SS gets a fifth door
Extracted article by Tim Colquhon, The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday May 23 2003, www.drive.com.au

The Commodore SS wagon and the One Tonner ute are the latest fruits of Holden's niche strategy of producing ever more variants of existing models.

A limited run of 500 SS wagons goes on sale on June 1. Holden says it is the first wagon variant of the popular V8 SS.

Standard features include four airbags, traction control, sports suspension, full leather trim and a six-CD in-dash stereo system. The price is $51,410 for both automatic and six-speed manual.

The One Tonner cab-chassis, launched to the media today and due in showrooms from early June, is Holden's first such ute in almost two decades. Ford has had a one-tonne ute since 1993, and a cab-chassis variant since the AU Falcon in 1999.

As previewed at the Melbourne motor show in March, the One Tonner has part-monocoque part-chassis construction. Holden claims the design is a world first, combines passenger car comfort with genuine load-carrying capacity. There are V6 and V8 variants, the latter with a six-speed manual option.

Toyota is targeting a niche with an increasing European presence by expanding its Sportivo stable. At $29,990, the 141kW Corolla Sportivo is aimed squarely at the hot hatch segment.

The extensive standard equipment list includes bigger brakes, sports suspension, climate-control air-conditioning, leather-trimmed seats, steering wheel and gear knob, a six-CD in-dash stereo system. and revised body kit.

Holden in names avalanche
Extracted article by Greg Kable/Tony Davis, The Sydney Morning Herald, Friday May 23 2003, www.drive.com.au

How does Adventra grab you for the name of the coming Holden 4WD wagon?

The maker registered Adventra CX6, Adventra CX8, Adventra LX6 and Adventra LX8 earlier this month for Australia and New Zealand, Drive has learned.

Companies regularly register names that they don't end up using, yet the timing and the very specific variations attached to this name strongly suggest it will be the badge for the production version of the Holden 4WD wagon slated to go on sale in September or October.

Largely Commodore-based, the "Adventra" will take on Ford's Territory, which is due early next year. The Territory uses many Falcon components, but it has a unique body and interior and, of course, a new 4WD drivetrain.

The Adventra's CX6 and CX8 tags seem to confirm there will be six- and eight-cylinder versions.

Many believed the car would be called Cross8, the name given to an earlier showcar. Holden may have decided instead to reinforce its true-blue credentials by rendering the word "adventurer" in Strine.

But that's not all. This month Holden also put its hand up for Avalanche and Crewman, registering both names for Australia and NZ.

Drive's bet is that Crewman will be used for yet another coming Commodore variant, the two-door "crew cab" ute (with extended area behind the front seats, but no rear bench), while Avalanche will be applied to the four-door 4WD utility with two rows of seats.

The Avalanche name is borrowed from a large Chevrolet 4WD.

The term Cross Trac was registered by Holden in February and, although at first suspected to be the name of the new car, it turned out to be the moniker for the 4WD system.

Holden would not comment.