VE Commodore SS simply super

It takes only five minutes with the VE SS to know it is a winner. You can feel it in the suspension and steering, hear it in the thump of the powered-up 6.0-litre V8, and see it on the faces of other drivers.

All sorts of people turn to stare at the new SS. Even fast Ford drivers watch to see what their Falcon has to face in the ultimate in Aussie hero worship. They can see the new car looks taut and tough.

All the work on the $1 billion Commodore is translated into the success of the latest SS, which will continue the car's hero run as the spearhead of the GM Holden line.

The SS has been a winner since the first day the badge was applied to a V8 Commodore, and the new car builds on that success with a good-looking new body and everything from better brakes and excellent electronic stability control to a slick-shifting new six-speed automatic gearbox.

Best of all — at least for showroom shoppers — the new SS is far cheaper than the car it replaces, and there is no short-changing on equipment or driving enjoyment.

The SS is not our favourite VE. That honour goes to the taut but relaxing Calais V. But it will be a favourite with a lot of Holden people and is already worrying the troops at Ford, Mitsubishi and Toyota.

Only Toyota has anything new to rival the Holden, at least until the next Falcon in 2008, but even its highly touted Aurion V6 is going to battle to have any effect on the SS.

The Holden hero falls short on manual shift quality, and has dials that are hard to read and some cheapie cabin finishing, but the basics are right and it is a top drive.

It should also pick up the benefits if the cost of a litre of unleaded falls below $1 by Christmas.

Lots of people like the idea of 270kW, the power-up result from the latest V8, but plenty were also worried by the effects of a year of rising petrol prices.

Right now, it looks as if the SS cannot fail.

It comes in from $44,990 without short-changing on essentials, despite a price cut of $6800 — or 13.1 per cent — from the previous-generation Commodore SS.

That means everything from the thumping V8 and 18-inch alloy wheels to better brakes, a bold new body kit and rear wing, and even a much more sporty interior trim.

GM Holden achieved the value-added bottom line by putting an SS-V above the basic car, but has stayed true to the basics of the SS.

It costs $2000 to upgrade to the automatic, but it is a far better 'box than the clunky old four-speeder.

The car now has 270kW and 530Nm of torque, improved gearing, much better suspension, brakes with better feel and a sports steering wheel with a better shape and grip.

GM Holden says the SS is doing well, joining the new Calais as a popular choice with VE buyers.

The new SS lines up against the XR6 and XR8 Falcons from Ford, but is much more responsive than the Blue Oval cars. Some shoppers will probably also be looking at an FPV F6 Typhoon to get the same sort of effect at a higher price.

No one looking at an SS will shop it seriously against a Mitsubishi 380 GT or a Toyota Camry Sportiva. But the arrival of the VE hero has allowed Holden Special Vehicles to go even higher and harder with its Clubsport and the wonderful new GTS that sets the absolute benchmark for Australian performance cars this year.

ON THE ROAD

LET'S get the bad stuff out of the way first. And it's easy to do, because you see and feel it when you get into the SS.

The twin dials are dark red and have tiny numbers, making them hard to see (luckily there is a big digital speed reading), and there are two ridiculous red digital readouts for oil and volts in the centre of the dash.

The manual shift is clunky and the centre console looks and feels cheap. We particularly dislike the hard, rough plastic on the handbrake and the electric window switches, which are in the console's centre and prone to collecting drink spills and other gunge.

And that's about it.

Turn the key, drop the hammer and you have to love the SS.

The new chassis means the car is much more rigid, but quieter and more comfortable. That's because the suspension, though SS firm, feeds its loads into its body and not yours.

So the car is taut and responsive, with light steering with plenty of feel — too light for some testers — and great brakes. The electronic stability control is a genuine safety net without reducing driving enjoyment.

The ride is firm but not overpowering, and more compliant than in the previous SS Commodores. Cornering balance is just plain excellent. Previous generations of the SS always felt as if they had a hinge in the middle, with rock 'n' roll suspension and steering that required more than one attempt for a corner, but this one is rock solid and totally connected.

It is more like a BMW than an earlier Commodore, which means you can turn and go in most corners. The car is responsive, but never feels as if it wants to push wide at the front or turn its rear around.

The engine is responsive and has more than enough grunt for any job, though it still feels strained if you go beyond 5000 revs. Better to upshift about 4500 and rely on the torque.

The manual box is still not as good as that on an import, and it is over-geared in sixth, so we prefer the new auto. We'd go for the self-shifter, because the touch-change manual mode gives you more choices on winding roads and makes the car more responsive.

The cabin is comfy and supportive, but the sound system is not as meaty as that in the Calais. And we don't like the outrageous red and black in the test car. Basic black, please.

Otherwise, the SS is much as we remember and much as we like it. There is space for five, the alloy wheels look good, the 18-inch tyres have great grip, and the body kit lets everyone know you're driving an SS.

The scorecard looks tough on the Mitsubishi 380 and Toyota Camry, but neither car is even close to the appeal of an SS. Even the latest XR Falcons fall short.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Everything you would expect from an SS and the all-new VE Commodore. A winner.

Final Score: 84/100

FAST FACT

THE SS has been trumped from inside the Holden family, because the VE line-up also includes the SS-V with the same power pack but extra equipment.

INSIDE VIEW

$44,990 as tested

ENGINE: 6.0-litre V8

POWER: 270kW at 5700 revs

TORQUE: 530Nm at 4400 revs

TRANSMISSION: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel-drive

BODY: Four-door sedan