In America, Chevrolet is a household brand, as it is in the many other parts of the world where the lineup is sold. It’s hard to imagine a day without seeing a new Chevy on the roads in the United States, but that’s been the reality in Australia since the 1980s. While GM’s presence has been prominent thanks to the Holden moniker, the retooling of the brand has left space for certain Chevrolet models, and these will be a welcome addition to the Australia and New Zealand markets starting next year.
Australians have always had a thing for large rear-wheel drive vehicles, one example being the popular Commodore. So you could say, they have excellent taste in cars, and should be thrilled about the new additions coming their way. Holden Special Vehicles will be converting the Camaro and Silverados to right-hand drive, and the selection will be limited, at least at first.
The perfect addition to the market from Chevrolet is the Chevy Camaro, which will be marketed in Australia as a pure muscle car, as it will only be available in the 2SS trim package. This package gives the Camaro a 6.2L LT1 V8 and 8-speed automatic transmission. The package is paired with a premium leather interior with heated and ventilated seats, heads-up display, and premium Bose stereo system.
In addition to the Chevy Camaro, the brand will also bring the Silverado pickup trucks to Australia. Only the HD Silverado variants will be available, and they will come only in four-wheel-drive, Crew Cab versions. All of the Aussie sold Silverados will come equipped with 6.6L L5P Duramax turbodiesel engines, and Allison six-speed automatic transmissions. The Chevy Silverado models heading down under are the 2500HD WT, 2500HD LTZ, 2500HD LTZ Midnight Edition, 2500HD LTZ Customer Sport Edition, and the 3500HD LTZ.
Based on the fact that they’re only starting out with some top-of-the-line models, it seems like Chevrolet is going to keep the focus on performance over offering a full line of vehicles.
Shawn Henry is a Texas native who has spent the majority of his career building and selling F-Bodies and Corvettes. Now studying journalism, he is taking a new direction with his love of GM Performance vehicles.
