Holden Colorado with supercharged V8 puts HSV SportsCat to shame

A 2020 Holden Colorado has come up for sale, fitted with the same supercharged V8 engine found in flagship HSV models.

The special Colorado was built by New Zealand outfit Extreme Conversions, and swaps out the original 2.8-litre diesel mill for a 6.2-litre supercharged LSA V8 crate engine from General Motors, pushing out 430kW and 745Nm.

Together with a six-speed automatic transmission, it propels the dual-cab Holden to 100km/h from a standstill in a touch over five seconds according to NZ publication Driven – about 0.7 seconds slower than a Maloo R8 fitted with the same LSA V8.

But unlike Maloo utes, the special Colorado uses a custom transfer case, allowing it to retain its part-time four-wheel-drive system with low range, allowing it to be used off-road.

The conversion also retains all of the Colorado's factory-fitted systems, including active safety features, cruise control, reverse camera, and the original infotainment system.

While the HSV SportsCat offered upgraded suspension and bold looks over the standard Holden Colorado, it never offered any additional performance. The NZ Colorado, however, looks entirely stock-standard but provides a 193 per cent increase in power.

It's worth noting that local engineering mob Harrop also offers an LSA conversion for the Colorado, but goes further with looks and chassis upgrades.

Listed for NZ$149,990 (AU$139,000), the New Zealand car is more expensive than some HSV Maloo R8 LSAs currently on sale in Australia, but it only has 322km on the clock. To view the listing, click here.