The Chevrolet SS arrived for the 2014 model year the embodiment of a true modern-day muscle car sedan, oozing an in-your-face All-American attitude with its rumbling Corvette-derived V-8 engine, the antithesis of the polished BMW M5. But the big Chevy sedan is more than just old-school tire-burning muscle, displaying its own brand of sophistication that includes the precision dynamics of a European sports sedan.
This is a true driver’s car as well as a large comfortable people mover, the type of large horsepower-infused sedan that made Chevrolet the performance king of the hill midway through the 20th Century. Today the SS serves as the basis for Chevrolet’s current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, replacing the Impala.
Ironically, this engaging ride comes not from the U.S., but from GM’s Australia subsidiary based on the current-generation Holden Commodore VF. If you were a fan of the Pontiac G8 GXP just before the demise of Pontiac than you might find some similarities. The G8 was perhaps the best Pontiac in decades. It was based on the previous-generation Commodore VE. The SS benefits from more modern yet conservative styling, a new interior that features improved materials including an 8-inch touchscreen and a superior suspension system.
The 2015 SS, which is powered by the same LS3 6.2 L V-8 found in the last-generation Corvette, benefits from some noteworthy changes from the inaugural 2014 model. It now features the vaunted Magnetic Ride Control suspension that General Motors calls “the world’s fastest-reacting damping system” —with three different driving modes (Tour, Sport, and Performance)—that allows for spirited cornering or a refined highway ride, whatever your flavor of the day.
