The biggest, baddest Commodore of them all isn't really tame enough for suburbia. Should you buy one anyway?
When I was passed the flick-knife key from the garage manager at Holden, a wave of adrenalin washed over me and stayed sloshing in the pit of my stomach as I made my way across the warehouse to Commodore’s high performance model, the SS-V. It’s not often that you get to drive the hero car in the Commodore fleet, Holden’s $480 million engineering investment, a major part of Australia’s first $1 billion car program. I am not a Commodore enthusiast but I’ve been watching the V8 Supercars this year with interest and thought I’d better see what all the fuss is about.
The new shape isn’t as aggressive as in the past. Rather, the squarer, more refined package suggests a maturer design approach. Holden have employed a subtler, smarter design process, enabling the new Commodore to step up and be counted next to the world’s best-designed brands. However, subtle design or not, the new-look quad exhausts, 19 inch wheels and prominently flared wheel arches still make this car look tough.
Climbing in and adjusting the seat and mirrors, I’m unsure about the garish two-tone dash but I let it slide because it seems so Commodore, (and with a pang of patriotism) so damned Oz. The luminous red dials highlight the sporty feel, as does the perforated leather trim – also two-tone. The rest of the interior conveys a pleasant simplicity. Leather steering wheel and gear selector, colour-coded instruments and dual-zone climate control are unique to the SS-V. Multifunction steering wheel, driver display and Electronic Stability Program (ESP) incorporating: Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), Traction Control System (TCS) are standard across the VE range, as is cruise control and power… well… everything.
Hearing a throaty V8 gurgle is always a joy and the SS-V didn’t disappoint; it is a whopping 270kW, 6.0 litre, Generation 4, alloy V8 engine, after all.
On the road, I took the SS-V on the freeway, onto tight side streets, gave it heaps on long, windy stretches and wound it out up lengths of steep road. Compared to its predecessor, the SS-V is a stiffer, stronger and a better handling car for its size.. It is comfortable when cruising, and in the cabin there is less noise from the road, engine and wind than before.
There are no punches pulled – with 530nM of torque at about 4500rpm, you get the power you want, when you want it.
You will never be in a position to wish for more power in the SS-V. In fact, a more common reaction might be, “Please take this machine away from me quickly or I am likely to do something very stupid”. This Commodore is awesome in the right hands, and potentially dangerous in the wrong ones. With that performance at your disposal, it becomes very tempting to break the law, and obviously that isn’t an option.
To get the most out of this beast, you have to take it to a fully supervised track on the weekend – and that equals one of two precious free days, gone. No, when I buy a car, I want to drive it all the time, thanks. Sure, it’s very comfortable, it looks great inside and out and handles beautifully, but knowing that I will only ever be allowed to use a fraction of all that yummy, scary power under the bonnet, is just too much of a tease. Sigh.
But to hell with all that! This car is just too cool to pass up, and priced at least 20k less than its Euro V8 competitors, it’s a steal. In the immortal words of Elliott in ‘E.T’, “..I’m keeping him”.
Snapshot
Commodore VE SSV
Price: from $52,490
Engine: 6.0 litre Generation 4 Alloy V8
Power: 270kW @ 5700rpm
Torque: 530Nm @ 4400rpm
Transmission: 6 speed manual (standard), 6 speed auto (optional)
Speed (0-100km): 5.4 seconds (approx)
