Holden Ute

Holden Ute
Overview
ManufacturerHolden
Also calledChevrolet Lumina
Pontiac G8 Sport Truck (cancelled)
Production2000–2017
AssemblyAustralia: Adelaide, South Australia (Elizabeth)
Body and chassis
Body style2-door coupe utility

4-door crew cab

2-door cab chassis
RelatedHolden Commodore
Holden Crewman
Holden One Tonner
HSV Maloo
Chronology
PredecessorHolden Commodore utility
SuccessorHolden Colorado

The Holden Ute (also known as The Holden Commodore Ute) is a coupe utility built by Holden, the Australian subsidiary of General Motors, from 2000 to 2017. Before then, Holden had marketed their Commodore-based utility models under the Holden Utility (VG) and Holden Commodore utility (VP, VR, VS) names, although the term “Holden Ute” was also used in their official marketing literature. The Holden Ute name is often used for earlier Holden Utility models (which were produced from 1951 to 1984) as the word "ute" is a colloquial term used commonly in Australia for a utility vehicle. Holden's performance division, an independent company called HSV assembled a high-performance version called the Maloo. Between 2003 and 2007, Holden built a stretched, crew cab version of the Ute with four doors and seating for five, called the Holden Crewman and between 2003 and 2005 a cab-chassis version known as the Holden One Tonner.

The VX Commodore-based Ute launched with a locally built 3.8-litre Ecotec V6 engine of Buick design. A 5.7-litre Generation III V8 engine option was also available, but this was replaced by the 6.0-litre Generation 4 in 2006, and updated to the L98 specification later on that year. In 2004, Holden replaced the V6 with a 3.6-litre Alloytec unit.

The Australian-assembled Ute was to be sold in the United States as the Pontiac G8 ST starting in 2009 alongside the four-door Commodore-based G8 sedan. However, due to GM's company-wide model review, due to the 2008 financial crisis, such plans were shelved on 6 January 2009. Exports of the G8 sedan remain unaffected. Sales of the Ute in South Africa as the Chevrolet Lumina SS commenced during 2006/2007 and in Middle East in 2009/2010, making it the first full-size Chevrolet coupé utility ever since the 1987 discontinuation of the El Camino (even though this Lumina was never sold in the USA).