Holden Crewman SS 2006 Review

But at more than 5m, it's almost too long to fit in the garage, has minimal rear seat legroom and a bouncy rear suspension, drinks copious amounts of petrol, won't pull sixth gear up long uphills and rumbles at 110kmh like a runaway freight train but Aussie blokes just love the dual-cab Holden Crewman SS.

It is possibly one of the most aspirational vehicles for a certain large group of Australian males.

That's because the SS Crewman is a bet each way, a cross between the sporty, macho SS sedan and the practical Holden ute.

Crewman SS removes the need to have two cars in the garage - one for work and one for play, rolling both into this "hybrid" work/play truck.

The $47,690 SS version scored a 6.0-litre V8 this year to comply with new emissions regulations (ADR 79/01). The old 5.7-litre V8 was too dirty and needed too much work to make it pass.

The new engine, code named L76, offers more of everything except pollution and is going to be the range topper in Holden's forthcoming new VE Commodore lineup.

It's a hearty big banger even with an overhead valve system out of last century.

Output is an impressive 260kW with 510Nm of torque on 98 premium fuel.

But the six speed manual gearbox it too high geared to fully realise all this potential. It's dulled down to the point of being annoying, especially when a downchange is needed on an uphill run. Plenty of 1.8-litre fours actually accelerate in top up the same stretch. But they don't sound like the SS Crewman which delivers aural stimulation in truckloads.

Performance in the lower ratios is strong and the SS Crewman will never be found lacking in the acceleration department.

It also handles OK to a point until its considerable mass, long wheelbase and commercial vehicle rear suspension conspire to muck things up. The tray is a useful size capable of taking a couple of trail bikes with the tailgate down. A plastic tray liner would be handy.

The interior is basically a lift from Commodores SS and is functional and stylish with plenty of room in the front and a swag of features.