VF Commodore 'SS' ready for reveal

Holden's VF Commodore is getting ready for its reveal in the USA as the Chevrolet SS. And while Holden might mean a great deal for Australia, the new Chevrolet SS is a big deal for America.

Indeed, the large Aussie-built four-door sedan will sit alongside the Camaro and Corvette in North American showrooms to give the Bowtie Brand three high-performance rear-wheel drive V8 models.

Not since the Impala SS (1996) has Chevrolet offered a big rear-drive sedan in North America, and the new SS which will be built at Holden’s factory in Elizabeth, South Australia is in the final stages of development.

Camouflaged prototype vehicles are clocking miles on American roads while in Australia several US-spec test mules are being trialled at Holden’s Lang Lang proving ground in Victoria.

It’s about time too that GM North America recognised that Holden builds one of the finest handling big sedans in the world. America’s brief taste of the Pontiac G8, basically a rebadged Holden Commodore sold in 2008-09, proved that Australia is more than Fosters and prawns on the barbie.

Like Commodore, SS will be a driver’s car, claims Chevrolet, with ride and handling traits similar to the current Camaro. For good reason, the same vehicle dynamics team at Holden that set the dynamic characteristics for Camaro is also developing the SS.

In the US, the Chev SS will go head-to-head against the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger, and the big Chev sedan will come to the knife fight with a new weapon.

Expect SS and VF Commodore to use Chev’s new aluminium Gen 5 LT1 V8 with direct fuel-injection, Active Fuel Management and continuous variable valve timing control.

Chevrolet’s priorities are excellent power output balanced with fuel efficiency bettering 8.0L/100km on the highway.

The 6.2-litre LT1 debuting in next year’s Corvette gives some indication of the performance expected from Gen 5 V8 variants. In Corvette, the LT1 delivers an estimated 335kW and 610Nm, but expect the new SS and VF Commodore SS to remain at less than 6.0-litres and be less potent -- below 300kW.

Motoring.com.au caught up with John Fitzpatrick, Marketing Manager Chevrolet Performance Cars at this week's SEMA show in Las Vegas. And the Chev boss was fulsome in his praise for the new car.

“Last week I met with Mike Simcoe, executive director of GM International Operations design, to review the design of SS and I will say the exterior design is back to our roots. [And] There is a taste of luxury on the interior.”

Fitzpatrick won’t estimate expected sales volumes, but a reasonable expectation is ‘a lot’.

In 2011, full-year sales of Camaro exceeded 88,000 and, if the four-door SS is the near equal with Camaro in performance, it may also be its near equal in showroom desirability.

On the other hand, the G8 didn’t sell in expected volumes. During the economic collapse in the US, Pontiac in two years sold approximately 38,000 G8s. But the G8s did create a legacy.

“The Pontiac G8 and Pontiac GTO did generate an enthusiastic following for Aussie-built muscle cars, and we know that the new SS will attract those Pontiac buyers,” said Fitzpatrick.

Backed by the power of Chevrolet marketing and an improving US economy, the launch of the SS in 2013 may be perfectly timed.

Most US pundits believe the Chevrolet SS will outsell the Holden VF Commodore in full year volumes by 2014. And, say insiders, a total production of 100,000 cars from Holden’s Elizabeth plant is not unexpected.

If that's the case SS could mean a great deal for Holden... And Australia.

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