Holden HZ is an automobile which was produced between 1977 and 1980 by General Motors-Holden's Ltd.

The Holden HZ received minor updates to the exterior over the HX series, and saw the introduction of what Holden termed "Radial Tuned Suspension" (RTS) on all models. RTS made significant changes to the suspension

Suspension (vehicle)

Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...

 of the car, greatly improving the handling finesse, while at the same time not compromising ride quality. Modern Motor magazine described the HZ as "a great handler spoiled by the car" in a comparison against the BMW 528i

BMW E12

The BMW E12 BMW 5-Series was made between 1972 and 1981. The E12 was the first series to bear the 5 Series name: the '5' denoting BMW's fifth 'New Class' platform. Designed as a replacement for the popular BMW New Class mid-size sedan, the E12 5-Series models were smaller than the large BMW E3...

, contrasted as "a great car spoiled by the handling". In this series, the lower-end Belmont was deleted and the Kingswood became the base model for sedans and wagons, with a new model the slightly more upmarket Kingswood SL introduced. During the course of the HZ series, equipment levels were upgraded in 1978 effectively to match improvements in the opposition Ford Falcon range, but the life of the Kingswood looked set to end following Holden's release of the VB Commodore in November 1978. After 1980, Kingswood passenger cars were cancelled—replaced by the downsized Commodore

Holden Commodore

The Holden Commodore is an automobile manufactured since 1978 by the Holden subsidiary of General Motors in Australia, and, formerly, in New Zealand. In the mid-1970s, Holden established proposals to replace the long-serving Kingswood nameplate with a smaller, Opel-based model...

.

Model range

The Holden HZ was offered in four sedan and three station wagon

Station wagon

A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

 models, marketed as follows:

• Holden Kingswood Sedan
• Holden Kingswood Wagon
• Holden Kingswood SL Sedan
• Holden Kingswood SL Wagon
• Holden Premier Sedan
• Holden Premier Wagon
• Holden GTS

It was also available in two coupe utility

Coupé utility

The coupé utility automobile body style, also known colloquially as the ute in Australia and New Zealand, combines a two-door "coupé" cabin with an integral cargo bed behind the cabin—using a light-duty passenger vehicle-derived platform....

, two panel van

Panel van

A panel van is a form of solid van, smaller than a lorry or truck, without rear side windows...

 and one cab chassis model, marketed as follows:

• Holden Ute
• Holden Kingswood Ute
• Holden Van
• Holden Kingswood Van
• Holden One Tonner (cab chassis)

There were two special vehicle packages also available based upon commercial vehicles:

• Holden Sandman Ute and Holden Sandman Van - option code XX7 (passenger tyres) or XU3 (load rated tyres).
• Ambulance - option code BO6, available on cab chassis and Holden panel van.

Sandman Ute and Van

The final HZ Sandman, featured a choice of V8 engines only, along with a four-headlight grille and under bumper front spoiler. According to a GMH Price List dated 25 January 1979, a basic HZ Holden panel van was priced at AU$6,076, with the Sandman option package an additional AU$1,700. The further optional components also included 5.0 litre V8 engine and a limited slip differential. If a buyer selected every Sandman extra, the price would be more than 150% of the cost of the basic HZ model. By the end of 1979, the Sandman had largely lost its place in the contemporary Australian youth culture - order figures were down and many of the vehicles were now being sold with the stripes and tailgate logos deleted. The Sandman ute was phased out of production prior to the van, the last of which was manufactured around October 1979.