It’s hard to dethrone an icon. Even if something else comes out on top, an icon always has home field advantage. Not only does the 2016 Holden Commodore Series II have home ground advantage here, it’s a sports sedan with utmost pedigree with years of massaging.
However, Drive felt it more of an appropriate time than ever to pit the 2016 Commodore Series II SSV against two rivals. Rival number one is ready to carry the torch forward, the Ford Mustang GT, the first time the Mustang reaches Oz in factory form. Rival number two is more akin to the Commodore’s formula, the Chrysler 300 SRT.
Through thorough and careful consideration, the publication is forced to pick a winner here, even though each offer no losing proposition: a potent V8 and right rear-wheel drive.
The Mustang GT scores brownie points for its head turning style, though, the 5.0-liter is said to lack punch below 4,000 RPM. It’s in the powertrain department where the 300 SRT shines, though. The Hemi offers nothing to be desired when burying the accelerator, according to the testers.
But, it’s not all about moving in a straight line. And that’s where the 2016 Commodore Series II SSV takes the win. The suspension’s responsive and docile nature helps create a mesmerizing experience, taking the best of everything and wrapping it into one tidy package.
So, there you have it. Oz knows how to build a sport sedan. But, we already knew that, and we’re sure you did too.
Comments
And if GM don’t pull their finger out the mustang will replace the commodore as the weapon of choice with au police highway patrol units, perps are currently transported in paddy vans when required, so no comfy seat for them.
Best sedan GM/Holden has ever produced , period . Nothing but rave comments in Chevy SS forums , but sadly GM made this a NASCAR entry with no solid comprehensive marketing plan for North America . Had they got behind this superb understated vehicle , Holden manufacturing in Oz might just have survived and also be introducing a superior hot performing product in a mid size CUV !!
There was no reason to kill Oz manufacturing given it’s small scale and the AU dollar’s favorable currency fluctuations vs the Sterling for right hand drive products.
Buick needs a RWD product for a flagship and this could be great for Holden. A four door Camaro to challenge Charger might work, too. If nothing else, give OZ a modified CTS at Commodore price.
The really sad thing is GM didn’t really push Holden’s capabilities into the US market as they didn’t want to upset the US unions.
We could have sent you the best 4 door V8 performance cars in the GM world. Our HSV Maloo would have respected and honoured your El Camino heretics. Our SS and our upspecced HSV CLUBSPORT and Senator are 4 door Corvettes for the Family man.
I’d put a Holden Caprice and HSV Grange up against any Cadillac ( or perhaps the new Buick) as an upmarket 4 door vehicle for the man who still loves a bit of real USA V8.
( just because you can afford Euro chic doesn’t mean you have to drive it)
Instead GM have killed off Holden ( yes it will die late 2017) and now you guys in the US are starting to see the first of the Chinese Buicks and Cadillacs coming into the US.
Our dollar is now back to 3/4 of the US but it is too late.
With the benefit of hindsight you guys in the US should have supported us and we could have worked with you.
Instead GM is walking away from Australia and Australia is going to walk away from GM.
Current stats show that without Commodore GM will struggle to make the top 10 Brands and will become an irrelevance.
Somebody in Detroit should have their head on the block for this.
Holden will live on in Australia but at car shows, clubs and cruises.
So sad…..
Stefan Jacoby we are looking at you……
I thought his name was Stefan Teflon
Can’t remember why.
Oh that’s it, shit doesn’t stick to him.
Neat car but at the end of the line. The Zeta has been played long enough now.
Now lets see where this goes from here as what we don’t know often answers questions that we have.
Lets just see where GM goes from here.
Now GM has said no Alpha Chevy sedan but they also told us no Colorado either. Now that the Bu is larger and there is no new Impala yet could we see something yet in RWD on a much newer and lighter platform?
I like the SS but to be honest for the price I would rather have something lighter on a newer platform. The new Camaro shows just how old the Zeta is if you compare it to the last Camaro.
The loss here to me is more about the jobs than a RWD car as I suspect we have something lurking out there yet to come.
I know there was also a lot of Aussie pride here too but be all have taken hits in the last few years. I am a diehard Pontiac fan and watch as they killed my division over the last 40 years with a slow but painful death by a thousand Aztek cuts.
I hope many will also remember the Camaro was killed for a short while but even in the midst of bankruptcy they brought it back. The reason it died was they were out of money and the F body would not meet the crash test for the next year. Yet it too came back and today is stronger than ever.
Lets let this play out a bit. If there is enough demand the Aussis will get something and I am sure we will also have it here.
I would watch the NASCAR season and testing as the new car will hint where this is going to go. Chevy and Mark Reuss have been very vocal that if they race RWD the car will be RWD. Since the series is a Sedan series now we may have something out there and we just need to let them move ahead with their plans.
FYI everyone here knew what the SS was but this is not a big segment here and at that price an even slimmer segment. I really don’t think marketing may have helped much. The dated styling was really the main issue. Even the G8 was slow in sales till they said they were killing Pontiac and then sales spiked on the used segment once they were gone. I made a mistake to turn down a G8 GT before Pontiac went down for $24K as they were just trying to get rid of it.
We all need to be honest this was a cool car but it did fall short in some areas like styling and age. It was a great performer and great drive but sometimes that is just not enough at the price it was at.
I think GM did make a mistake not bringing over a small volume of HSV models. That could have only helped the profits.
I know some of you will hate what I say but I am being honest here. Hell I am a Fiero owner too but I am honest about it also. When some try to paint it like it is a Ferrari I am honest there and call it a fun car but no Ferrari.
Lets face it this car would have done better if it had arrived sooner right after Pontiac died. But GM has many other more important things to fix first and it delayed this car till age has caught up to it. Some times it is difficult to take things like this but you just have to deal with it. People that call the shots have to put their ass on the line for billions of dollars and some times a lower volume and lower profit car just does not fit.
Sure they could raise the price to fix the profits but then you sell less. There are no easy answers for these things and it sucks but it is what it is.
Anyways these choices are more difficult than just saying just build it on the web. If it were only that simple!