WORD ON THE STREET is that Holden Special Vehicles will be bringing in a number of cosmetic and mechanical changes for its E-Series range of performance sedans in the near future.

A key component of these changes consists of mechanical refinements to the 6.2 litre LS3 V8 used by the E-series range, which should see power bumped up to around 325kW and fuel economy improved to just under 14 l/100km on the combined cycle.

New body styling is also rumoured to be in the pipeline. HSV is said to be keen to further distinguish its volume-selling sedan range from the Commodore upon which it’s based.

Large sheetmetal changes would probably too radical (and expensive) for a boutique manufacturer like HSV to accomplish, but new bumpers, wheels and other aero add-ons are certainly likely.

With the VE-based HSV line-up far and away the most popular in HSV’s 21-year history (2007 was a record year for HSV sales), the Clayton-based manufacturer is hopeful that a refreshed model line will continue to bring buyers through showroom doors.

Last year was the second-best year for sales, and with new car buyers responding favourably to the recent addition of the Sportwagon-based R8 Tourer to HSV’s stable, 2009 might be yet another strong year for the company.

Will the rumoured refinements for 2010 E-Series HSV’s keep buyer interest high in a market that’s currently drifting away from big, thirsty sedans? We’ll see.