Holden-engineered Camaro is Australia-bound!

GM HOLDEN will unveil the stunning new Chevrolet Camaro coupe at tomorrow's Melbourne International Motor Show opening to demonstrate its role as GM’s global development centre for medium-large rear-wheel drive cars – and to talk up the prospects of it coming to Australia.

Expected to be built for overseas markets in Canada from early 2009, the Camaro coupe (and its convertible sibling unveiled at Detroit in January) are now seen as strong contenders to sit alongside Saab, Hummer, Cadillac and other GM brands in Holden’s emerging premium dealerships.

It can also now be considered a stopgap measure for muscle-car coupe diehards who are waiting for the next-generation Monaro – the car that GoAuto exclusively revealed last year had entered development. The new Monaro will be based on the same Holden-developed architecture as the Camaro.

The front-engined, rear-drive Camaro is powered by a 6.0-litre V8 that should offer around 300kW. It measures 4730mm long and has a wheelbase of 2806mm, making it 164mm shorter in overall length than a VE Commodore and 109mm shorter in wheelbase. It is 2022mm wide and 1344mm high with a 1620mm front track and 1607mm rear track.

The new-generation Camaro will take on big, brawny V8 coupes like the new Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang in the US – both of which could also end up on Aussie roads.

Holden also unveiled a diesel-powered Captiva diesel in Melbourne this morning, along with its new mid-size Epica sedan, which debuted at February’s Brisbane show and goes on sale in April priced from $25,990.

The diesel engine in the Captiva is a 2.0-litre common-rail turbo-diesel unit that develops 110kW at 4000rpm and 320Nm at 2000rpm. It can be paired with a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic, and is priced just $1000 more than equivalent petrol V6 models. Pricing starts from $34,990.

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