By Jeffrey N. Ross, for GM Authority
Forget burnouts, top speeds and high g-force turns. The best thing about driving a performance vehicle is being able to scare the wits out of your passengers. And for 2014, Chevrolet maximizes your scared-passenger quotient with the all-new, five-passenger 2014 Chevrolet SS performance sedan. The SS is essentially a spacious, fullsize sedan with a powerful V8 packed under the hood, which is an excellent recipe for frightening unsuspecting occupants.
Unsuspecting because many passengers will be surprised by the SS’ performance abilities thanks to its nondescript styling. There are no flashy spoilers or wings. Even the looks of the deceased, but closely related, Pontiac G8 are far more intimidating. In fact, the SS might end up going down as one of the ultimate sleepers of the modern car era. From the outside, it’s just a big family sedan, but the first time you launch from a dead stop to 60 mph in five seconds, your passengers will either be grinning from ear to ear or clutching whatever they can hold onto in fear. Both are fun to watch.
Helping motivate its almost two tons of mass, the SS has the same 6.2-liter V8 as the Camaro SS, which is why it has earned the nickname as a four-door Camaro. Unlike the Camaro, there is no base V6 model. Just the LS3 with its 415 horsepower to go along with an equal 415 lb-ft of torque. Nor is there a manual gearbox, which is rather disappointing for a car built specifically to appease enthusiasts. The only transmission available is a six-speed automatic, but it does have a manual shift mode that can be operated with steering wheel paddle shifters – a small and appreciated consolation.
Chevy likes to point out that it has been 17 years since its last rear-drive performance sedan was killed off, but the SS feels nothing like the monochromatic, mag-wheeled Impala SS, which produced just 260 hp and 330 lb-ft during its brief existence in the mid ‘90s. Rather than the Texas-built Caprice, the SS is an Australian-sourced successor to the short-lived G8 GXP, and GM has made impressive improvements in the chassis since 2009 leaving this car feeling more like a European sport sedan rather than a big, bulky American car.
Chevy’s new SS is without a doubt a true American muscle car. The irony in this, of course, isn’t just the car’s Aussie production, but also that it feels quick on its feet and isn’t afraid to carve a few corners. Brakes and steering are both spot on for what is expected from a sports sedan, but its true beauty rests in your right foot. In your average driving conditions, the SS is remarkably reserved, but bury the gas pedal and the car’s performance intentions are readily apparent not only with the quick acceleration but also with the exhaust note that comes to life under full throttle. Despite its purpose as a big sport sedan, the SS is still comfortable enough to put some miles on during a road trip.
Unlike the brazen cop car styling of the 1994-96 Impala SS or the edgy design of the Pontiac G8, the SS doesn’t stand out as a high-output performance sedan. The only hint that the SS isn’t your typical family sedan is actaully the 19-inch wheels showing off the Brembo brakes. Sadly, those wheels are your only option, so if you don’t like bright, polished aluminum wheels, you’re going to have to look to the aftermarket for a solution. As a limited-production, import vehicle, Chevrolet has kept the option list sparse to help ensure that the dealer supply doesn’t outpace customer demand, a strategy that will surely cement the SS as a future classic.
In addition to the five exterior colors (Mystic Green in the case of this tester), the only choices SS buyers will have are the options of a sunroof and fullsize spare tire. That means the comfortable sport bucket seats, the flat-bottomed steering wheel and the abundance of perforated and suede leather are all standard equipment. There is plenty of space inside the SS for five adult passengers along with a massive trunk, and the amount of luxury and technology (including Chevy MyLink, navigation and head-up display) offered in this car is well worth the $45,770 starting price – not including the $1,300 gas-guzzler tax, which many buyers will likely be glad to hand over to own an SS.
If you want a sedan, Chevrolet has plenty of them for you (six in total), but if you want a performance sedan, then check out the SS – an unapologetic vehicle aimed directly at the enthusiasts to entertain drivers and terrorize passengers.
Comments
Bring us the manual and get rid of the guzzler tax and then it will be the perfect sleeper.
If they pull the twin-turbo V6 out of the CTS, that would work. Almost equal power and no Gas-Guzzler; but it’s a Chevy, Gotta Love That V8!
Nothing wrong with adding a manual either. I think this is more a test of the waters and a look at what might be to come. If GM really went for this thing (and I hope they do), I would expect a stick shift and at least 1 more engine choice.
An eight speed tranny would be excellent.
LT1 V-8 with the new 8-speed. But we don’t want to hurt Cadillac V-sport sales though.
I love this car, keeps alive the essence of the Australian V8 Muscles and the disappeared and lovely Pontiac G8
Regards from Spain
too bad it’s some of the last. production moving to korea in the future.
Since when is Lansing in Korea? LOL!
In the not to distant future you will see that this car was only a stop gap till they get to where this is all going.
GM needed to get this car to market now not 2018 and the low number establishes a segment for them and provided the SS for the NASCAR series.
Now in 2016 the Camaro will be added to the Lansing plant with the CTS and ATS just after the V8 CTS V arrives with the first of several V8 cars to come.
Then in 2018 We should see a longer wheel bases Alpha Chevy to replace the SS here and Holden down under if the money issue stay the same or in the advantage of GM.
Then with the engine combo certified for more than just a handful of cars we should get a proper manual and 8 speed Auto.
While the Chevy will gain a little power with the LT1 it will remain much lower than the CTS V that is coming accept for the limited top models they will offer with the Supercharged engines.
This whole deal has to wait till one model ends and the investment in the Lansing plant is done to add production. Also the 8 speed needs to arrive too before they get too far ahead here.
Holden made it clear a replacement for their car was already under way when the ZF was introduced. They never said it was going away, they never said t would be FWD and they never said it was going to Korea. While Australia has been sharing their car America will finally get to send some love back with the sedan and Camaro based Coupe.
The new model with the new DI engine and lighter platform will be faster, stop quicker and better handling than the present car with a much stiffer platform. Also no gas Guzzler tax.
This is just one of those things that just can not happen over night and GM just gave you a toy to play with till they reach the point they have been working towards.
They will have more options etc. but do expect them to remain expensive as the days of a large RWD car at $30,000 are over. The MFG will sell these cars but will use price to limit their sales. It will be how they keep the CAFE in check while keeping the profits up with lower volume too. If you do not like this write your congressman and change the CAFE.
The new model will get better MPG but it will also face higher standards too.
I still want one, depsite its lacking a manual gearbox (which I would prefer) and its one wheel option. Now, to check my couch again for the 45Gs…
A manual would make the car slower.
Maybe if you were driving!
Even with you or anyone in a hypothetical manual Chevrolet SS, you will not perform as fast, or as consistently to beat an auto. It’s not even a DCT, and that would further embarrass an manual.
Even if the SS offered a manual and an auto, a manual would be a detriment. It’s the fleshy human interference that gets in the way of getting the most out of the SS; wasting valuable time with shifts and pedals when all that the driver needs is to go fast.
There is an easy way to know for sure. Check the stats in Australia. I’ve heard they even have the internet there.
I own an auto VE SS Commodore here in Australia. Can confirm that the manual is about half a second quicker to 100km/h.
Graw is correct as many new cars today are slower with a manual transmission even with more power. The recent Camaro’s are a good example as just because you have an automatic it does not slow the cars as the computers are making them perform more efficiently. Even with no human error in shifting the auto’s have just been performing better.
People who want manuals like to enjoy their time driving, it’s not all about being fast, in a drag race auto will be faster & more consistent, so what.
I once worked for a company who supplied an auto 14t Isuzu truck, I quit because the auto sucked,
“People who want manuals like to enjoy their time driving”
Especially when stuck in afternoon rush hour traffic, or when stopped at an intersection up a steep hill with a tailgater who has taken up all the room you would have otherwise had to roll backwards as you eased off the clutch.
So yeah, you’re right. Manuals are not about being fast, it’s about being an obstruction to enjoying the car in any conditions, road or track.
Honestly, 15 years ago I would have shunned any sports car with an auto. But the autos are faster, and the roads are increasing filled with idiot drivers who have sapped any driving joy that can be had with their substandard understanding of the basic rules of the road.
When I want to be quick, I’ll have the auto. When I want less stress in traffic, I’ll have the auto. Perhaps it’s my changing need of a car, but the technology behind an auto has changed too, and not in a way that I ever thought it would become.
The reality is the manual is a feature few will buy anymore outside a Camaro or Corvette. Sad but true.
Factors like those pointed out like traffic, cell phones and other things that have cluttered our lives have taken over the driver. Also the simple fact is so few people know how to drive one. Just in the news again a guy was having his car stolen but the thief was caught because he was sitting there trying to figure out how to drive it.
Add in the fact that the emissions are much more difficult and complex to deal with in a stick shift.
It has gotten to the point you seldom see a gated shifter in a Ferrari anymore that is like a Corvette with out crossed flags on it somewhere.
I love a manual and enjoy driving one. But I am like many anymore and would not want one in a daily driver in the area I live in as it just becomes a pain in traffic, in time it will need replaced and when I go to sell it is much harder to find a buyer who can even test drive it let alone want it.
I hope there is never a day without a manual shift car. As of now I do not have one but I will own on again in the future. I expect GM to bring it back to this car when they can build and sell more of these vehicles and have it certified with the Camaro drivetrain when it is built with the same one here. What stopped it in this model is the fact there are so few cars coming in and the cost to get it past approved for the government specs would be too much for this small of a number cars. This is also why there is limited options as to keep the cost down till they can move production here.
As I tell many if you want to save the manual teach a kid to drive one that can put their I phone down long enough to use their right hand. I plan to. I remember my son the first time I took him out in a Manual Corvette the first time. He wanted to know my I has moving the shifter so much. LOL sad but funny.
I’ve heard Holden could be releasing a limited run of the SS-V Redline with the LS3 and the SS will be getting a manual (as an optional extra at a cost). The SS will sell a lot more with a manul, as for the Redline, that’s either to combat the forthcoming Ford FH Falcon XR8 which will have a high performance engine that was in FPV (Ford Performance Vehciles)’s line up with FPV being killed off OR as I suspect, GM is winding down LS3 production and wants to shift remaining stock. Redline and SS sales would increase and shift more LS3 stock.
An LS3 Redline would give everyday buyers access to power normally reserved in the HSV range and would boost sales (not that it is needed – Redlines are selling like crazy). The Clubsport from HSV which has an LS3 in it’s least tuned form is still more powerful (317kw vs 310kw in SS) through HSV’s standard technology and has HSV exclusive features such as HSV’s Enhanced Driver Interface app – so sales shouldn’t be a worry too much for Walkinshaw Performance. HSV launched E-Series (1) with LS2 before it received the LS3 not long after launch. I suspect this will be the case with Gen-F and Gen-F will be getting LT1 soon hopefully 🙂
Proof? Links? Do you have ANY idea what you’re talking about?
Oh that I could afford one…
I am not sure if the Holden will see the LT engines before the platform is shut down. It is a lot of expense for a car that is not going to be around long and low numbers for short time it will be built.
I had hopes GM would have had the engine in this car from the start but they chose not to use it. I Hope I am wrong but the present SS and Camaro will be saddled with the LS engine till the Alpha arrives. Just call it a hunch.
I agree that I don’t think the current SS/Camaro will see the LT1, but I don’t see it being “saddled” with the LS3. The LS engines are awesome engines. Yes, the LT1 moves forward in a lot of ways, but there’s nothing wrong with the LS3. The worst that can be said about it is the lack of cylinder deactivation. But, if you’re buying one of these cars, fuel mileage is not the first thing on your list of reasons why anyway.
I agree that saddled may be a poor choice of words. But my point is to say it will be left with the LS3 and not be given the latest and best version the LT1.
Now on the other hand there is a lot of LS items you can bolt on meet emissions and make a lot more power out now. It will be while for the LT engine will see much more than a programmer as many performance companies are still sorting it out.
The LS will make the SS a favorite with the tuners for a while
Scott and Graw have it right. The manual shift is a dinosaur in a high performance car.
The future could be seen in the 60s, when Chrysler was dominate, in drag racing with their push button automatics, and their hemi engines. The Chevy’s and Fords, with only manuals, were wasted every time.
When I wanted to relive my MGB, that I had in the 60s, I bought the non turbo, manual shifter, Solstice. It’s a dog, but in the corners, it’s beautiful. Like my used Solstice, if I pick up a used SS in the future, it will be, to be, a wolf in sheeps clothing… without the manual used car hit, if my wife sells it, following my post mortem.
Unfortunately… The Cops will be forewarned by then.
Proof? Links?
I agree with you, Scott and Graw, when it comes to the autos being the way to go if you are straight lining the thing and consistently hitting 0-60, 1/4 times, or beating the soccer mom in the minivan to the freeway on ramp is most important to you. There is a reason why almost 100% of those that drag their cars are using some sort of auto. But unless you have a good and most likely expensive DCT car, or have somehow mastered the nanny and torque converter in that paddle shifted standard auto, the auto will not beat a stick getting in and out of the corners on a winding road or track. It is the reason why most track cars for us average Joe’s are still manually shifted. There is always some sort of inherent electronic or hydraulic lag when the slushbox is hunting for the right gear or when you mess up on the paddle selection that slows it down when entering and exiting a turn. Plus, and yes it is important to some of us, the connection between driver and machine is lost when you are relying on the computer to help you get from 1 to 4, 5, 6, 7,8 or whatever speed automatic is out there.
Are manuals great when stuck in heavy traffic, or taking off on a hill when the moron behind you absolutely just has to stop right on your backside? No, but this won’t be a problem most of the time and the intention of this vehicle was not to be a commuter. It is a performance sedan. Would I be happy and comfortable commuting in it? Absolutely. Are manuals somewhat archaic and old school? Yes, but modern tech is there for the sticks too, and they are more reliable and easier to use than ever. So, why oh why do they not at least let the stick be an option for those of us who would enjoy it in this low volume application. The components are already there in the Camaro and the drivetrains are so similar it should have been a no brainer.
“the auto will not beat a stick getting in and out of the corners on a winding road or track.”
Really? Because with a DCT, the engine is always engaged with the transmission and there would be no disconnection between the two when a corner is involved. The driver simply stabs or lifts off the gas pedal as they negotiate a corner.
When downshifting into, or upshifting out of a corner, there exists a delay in the physical movement of the shifter, and physical disconnect between the engine and the transmission, and a reduction in engine RPM, which ultimately means a reduction in power delivery to the transmission and the wheels. It’s inefficient and wasteful and doesn’t nothing to improve the performance of the car. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the straights or in the corners.
You’re free to believe as you like about manuals, but I don’t think you’re correct, especially not in the corners.
We are not talking about DCT’s here. GM does not make or provide one in any of their cars, so your argument regarding them is not applicable. If you read my comments above, I didn’t disagree with you about the DCT. I know you want to make this point, but we are talking about a GM hydramatic. Disconnect or no disconnect with a manual, if you know how to drive one properly, the gear can be there faster than relying on the standard old auto to do the hunting and finding for you. Paddle shifters or not, unless you are a master of the nanny it will not be quicker. Ultimately, this is a preference that should be available to a consumer no matter if it is faster or slower. Also, is it a nice car that I would drive no matter what? Heck yeah. Stick or auto, I could find pleasure in menacing the streets or back roads in an SS.
Gents, I think the point is that a driver really needs to “know” how to use both – the auto and the stick – very well in order to gain maximum performance from a vehicle. The stick is more engaging and “fun” in my personal opinion, but one could make an argument for the auto just as well — it all depends on personal preference. But that’s not really the point, in my opinion.
To me, the crux of the matter is that a purchase of an automobile is such an emotional decision, that foregoing to offer an “equally-emotional” transmission is a mistake on GM’s part. So for this particular market, the stick is a huge factor of monumental emotional importance… and thus should be an option. Whether it makes the car faster or not is irrelevant when it comes to emotion. Should a stick be an option on a 2015 Tahoe? Not so much. So while GM did a great and brave thing by bringing the Commodore to the USA as the SS, it didn’t go “all the way” in doing all it could do to make it an astounding sales success (offering the manual could the SS sell more units).
And perhaps more importantly than all that is this: GM should offer DCTs in its vehicles in place of “traditional” HydraMatic automatics.
Ah, but see that’s the deal. GM DOESN’T want the SS to be an “outstanding sales success”. They want it to simply be a niche vehicle. It really only exists for NASCAR eligibility. That’s also why it’s priced the way it is. Those that truly want the car will buy it, but it will keep away those that might be on the fence.
If the SS was a huge success, it would drive down their average fuel economy, which is a huge CAFE sin. And, indeed, the CAFE requirements only get more stringent from here on out. As well, if it’s a huge success, that puts GM in a tough position with regards to Holden. Holden manufacturing in Australia will be dead by 2017 (and I wouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t sooner). To my knowledge, there are no North American plants that could be easily retooled to produce the SS in it’s current VF form.
I think we’re incredibly lucky this car even exists at all. The business case simply isn’t there. I truly hope that a 2nd Gen SS will be made on the Alpha platform, but I’m not holding my breath, no matter how well or not this car does.
(I say this as someone who desperately wants an SS. I simply can’t afford it.)
Reminds me of the Pontiac G8, both are nice cars. They could’ve made the front look more sporty; different hood?
Does anyone have samples of the new colors being offered for 2015 on the Chevy SS ? Colors offered upon release probably kept some GM customers away aside from the 45 to 47 K price tag. How about offering some racing stripes with the new 2015 colors. The SS platform actually don’t look bad on Sunday’s Nascar races.
What are the new colors for 2015, I know the names, but are color samples available at dealers yet ?