Chevy SS Is a Solid Sedan for Enthusiasts, Even in 2020
General Motors LS3 equipped Australian import never really had a chance. But Chevy’s SS still means something.
Pure enthusiast vehicles, at least in certain cases, face extinction. Sedans of all shapes and sizes are falling out of favor with the buying public. Eight-cylinder equipped vehicles primarily exist as body-on-frame trucks now. Obviously, car people can still get their kicks out all the crazy LS swaps featured online. But it’s clearly the end of an era for the non-luxury V8 sedan. That’s why the Chevy SS remains a somewhat important piece of automotive history.
Automotive YouTube personality Savagegeese, real name Mark Sanevski, recently reviewed one with his friend Jack Holmes, and found a lot to like. Sure, rear-wheel drive V8 sedans are basically dead, but this specific model does make a case for ownership in 2020.
Chevy SS: An Oddity From Australia
Imported from Australia for the 2014-2017 model years, the rebranded Holden Commodore, released in America as the Chevy SS, never really caught on with new car buyers. Sanevski repeatedly knocked GM for killing off the SS and said some odd things about their decision. “I’ve worked for companies that are like this, that, they have a very narrow view. It’s just cutting losses,” says Sanevski.
It’s important to understand where he is coming from when he evaluated the Chevy because he is a bit biased against General Motors, as he explains later on in the video. All companies are focused on profitability. The Australian automotive industry needed massive subsidies to survive, which ultimately became an untenable situation within the last decade, as supporting low vehicle production volumes didn’t make much fiscal sense for the Australian government.
Additionally, Australian car shoppers spurned large sedans for trucks, smaller cars, and crossovers. A quick look at the best selling vehicles in Australia for 2019 confirms that full-size sedans just don’t resonate with them anymore. Basically, like Americans, Australians now prefer compact crossovers and front-wheel drive based vehicles. The SS never had a chance.
Chevy SS Merits
Both guys dunked on GM for killing the SS and pulling out of Australia, but their evaluation is essentially fair. At the shop, the duo praised the SS for its solid exhaust note. “I didn’t think it was a stock exhaust at first, but its got a really good warm, tonal quality without droning,” says Sanevski. In terms of the experience, while they weren’t thrilled with the interior quality, they had no trouble with the technology of the SS, which is dated but not obsolete.
As for the driving experience, the SS did not disappoint. “I’m normally not the biggest fan of the LS powerplant. I don’t feel like it has a lot of character. But damn is it effective in this car,” says Holmes. The exhaust, paired with the LS3, delivers a satisfying combination for those looking for a rear-wheel drive V8 sedan with a manual transmission. Augmenting the powertrain is the chassis. The guys liked how the SS composed itself at speed. “It’s well composed. It’s not was I was expecting. I was expecting a slower Hellcat. What I got was a driver’s car, surprisingly,” says Holmes.
Fun While it Lasted
Should we mourn the loss of the Chevy SS? Ultimately, customers on both sides of the Pacific gravitated towards less expensive cars that come equipped with a bit more versatility than a large, rear-wheel drive sedan. Sanevski goes a bit too far in blaming GM for the demise of the SS. That being said, they probably could have given it a better name. And the fact that we’ll probably never see another sedan outfitted with an LS motor from the factory is sad. But we should be grateful that GM imported it at all, given its limited appeal.
The guys successfully demonstrated that the SS still carries water in 2020. As long as interested enthusiasts understand what they’re getting into. Overall, the video is worth a watch and a listen, as the exhaust note is quite good. While it may be somewhat of a relic, it will no doubt continue to please cars people and those who want a stock LS engine in something other than a Corvette.