THERE’S no questioning the brand-new HSV Coupe 4’s credentials as Australia’s first all-wheel drive V8 coupe – if not the first fully-fledged homegrown AWD performance car, period. It may not get other HSV Coupe models’ full 285kW output, beefy brakes and the option of a manual transmission, but the heavier, more expensive two-door AWD still packs the familiar HSV punch and a level of ride quality, handling and road holding that eclipses any HSV to date. Directed at the performance enthusiast who values safety and security when conditions deteriorate, rather than those who crave power oversteer on demand, Coupe 4 should appeal to a more conservative, wealthier customer than the traditional HSV ClubSport buyer. HSV risks undermining its trademark rear-drive performance niche with Coupe 4, but as the first flagship of its brave new AWD world, it’s one very accomplished motor vehicle.