The striking S3X concept car, a preview to Holden’s new Captiva set for Australia later this year, will be on display at the Sydney 4x4 Show commencing Friday 23rd June.

The S3X displays the full flexibility of an SUV-style vehicle with the confidence of the Holden brand. It has gathered major accolades since its world debut in late 2004.

The car has a strong Australian influence with two former Holden designers, Michael Simcoe and Max Wolff, part of the design team which ensured it would attract global attention.

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Denny Mooney said the S3X signalled a new era for Holden in Australia and was its most purposeful step into the SUV arena yet.

“The S3X production version, Captiva, will fill Holden’s most obvious portfolio gap in a truly convincing way,” he said.

“It will have great packaging flexibility, up-to-the-minute design and extremely competitive levels of equipment."

“It will deliver three rows of seating to accommodate seven in comfort and will provide sporty suspension allowing the type of driveability which people expect from Holden."

“This is a sign of things to come for Holden’s SUVs portfolio.”

New Engines

Holden’s new flagship performance engine and the Aussie-built V6 for Rodeo will also be on display.

Holden will showcase the limited edition VZ SS Thunder Ute, which features the new 6.0 litre 260kW V8 engine that delivers outstanding performance.

Also on display will be the new Alloytec Global V6 engine that now powers Holden’s V6 Rodeo line-up.

Completing this impressive list will be the Adventra SX6 and VZ Crewman Cross 6.

New 6.0 litre V8 Alloy Engine

The limited edition VZ SS Thunder Ute features the new 6.0-litre V8 alloy engine which delivers 260kW of peak power at 5,600 rpm and 510 Nm of peak torque at 4,400 rpm.

This is the most powerful standard engine ever offered by Holden and will be installed in all 2006 model year Holden V8 vehicles.

The new engine enables torque delivery to be increased at lower revs offering improved acceleration, low speed engine response and improved ease of towing than the previous 5.7-litre engine. It is the first application of the L76 engine within General Motors around the world.

The extra performance will be managed with better breathing sports exhaust and significant improvements to automatic transmission characteristics. From an environmental perspective, all new variants meet strict ADR79/01 emission regulations which came into effect on 1st January 2006.

The SS Thunder Ute is packed full of features such as Anthracite leather faced sports seats, 18” alloy wheels, a hard tonneau cover with twin aero forms and Thunder badging.

Alloytec V6 Rodeo

A range of Holden Rodeos will be on display, some boasting the new Alloytec V6 engine made at Holden’s Port Melbourne plant in Victoria.

The Rodeo Global V6 engine delivers peak output of 157kW at 5,300 rpm, an increase of 10 kilowatts over the previous engine, and peak torque of 313Nm at 2,800 rpm, an increase of 33Nm. It also meets strict Euro 3 emission requirements introduced on 1st January 2006.

Importantly, Holden has created a flatter torque curve for the Global V6 Rodeo compared with the engine’s passenger car applications, allowing Rodeo to tow up to 2,500 kilogrammes with automatic or manual transmissions.

Holden Vehicle Display - Sydney 4x4 Show 2006

• S3X - Concept Car
• VZ 6 litre V8 Thunder Ute
• Adventra SX6, 3.6 litre High Performance Alloytec High Output V6 Engine
• VZ Crewman Cross 6
• Rodeo 4x4 DX Single Cab Chassis, turbo diesel
• Rodeo 4x2 LX Single Cab Chassis, 3.6 litre Alloytec V6
• Rodeo 4x4 LX Crew Cab pick up, 3.6 litre Alloytec V6
• Rodeo 4x2 LT Crew Cab pick up, 3.6 litre Alloytec V6
• Rodeo 4x4 LT Crew cab pick up, turbo diesel

Holden Rodeo LT crew cab