The last of the Sports Cats
The launch of the Series 2 HSV SportsCat was an endorsement of the risky decision to take the performance brand into the crowded high-end ute market.
With saloon cars fading on buyers’ radar, Holden is confirming its focus on the ute and SUV market.
The company chose the National Fieldays to reveal its home-grown concept -- the mighty Colorado ROX.
“We know many of our customers have grand visions of what they’d like to do to personalise their own vehicles after driving them out of the dealership. So we wanted to showcase how far you could take the extremely capable Colorado” says HNZ managing director Marc Ebolo.
“Once the ball was rolling our marketing team, with partners Retro Vehicle Enhancement (RVE), spent a lot of time and effort bringing this concept to life.”
The ROX runs on 35-inch Blackbear mud terrain tyres and has custom made flares to house the huge wheels, a six-inch suspension and body lift kit. ‘Rock Sliders’ with removable drop steps make getting in and out almost as easy as on a standard Colorado.
The vehicle has a carbon fibre, high rise bonnet, hand crafted bespoke front and rear steel bumpers and a rear deck cargo system and 500mm tray extender. It also has an extended wrapping roof bar with retractable lights and a roof basket.
Inside the vehicle has been up-spec’d with front and rear RVE sports seats with hand made leather upholstery.
The Colorado ROX will demonstrate the model’s 3.5 tonne towing capability, hauling a laden event trailer as it tours the country on a nationwide dealership tour.
It will be displayed at big shows such as Fieldays.
To bring the project to life, Holden partnered with Retro Vehicle Enhancement (RVE), an Auckland business specialising in aftermarket vehicles.
RVE sources parts from Poland, America and Taiwan. Many were made from scratch, requiring extensive one-off CAD engineering.
Additional reductions to costs for forest owners in the Emissions Trading Scheme Registry (ETS) have been announced by the Government.
Animal welfare is of paramount importance to New Zealand's dairy industry, with consumers increasingly interested in how food is produced, not just the quality of the final product.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay is encouraging farmers and growers to stay up to date with weather warnings and seek support should they need it.
The closure of SH2 Waioweka Gorge could result in significant delays and additional costs for freight customers around the Upper North Island, says Transporting New Zealand.
OPINION: The year has started positively for New Zealand dairy farmers and things are likely to get better.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Director General Ray Smith believes there is potential for an increase in dairy farming in New Zealand.

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