it wouldn't solve the overarching issues small trucks have in the U.S. and wouldn't sell to the people looking for a little Home Depot truck. It's a mid-priced muscle truck with a big motor, not a cheap little truck which is what most people seem to be looking for in this class.
@Dave, look at its time around the Top Gear track. The Z28 Camaro was developed and based on the same Zeta architecture as the Holden. Holden did the engineering work for the Camaro in Australia and some design work.
Look at the times on their board.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayy15WfQP1s
@The Luigian keep on reminding itself it is a Muscle car masquerading as a pickup.
Would be good for Aust if GM did introduce it.
Yet a couple of factors may put this to sleep quickly :
1) Aussie dollar is on par with USA,the Ute will need to be dropped in price GM Holden would lose.
2) It's not a good market push having a guzzler when oil proces still go up and green is greener than black oil.
3) Does Holden have th capacity now it has a cruze,police car sell
4)USA will never took kindly to Pontiac Aust built or the G8 more strickes by Auto workforce in Michigan.
Yet I will be balls on line with the next comment "Aussie design and build better cars than USA". Wow bet that hurts,I am not an aussie by the way.
El Maloo-
No, it is just that American; car designers, and production, are at the mercy of U.S. safety and emission regulations. Cars/trucks designed and built in America, would resemble the performance (fun factor) of the vehicles of Australia, if it were not for the need for clean air and safe vehicles in the U.S.
It would be a niche vehicle at best. I agree that it would probably not sell well as an econobox 4 banger.
I like it!!! It should be built and sold in the US as the El Camino, and Ford should build an AWD version of the Taurus as a Ranchero. Then there could be another line of competition between GM and Ford.
@Bu American same deal here, the difference is we are more into the "hoon" mentality that Lifestyle Utes represent. The cars here meet US emission regulations and ANCAP adheres to theslightly stricter European regulations on crash safety(bigger emphasis on rollovers). So there is no physical barriers to having the Holden Ute exported to the US.
Despite what the Aussie said, Holden in Australia offers and apparently sells a number of both V6 and V8 models, all the way up to an SS-class rig. When you consider modern horsepower ratings, a V6 pushing 300hp is just as powerful as the 2001 Camaro with the V8 aboard. The fact that you can get REAL utility while having a stylish, sporty car could be a great advantage--as long as they don't price themselves out of the market. Chevy and GM in general seem to have made it a habit of overpricing their cars for the people who really want them--driving down what could have been excellent sales numbers.
ITS NO JOKE BUD!!!!!!! THAT TRUCK WILL SMOKE THEM BACK TIRES OFF !!!!!!!IF WE GET THE TRUE HOLDEN UTE,,,,ITS PACKIN A BIG OLE VETTE ENGINE IT IT,,,CHECK IT OUT ON THE BBC TOPGEAR,,,ITS CRAZY SWEET
The comments to this entry are closed.