Test Drive: Chevy SS is new take on old school
Ah, yes. An old-school, red-blooded, rear-drive, V-8, Yank hot-rod ...
Built with Mexican drivetrains, by folks in Australia, which the automaker in question plans to abandon as a place to build cars in a couple of years.
That's the milieu of the 2014 Chevrolet SS. It's Chevy's first V-8, rear-drive, big performance sedan since 1996.
While unusual, that configuration isn't unique among Detroit makers. Chrysler sells the big, rear-drive 300 and Dodge Charger sedans that can be fitted with a powerful Hemi V-8.
The SS is sort of a Corvette sedan, in the sense the engine's from the last-generation (C6) Corvette and the car tickles the same go-fast, be-noticed compartments in heart, head and soul.
If the SS did nothing more in this starved, three-cylinder era than provide warm recollections of big Chevy Impalas with 409-cubic-inch V-8s, and hefty Ford Galaxie sedans with 406s and 427s, that alone would be sufficient reason for the SS to exist.
But it does more. Not only can it tote families, it shows that the delights of yore needn't be memories — at least for buyers with $45,770 to $47,170 to spend reviving the good ol' days.
And cash flow to support fuel economy in the low teens.
And a taste for a rump-slapping ride over potholes or willingness to overlook same.
And a fondness for an engine that growls loudly through dual exhaust pipes and shakes a bit at idle, the way the home-modified jobs of yesterday did when you slipped in a high-lift camshaft to pour out the power at high revs at the cost of smooth stop-and-go behavior.
You get the drift. Chevy SS is a ton o' fun, executed with a rawboned, old-Detroit feel.
That red-white-and-blue persona is, as so much is these days, outsourced. Chevy parent General Motors has no hotbed of big, powerful, rear-drive chassis development in the U.S. So SS is based on the latest Commodore from GM's Holden unit brand, made in Australia where Holden is headquartered, and fitted with the Mexican drivetrain.
GM plans to quit making cars in Australia in 2017. Chevy says the SS will remain available as long as production continues in Australia.
On a more granular level, the SS has its particular high and low points. Because it's already making you put up with a pretty stiff ride, it doesn't take many more sore points to make such a car tiresome. You have to decide if there are enough to be a deal-breaker. Here's what stood out, good and not so much, in our time behind the wheel.
Style: Looks too much like a mainstream Chevy. We bet people who'd consider an SS wouldn't want people to mistake it for a Malibu and from a distance you could make that mistake.
Room: Delivers the practicality of a big trunk and a rear seat with generous leg and knee space in the two outboard positions. Even tall kids and adults fit easily in back. The center rear slot, though, is compromised almost into uselessness by the tall, wide center drivetrain hump.
Front bucket seats are designed to resemble racing seats and they lose some width and comfort because of that. Also, furnishings are overdone, in our view. Exposed red stitching, suede-like padding here, gobs of leather there, trim and insignia everywhere. It's trying too hard, like a kid wearing Sunday-go-to-meetin' duds; looks phony.
Power: All good. The 415 pounds-feet of torque is more than a big pickup's, for really creamy low-speed behavior. More horsepower — also 415 — than a muscle car, for gonzo high-speed tasks such as merging onto a fast freeway, or passing on a two-lane, or just enjoying yourself on open roads in good weather.
Infotainment: GM setups are exemplar, but SS seems not quite there. Pairing a phone, tuning the radio and other ordinary tasks are more confusing that in other GM models.
Climate control: Never could find the right blend of temperature, vents and fan speed to stay comfortable in cool spring weather.
Mileage: Drinks a lot of gas, so be ready.
About as politically incorrect as a car can be nowadays, the SS exists because:
It can. Chevy's a General Motors brand, and GM's Holden unit in Australia is an experienced builder of "heavy iron" — big rear-drive chassis fitted with whatever kind of body trips your trigger.
It must. SS is Chevy's NASCAR racer, so Chevy's required to sell some cars that have the same name and kinda, sorta resemble the NASCAR machine.
It should. No matter how well-intentioned the eco-minded minicars are nowadays, it would be a slap at American-car heritage for there to be no big, loud, fast sedans. SS reminds us of our brassy and unfettered origins in the transportation universe. It reminds us there still are choices and we're free to make them.
ABOUT THE 2014 CHEVROLET SS
What? Old-school, rear-drive, four-door, five-passenger, big V-8 big sedan. Sold as premium model aimed at the likes of BMW 5 Series.
When? On sale since December.
Where? Made by General Motors' Holden unit at Elizabeth, South Australia, using Mexican-made engine, transmission.
How much? $45,770 including $995 shipping and $1,300 gas-guzzler tax. Only two options offered: Power sunroof ($900) and full-size spare tire ($500).
How many? Specialty model, 3,000 to 5,000 per year.
Why? Need to sell some to get the car approved for use as Chevy's NASCAR racer. And there's good profit in a $45,000 car.
What makes it go? Previous-generation C6 Corvette 6.2-liter V-8 rated 415 horsepower at 5,900 rpm, 415 pounds-feet of torque at 4,600 rpm, mated to six-speed automatic with manual-mode.
How big? A little shorter, wider than a Chevy Impala; similar to BMW 5-series. Weighs 3,975 lbs. Trunk holds 16.4 cubic ft. Turning circle diameter, 37.4 feet.
How thirsty? Rated 14 mpg city, 21 highway, 17 combined. Test car trip computer showed 14.2 mpg (7.04 gallons per 100 miles) in enthusiastic suburban/highway mix. Premium fuel recommended, not required; tank holds 18.8 gallons.
Overall: Tons o' fun if you don't mind jarring over potholes.
