Chev Silverado on countdown to model switch
BY RON HAMMERTON | 1st Nov 2018
GENERAL Motors reportedly will discontinue production of current-generation Chevrolet Silverado dual-cab pick-ups in the second half of next year, meaning Australia’s Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) will then face a shift to the newest generation to keep its successful right-hand-drive conversion operation rolling in Melbourne.
GM has been producing the older third-generation Silverado in parallel with the latest fourth-generation model during the latter’s start-up phase this year.
But Autonews this week quoted GM chief financial officer Dhivya Suryadevara as saying the company plans to start winding down production of the outgoing Silverado and related GMC Sierra early next year, with the double-cab version ending production “early in the second half of next year”.
HSV marketing manager Damon Paull declined to comment on the report, other than to say that HSV sees Silverado as part of its long-term plans.
HSV imports stocks of the older Silverado double-cab large pick-up in 2500HD and 3500HD guises from North America before converting them to RHD at its Walkinshaw Park factory at Clayton South.
The factory also handles RHD conversion of the rival Ram pick-up range and Chevrolet Camaro.
Theoretically, HSV could stockpile current-model Silverados before the end of production next year, perhaps to tide over local production into 2020.
It is unclear how much of the HSV’s RHD engineering work on the current model would carry over into the new generation, but many parts would need to be re-designed and re-sourced from suppliers in Australia and overseas.
The new model would also have to be put through Australian Design Rule (ADR) homologation.
As GoAuto has reported, HSV’s 55 dealerships snapped up HSV’s entire 2018 production run of Silverado – more than 7000 vehicles – before the official launch of the RHD vehicle in July.
Mr Paull told GoAuto that HSV was really happy with the continued interest in the vehicle from a variety of quarters, including caravaners, boaters, farmers, “equiners” and builders.
“As expected, we’re finding this segment to have enormous potential,” he said, adding that production was now in full swing, with greatest demand for the 2500HD LTZ Midnight Edition and luxury LTZ Custom Sport Edition.
HSV has only recently added the heavy-duty Silverado 3500HD range-topper to the mix, bringing the line-up to five variants.
In the US, the new Silverado has been a hit, with GM delivering 45,000 units in the third quarter.
Total Silverado sales in the first nine months of the year topped a whopping 424,000 units, up 1.4 per cent on the previous year.
