Road Test: HSV Maloo R8 Ute

Review by Feann Torr - 22/Feb/2008

The HSV Maloo Ute is a real badass. It can smoke up the rear tyres quicker than you can say 'anti-hoon laws' and drinks more high octane than a Boeing.

But more remarkable than any of these things is the Maloo's street presence.

Fair dinkum, I've never had so many Nissan Skyline drivers wind down their windows and ask "Is it chipped mate?"

Ten years ago most turbocharged import car owners would have baulked at the idea of a performance ute, resolutely ignoring it.

How times change...

The modern day ute is becoming more about style and sophistication than outright utility, and the unique Australian design is even starting to attract international attention - the VE Ute is being readied for an American vacation in 2009, to be badged and slightly restyled as a Pontiac. 

With the the 2008 HSV Maloo, the Holden Ute is taken to the next level. It's the biggest baddest ute in the land, obscuring the traditional role of the utility like never before by showing off an incredibly eye-catching and dare I say exotic look.

One glance and it's clear that this sports machine's image has more in common with a Lamborghini than farm-yard vehicle. But what's it like to drive? Let's find out:

Walking around the HSV Maloo R8 confirms that this is indeed one of the most jaw dropping designs ever created by Holden Special Vehicles.

If you want to make a statement by the car you drive and have a budget reaching $60k, make the Maloo your first stop.

The front end is almost identical to the HSV ClubSport - angular, low to the ground, full of menace - but viewed from the side it's a different story.

When HSV's managing director, Scott Grant, said the new 2-door sports car was a "Maloo Ute like no other" it was more than just sales hyperbole; this thing looks mad!

It's so stocky and muscular and looks as though it was tailor made for brawling.

Just aft of the cabin the Maloo R8 gets bolstered B-pillars with stylised 'Maloo' badges, and these are stretched to more seamlessly integrate the vehicle's cabin with the rear tray.

With it's hugely flared wheels arches enveloping the standard 19-inch alloy wheels (20-inchers are optional) - beneath which sit motor sports inspired cross-drilled brakes - the ensuing image can be aptly described as combative.

Unlike the standard Holden VE Ute, the HSV Maloo R8's tray is much higher as well, and while this does nasty things to rearward vision, it provides the vehicle with a superbly aggressive silhouette.

The hard tonneau cover also features twin buttresses which mimic the seat headrests that are normally seen on high end convertibles and roadsters.

New side skirts (inspired by Group A Walkinshaw designs) also improve the performance ute's side view and help further differentiate the Maloo's design from its HSV stable mates, sporting faux air intakes in front of the rear wheels.

Throw in a quad exhaust system, a bold purple colour scheme and custom 'Malu' license plates and you've got yourself one of the meanest attention grabbing vehicles ever seen in Australia.

After completing the photography and slipping into the drivers seat of the Maloo, it turns out that the cheapest model in the HSV range is nicely kitted out. 

Combining luxury and sports, the interior is a very nice place to be while cruising Australia's extensive road ways, and in the hot weather the dual zone climate control delivers good cooling while a 6.5-inch high-res colour LCD screen provides clear and concise details.

Pleasant surprises included the sporty elements such as the HSV performance seats finished in suede and cloth. Built for big bodies, the seats were both comfy and supportive during high G-force driving.

There's also drilled alloy pedals, a leather sports steering wheel with audio and trip computer controls and a decent 150 watt 6-disc CD stereo with five speakers.

HSV has also upped the safety specs, adding four airbags, a vehicle alarm system, electronic stability control and reverse parking sensors, the latter being a necessity due to the Maloo's abysmal rearward vision.

There's also a remote release on the key fob for the hard tonneau tray cover, allowing remote lockable access to the cargo tray. But don't expect to fit much in the tray. It's form before function for this angry character.

While small, the interior conveys a suitably sporty feel and while rearward vision is impeded by the high tonneau cover, the resulting effect in the cabin makes it feel like you're in a low slung super car.

Turn over the engine and the 6.0-litre Chevrolet V8 barks into life, gently rocking the car from side-to-side at idle. If the badges on the rear of the Maloo R8 weren't a giveaway, the 2-seater pumps out an extraordinary 307kW of power, which is more than 400 horses in the old money.

This heavy hitter packs a massive punch, but even with this profusion of raw V8 power the Maloo is not an untame-able beast. 

Slot the super-heavy gearshifter in first gear, gently release the clutch and it becomes clear that the HSV Maloo has lost none of the drivability that makes Holden's VE Ute so accessible.

Punting around the suburban outskirts of Melbourne, I found the Maloo R8 to be quite relaxed. Though the gearshift is heavy, it's still has a good shift quality and there's always the excellent 6-speed automatic for a few bucks more.

As mentioned, rearward vision is terrible. I reckon HSV should seriously consider a Lamborghini-esque video camera mounted in the tailgate to replace the rear vision mirror.

Not only is the central mirror useless and the side mirrors so-so, but head checking is likewise pointless. Every time I head checked it looked like there was a car right next to me because of the extended roof cladding and aero kit. I can't tell you how many purple cars I saw...

Beyond that and very average fuel economy, the car would make a decent everyday driver. It's comfy, it's got all the mod cons such as cruise control, electric windows and cup holders, plus the 5-speaker stereo fills the small cabin with fairly high fidelity audio.

It does have a stiff ride though. If you drive along lots of rutted, partially sealed roads, be prepared for a bone-jarring ride. The softly cushioned seats help mask many perturbations, but this ain't no luxury car.

With more than 300kW of power waiting to explode out from under the Maloo's expansive bonnet, the King of utes can really move.

Though our timing equipment isn't perfect, the 0-100km/h dash takes less than 6.0 seconds at velocities that gently pin driver and passenger into their suede sports seats.

The ubiquitous Chevrolet V8 engine returns for active duty in the Maloo, with a massive 6.0-litre capacity. It's hooked up to new tubular stainless steel 4 into 2 into 1 extractors, while a final drive ratio of 3.7 (3.27 in the auto) ensures prompt acceleration.

Unlike its FPV rivals however, the HSV engine trades technology for sheer size.

Ford Performance Vehicle's utes use a 4-valve-per cylinder quad cam 5.4-litre V8 engine, while the 6.0-litre LS2 Chevy block uses pushrods and only 2-valves per cylinder. 

Ultimately it doesn't make much difference, because the Maloo ute's addictive V8 rumble is accompanied by storming acceleration that in some tests outclasses the FPV.

Whether from a standing start or at highway speeds overtaking, the HSV Maloo can increase the tempo with alarming ease.

When you've got 550Nm of torque on tap at 4400rpm, the Maloo's ultra-wide 275/35 aspect ratio rear tyres sometimes break traction but with ESP now standard wheel spin is not quite as unpredictable (or prolonged) as it used to be.

While the vehicle can be driven around lazily at partial throttle openings, pinning the accelerator pedal to its bump-stop in any of the first three gears results in ferocious acceleration.

It's a blast to drive fast and is arguably the most fun-to-drive HSV yet. 

I'm not saying it's as composed as an HSV with MRC (magnetic ride control) such as the GTS sedan, but you will be smiling after a few corners in this thing.

Exhibiting a mild oversteer characteristic through most corners, the Maloo's updated chassis provides fairly clear feedback. 

The Maloo benefits from the new suspension array furnished on the VE Holden Ute, which HSV has modified to ensure the vehicle can deal with increased lateral loads, while at the same time keeping body roll at bay.

Propped up with MacPherson struts up front, the Maloo R8 also gets a direct acting stabiliser bar and progressive rate coil springs. Mind you, they're tuned pretty tight, so take the word "progressive" with a grain of salt.

A multi-Link independent rear suspension system holds up the rear while simultaneously dealing with the barrage of torque and it does a pretty good job of it.

The Maloo has a more skittish rear end than the HSV sedans, but communication is surprisingly good - you can feel both the road beneath you and what the car is doing (or not doing).

You can feel when the car is struggling for rear wheel grip quite clearly, but the ESP is clever enough so that it rarely gets too out of hand. Turn the ESP off and you steer with the throttle which is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.

Having ESP switched on helps to build confidence and explore the vehicles limits through winding sections of asphalt without the fear of losing what is a fairly light and tail-happy rear end.

Guiding the Maloo through corners can be a lot of fun - it has a fairly responsive chassis - and for most part it's responsive and eager to please.

That said, if the road surface bears the scars of weather and time in the form of cracks and potholes, it can be a far less enjoyable experience.

With excellent grip yet a heavy kerb weight, I found it quite agreeable to force the Maloo into tighter corners with more steering lock, as the front and rear 245/40 and 275/35 tyres offers remarkably good road holding and grip.

It's especially rewarding when increasing the throttle from partially open, as you slice past the apex in a corner, to fully open as you reach the exit - rear wheels squirming for purchase as the engine note builds to a satisfying roar.

Initial turn in is direct and rapid and though the steering feels a bit light you soon get used to it.

While it usually exhibits general oversteer when you're cornering with increasing throttle, I did notice that when really pushing (and trying to keep pace with an Audi RS 4) the front outside wheel will push wide at times. This is due to the significant weight of the large V8 powerplant over the front axle.

On the whole, HSV's badass ute is a very enjoyable cornering machine and overall I'm rather glad it's got a decent chassis to back up it's radical image.

More suited to long, open corners than tight, twisting roads, the Maloo dealt with the many and varied switchbacks and hairpins of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria with aplomb.

The audacious ute feels a touch lighter on its feet than the HSV sedans with a bit more go, but in reality it weighs roughly the same. 

HSV reckons the Maloo needs just 36 metres to decelerate from 100 to 0km/h in dry conditions, which is not an unrealistic statement; the brakes are very powerful.

The large ventilated and grooved disc brakes measure 365mm x 32mm up front, and are clamped by 4-pot AP Racing calipers. The rear brakes also get 4 piston AP Racing calipers and slightly smaller 350mm discs.

In terms of driver involvement and satisfaction, the HSV Maloo R8 delivers. For $60,000 it's the most affordable vehicle in the HSV range - almost $3,000 less than the ClubSport - and delivers impressive value considering what it's capable of achieving.

If it was 100kg lighter, it would be the ultimate Aussie sports car and could probably take on far more fancied machinery.

Whether cruising leisurely down the boulevard at 60km/h or flogging the hell out of it on a deserted country road, the Maloo is fun to drive. While it has been custom built to speed up, slow down and corner at breakneck speeds, the Maloo also goes about it's everyday business in a really enjoyable manner.

But there are a couple of issues. Apart from the rearward visibility problems, the manual gearshift is very heavy, and there were some build quality issues with the badging and bodykit on our test car.

Moreover, the rear tray is pretty useless. Because it has a (remotely lockable) hard tonneau cover, it always has to be shut when driving and as such it can't really hold anything longer than a short thruster surfboard, let alone a Blue Heeler.

In the end though, I don't think many people will buy the HSV Maloo R8 for its loading capabilities.

It's a fire-breathing, tyre-smoking, take-no-prisoners sports car that makes quite a few compromises, particularly in the form before function department. But even with a number of shortcomings, there's something irresistibly appealing about this vehicle that makes trading common sense for passion all too easy.

Overall: 4/5

While the HSV Maloo Ute is a very rewarding drivers car, it does have its drawbacks.

Take one look at those emissions figures and you can almost imagine Al Gore himself admonishing buyers for such a purchase. Rearward vision is best described as crap, the tray's usable cargo area is compromised by the trick-looking tonneau cover and it only seats two people.

That can only be worth three wombats, surely?

Well, not really. The human obsession with image and looks ensures that this vehicle gets a better score, but even if this wasn't the case the Maloo is a direct and potent sports car. It doesn't pretend to be anything else and for the money it delivers good value performance.

And let's face it, the ute is uniquely Australian. It's a beacon of freedom, a vehicle that combines work and leisure. What's not to like?

HSV's new Maloo ute is all those things, only far more badass.