What's all this about?
Pick-up trucks are boring, right? Fitted with diesel engines and crappy rear suspension, they're best reserved for tradesmen and farmers. Well, not this one - this is the Vauxhall Maloo LSA and it has 536hp, a limited-slip differential and launch control. Woah!
Crikey, what's under the bonnet?!
The clue is in the Maloo's name, as it uses the LSA 6.2-litre supercharged V8 that is employed in many of GM's finest performance cars across the globe - the nearest analogue in the UK is the VXR8 GTS, which has the 585hp/740Nm variant of the same motor. While the Maloo isn't quite as muscular as that, it should certainly show a Ford Ranger a trick or two.
Have you got a full specification?
Yes, the LSA replaces the old LS3 V8, which made healthy data of 431hp and 570Nm. Vauxhall has therefore lobbed another 105hp and 101Nm of torque into the mix (the Maloo LSA has a peak torque figure of 671Nm), courtesy of an Eaton four-lobe supercharger, a standalone water-to-air charge-air cooling system and high-flow exhaust system, making this the fastest commercial vehicle in the UK (although no performance or economy stats are yet quoted by Vauxhall).
Commercial vehicle? C'mon, you can't be serious?!
It is. The load bed can hold payloads of up to 540kg and while it costs £54,500, business users can claim the VAT back on that figure (making the Maloo about £43,600).
Has anything else on the Maloo changed?
The spring and damper rates are increased to reduce body roll, while the rear suspension is unique to the LSA model. Manual versions get a launch control function as well as the limited-slip diff, while satnav, Bluetooth, leather trim and an Enhanced Driver Interface (EDI) are included as standard. Stylistically, lots of black detailing inside and out identifies this rabid Maloo, while 20-inch alloys sit in the arches. Two new colours are offered, a blue called Slipstream and a metallic red called (sorry about this...) Some Like It Hot.
Any other Christmas presents from Vauxhall?
Well, the aforementioned VXR8 GTS has been mildly tweaked for 2016, featuring new bonnet vents, bumper grilles and side sills, a couple of fresh exterior colours and a revised centre stack arrangement for the dashboard. Prices start at £55,500 for the manual and £57,200 for the automatic.
Matt Robinson - 23 Dec 2015
