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Holden Commodore SS Storm 2014 review

EXPERT RATING
8
Chris Riley road tests and reviews the Holden SS Storm Sportwagon, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Correct me if I am wrong but the Storm has never been offered with a V8 before? Until now it has always been offered as a flashier, limited edition of the six cylinder Ute, sitting between the S or SV6 and SS versions.

This time around however Holden has gone the whole hog with Storm versions of the sedan, ute and wagon - with a choice of V6 or V8 power plants.

Why a Storm sedan and wagon after all these years?

It’s a good way to move some metal and chalk up a few extra sales, that’s why - as the Commodore enters its twilight years.

Value

You’ll pay $500 more for a Storm which nets you quite a few extras.

That makes the price of our SS Storm Sportswagon $47,190 plus on-roads.

The VF Storm Special Edition comes with satnav as standard along with unique alloys, front fog lights with chrome highlights, unique interior touches such as red stitching on seats and ‘Storm’ embroidery on the dash as well as exterior Storm badges.

Already standard are Auto Park Assist, Blind Spot Alert, Rear View Camera with Reverse Traffic Alert, and the Holden MyLink infotainment system with an 8-inch colour touch screen. 

Engine/Transmission

The 6.0-litre V8 produces 260kW and 516Nm of torque in automatic form (the manual slightly more).

Those figures are achieved using the good stuff, 98 strength premium unleaded.

But the car will run happily on standard unleaded or even E85 if you can find it (91 or 98 RON produce the best results in our tests).

The engine is paired with the 6-speed automatic in the wagon and that brings with it the added advantage of Active Fuel Management (AFM) which shuts down half of the cylinders when you are cruising along the freeway to save on fuel.

Fuel consumption by the way is rated at 11.7 litres/100km (we were getting 12.8 after 300km).

Safety

All Commodores qualifty for the maximum five-star safety rating, with six airbags and a full array of driver assistance systems.

Advanced technology such as Auto Park Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, Blind Spot Alert, Reverse Traffic Alert and colour Head-up Display are also available.

A reverse camera and front and rear parking sensors are standard on all models.

Driving

This is the car in which you want to see Australia. 

It’s big, comfy and powerful and because it is based on the SS model it is fitted with FE2 sports suspension, for optimised ride and handling.

The Sport steering is calibrated to give increased driver feedback, with a faster on-centre steering ratio for sharp and nimble vehicle response.

This car probably delivers the best ride and handling package that Australia has to offer and will be sorely missed when it is consigned by GM to Commodore heaven in a couple of years.

The big seats are trimmed in an attractive combination of suede and faux leather with leather inlays on the dash that feature the Storm logo.

The new VF’s dash layout is a bit busy for our liking with too many knobs and dials competing for the driver’s attention.

To take advantage of the Mylink infotainment system you need a mobile phone with a reasonable data plan. That gives you access to apps like Stitcher and Pandora internet radio.

We like the big computer screen which translates to a decent satnav experience, but what a shame they took away school zone and speed camera warnings when they made the switch to the new system.

Verdict

A great looking car and an outstanding package for the money. Four our money the Richard Ferlazzo designed wagon is the best looking version of the Commodore. He’s the same bloke who penned the incredible Efijy show car as a tribute to the iconic FJ Holden.

Pricing guides

$21,990
Based on 304 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months
Lowest Price
$8,990
Highest Price
$51,990

Range and Specs

VehicleSpecsPrice*
Evoke 3.0L, ULP, 6 SP AUTO $11,990 – 15,950 2014 Holden Commodore 2014 Evoke Pricing and Specs
Evoke 3.0L, ULP, 6 SP AUTO $12,650 – 16,830 2014 Holden Commodore 2014 Evoke Pricing and Specs
Evoke (LPG) 3.6L, LPG, 6 SP AUTO $11,110 – 15,290 2014 Holden Commodore 2014 Evoke (LPG) Pricing and Specs
SS 6.0L, PULP, 6 SP AUTO $34,760 – 41,360 2014 Holden Commodore 2014 SS Pricing and Specs
EXPERT RATING
8
Chris Riley
Contributing Journalist

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Pricing Guide

$8,990

Lowest price, based on 286 car listings in the last 6 months

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Disclaimer: The pricing information shown in the editorial content (Review Prices) is to be used as a guide only and is based on information provided to Carsguide Autotrader Media Solutions Pty Ltd (Carsguide) both by third party sources and the car manufacturer at the time of publication. The Review Prices were correct at the time of publication.  Carsguide does not warrant or represent that the information is accurate, reliable, complete, current or suitable for any particular purpose. You should not use or rely upon this information without conducting an independent assessment and valuation of the vehicle.