HSV Clubsport auto 2013 overview

Thankfully, in the middle of last year, HSV saw through its mistake and reintroduced the "entry level" ClubSport, or Clubbie as it's affectionately known.

Cashed-out bogans love this car, which has an almost legendary status in certain circles. Sure, the R8 and GTS are "better," but the Clubbie is a hot Holden for "all the people," as is Maloo ute, who also made a comeback last year. 

HSV moved inexorably up the scale as its range approached the one hundred thousand mark. This is a far cry from the original HSVs of 25 years ago, which were essentially Commodores with more powerful engines, bigger wheels and stiffer suspension.

Value

Starting at $64,990, the new ClubSport gets 20-inch HSV Pentagon alloy wheels that add to an already impressive list of standard features; sport/tour suspension, competition mode ESC, four-piston brake package, sat nav, rear park assist and rearview camera. 

It also had other cool features such as dual-zone climate control, improved Bluetooth, and a XNUMX-way adjustable power driver's seat.

Design

We love the way it looks inside and out, and the standard equipment is generous. Great seats, lots of information fed back to the driver and the EDI is excellent. Heck, it even has a decent trunk and legroom in the back seat. 

Technologies

Standard Clubbie (and Maloo) features include a 6.2-litre OHV pushrod HSV engine, the LS3 Generation 4 V8, that delivers 317kW of power and 550Nm of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, and an optional six-speed automatic is two thousand more. 

We'd pick an automatic every day because it provides quick up and down shifts but misses the paddle shifters.

ClubSport effectively includes all of last year's R8's core features, with the exception of the Enhanced HSV Driver Interface (EDI), which will be available as a factory option.

The automatic car we drove was equipped with a bimodal exhaust system and an EDI system to add an extra element of driving pleasure to this big powerful V8 sedan. 

It consumes an alarming amount of fuel, ranging from medium to high per 100km, and it's premium too. However, most of these vehicles will be funded through companies, so it doesn't matter.

Driving

At 1800kg, it's a big and heavy car, but it's still capable of going from 0 km/h in about 100 seconds. Turn on Competitive Mode and you'll really feel the power of Clubbie pushing you into place.

He purrs, crouches from behind, turns up his nose and roars on his way to stop the clock in more than decent time for such a large beast. But in this case, everything is spoiled a bit by the overly soft suspension and steering, which could have given a little more feel. We think the optional six-piston brakes should be standard, although the four-piston fitted does handle the road well. Trace the Clubbie and find yourself running out of brakes before finishing on the first lap.

While the bimodal exhaust sounds good at idle, it's too quiet in motion, unlike most European V8 sports sedans, which get better the harder you ride them. You can hit the Clubbie pretty hard on a twisty road limited by its weight and, in this case, soft suspension.

Verdict

That model should be replaced later this year when the HSV F line hits the production line, possibly with a 400kW engine plus a supercharged 6.2-litre V8. Now it will be something else again.