CHEVROLET SS Review

Read between the lines. This is what you have to do in order to understand the new Chevrolet SS. Chevy's stable now welcomes the Super Sport badge and it is coming all the way from Australia.

Take a moment to recall Mad Max’s Pursuit Special, that mean, black musclecar that has influenced generations of automotive aficionados. Some would be surprised to find out that the V8 Interceptor was not exactly American. What Mad Max drove was a pumped-up 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT, a car also born in Australia.

Like we said the land down under is now supplying us with a machine that is just as ferocious, albeit wearing the tamest clothes possible. Ladies and gentlemen drivers, meet the 2014 Chevrolet SS.

After a 17-year hiatus, General Motors has returned to the business of making a rear-wheel drive performance sedan. With a niche model like this the sales predictions are modest, so instead of investing in building some sort of a four-door version of the Corvette, they borrowed the Commodore from Holden, GM’s Australian arm.

Last time GM pulled such a move on us, the automaker revived two iconic Pontiac nameplates, the GTO and the G8, by rebadging Holden models. Alas, Pontiac is a thing of the past now.

One could argue that a rebadged Holden is not all that cool and yet we can’t help but be totally interested in a sedan that packs 415 hp and 415 lb-ft (563 Nm) of torque - we admit, we’ve always been fascinated by a balanced output. The sheer notion of a Camaro platform with an engine from the C6 Corvette, all dressed up like your average Malibu, is amusing.

Speaking of the Chevrolet Super Sport’s appearances, its generic mid-size sedan form does hold a few visual performance clues for the initiates.

First of all, those shiny rims are shod in beefy Bridgestone Potenza tires, which come in a size of 245/40 R19 up front and 275/35 R19 at the back. Look past the thin spokes and you will notice a set of massive Brembo brakes. Then, as this apparently harmful creature feeds you its tire smoke, you will notice that its rear end is adorned with a discrete lip spoiler. Something like a tattoo. The meaty dual exhausts should also draw your attention.

Underneath all this, we find General Motor’s good ole Zeta platform. While we did mention that this is shared with the Camaro, the SS gets its unique setup. With MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link axle at the back, this isn’t exactly sophisticated, but then again, that is not the aim of the Super Sport. For instance, while the Corvette features adaptive dampers, the SS has to make do with passive shocks.

Climbing aboard, a facile process thanks to the generous door openings, we come across the same kind of “country girl with haute-couture accessories” that we found outside the car.

First things first: the Chevy SS is ultra spacious. A simple glance from outside the car reveals this. For legroom’s sake, if you climb in the back you’ll have the impression you’re in a long wheelbase model.

It’s no wonder then that the SS trashes its competition when it comes to being a sedan - GM’s offering is more spacious than both the SRT8 twins (Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger) and the Hyundai Genesis 5.0 R-Spec Sedan. Check out the boot and you will notice the statement still stands. There are 16.4 cubic feet (465 liters) of space back here and the opening is generous.

And look at those seats. They inspire you to get inside the SS and once you do, they will keep you there. The driving position is balanced and this brings out the overall nature of the car.

Building on this layer, the car tries to offer an attractive overall package, but things are not all brilliant. Yes, we liked the leather and suede on the dashboard and yes we found the piano black-like trim as appropriately serious. Speaking of Black, this is the only color they’re offering the interior in. And if you don’t like it, you can go for the optional sunroof to bring some extra light.

Alas, the design itself is bland and while the exterior can get away with this using the “sleeper” argument, the cabin simply can’t. Nonetheless, it’s rather difficult to dismiss the Chevrolet SS’ interior, because it comes with many redeeming features. For instance, the center console control arrangement may not look very American, but its ergonomics are top class.

And then there’s the good visibility, which is doubled by dashboard indicators that are easy to read and by a large HD infotainment screen. Such a treat serves quite a lot of purposes, like offering plenty of support when trying to navigate your way through the city.

Bose. That’s the producer signing the Chevrolet SS’ optional audio system and their nine-speaker system delivers a pleasant experience.

Moreover, the Chevrolet SS doesn’t just borrow its engine from the previous-generation Corvette. It also mirrors GM’s sportscar in offering a Head Up Display, which helps quite a lot during urban driving.

In fact, the whole setup proves supportive inside the city. We’ve been going from one boulevard to another for quite some time now and the SS offers the same impression we got after the first five minutes spent together. This is a car that’s easy to drive.

That LS3 V8 is rather docile at low revs and the overall comfortable setup helps too. The gearbox is the only one that sends a bit of a jerk through the driveline sometimes, but the issue is manageable.

Direct. Chevrolet's SS is also very direct, an important asset in the urban driving situations that require swift action.

Just earlier we saw the forward collision alert in action. The alert was so well timed that we suspect a GM employee is hidden somewhere around the car and handling the task.

We’ve also got lane departure warning, a blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alert. Moreover, if you look around the cabin and you count, you’ll find a total of eight airbags.

As for the moments when you have to park, the SS feels handy, also offering you front and rear sensors, as well as a backup camera. And if you are not in the mood to park it yourself, this Chevrolet comes with an Automatic Parking System that handles the wheel for you. We presented the system with both reverse and parallel parking situations and it managed to handle these in a respectable manner.