Holden SS Ute 2017 review

Europe might be overrun with sexy supercars, while America can rightly lay claim to ozone-piercing muscle cars the size of small islands, but nobody - nobody - does a go-fast ute quite like Australia. 

Or should that be did? With Ford all packed up and Holden soon to follow, the Aussie car is more than just an endangered species, it's officially extinct.

But we can dry our eyes for the moment, though, because Holden's Commodore-based SS Ute is one hell of a going away party. Thumping V8 engine? Check. Manual transmission? Check. Rear-wheel drive? Check. The ability to send up smoke signals with a mere prod of the accelerator? Definitely check.

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It's bristling Australian muscle at its absolute finest. And it's the very last of its kind. But there's still time for one last spin around the block.

Is there anything interesting about its design?

8 / 10

It's so uniquely Australian you half expect to find John Williamson strumming his guitar in the tray bed. You will never see a car that looks like this one anywhere else in the world. And soon you'll never see it again, period, which is enough to make you a little misty-eyed.

The big rims, the quad exhaust tips, the tarmac-hugging spoiler and skirting: it all looks fast and purposeful. (Image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

More importantly, though, it looks dark alley mean from every angle. The big rims, the quad exhaust tips, the tarmac-hugging spoiler and skirting: it all looks fast and purposeful and just a little bit menacing. And we like it.

The interior, too, is first class, with Holden having produced a genuinely sleek and sorted cabin thanks to some fine material choices.

How practical is the space inside?

6 / 10

Inside? Not very. It's clearly a two seat affair, with a pair of cupholders separating the driver and passenger. There's room in the doors for bottles, too, along with a storage bin under the dual-zone climate controls that also houses a power outlet and a USB point.

It's clearly a two seat affair, with a pair of cupholders separating the driver and passenger. (Image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

Those things, along with some storage netting behind the front seats just about wraps up the practicality points inside. But outside? Well, that's a different story. The tray - which has a clever ridge profile liner to stop stuff rolling about - will swallow 659kg (648kg in the auto version) worth of stuff, and it will tow a 1,600kg braked trailer, too.

Does it represent good value for the price? What features does it come with?

8 / 10

As it's soon to become priceless, Holden could probably get away with charging whatever it wanted for the SS Ute. Fortunately, though, the price hike is pretty palatable.

You'll now pay $43,990 for the manual version of the SS we've tested here, $2500 more than for the outgoing model. That's not chump change, sure, but Holden does justify the increase by pointing to some extra kit that's now included.

You now get 19-inch alloy wheels, satellite navigation and a new head-up display, all of which join carry-over highlights like the killer bi-modal exhaust, keyless entry with push-button start and an 8.0-inch touchscreen. No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, though, and bugger all chance of it arriving any time soon, either...

What are the key stats for the engine and transmission?

8 / 10

Under that big bonnet lurks Holden's LS3 V8: a 6.2-litre beastie that will generate 304kW at 6000rpm and 570Nm at 4400rpm, sending it hurtling toward the rear tyres (accompanied by the joyously angry crackle of its quad-tipped exhaust) via a limited-slip differential and with the help of what must be one of the hardest working traction systems in the business.

While engine's outputs are unchanged, Holden's engineers have tweaked the power delivery so it arrives earlier in the rev range. (Image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

Taming that engine is a six-speed manual transmission that, while not the slickest we've used, helps squeeze every drop of power from the big V8.

How much fuel does it consume?

6 / 10

More than you could possibly imagine. The official numbers peg fuel use at a claimed/combined 12.4L/100km with C02 a claimed 296g/km.

But the official test run must have been with a nun behind the wheel on a purely downhill stretch of road, because we didn't get within miles of it. After a week of vigorous (but not ridiculous) driving, the on-board computer read a terrifying 23.8L/100km.

What's it like to drive?

8 / 10

Before I get all excited, let's start with the not-so-good stuff. The clutch is super light and feels too vague, so you end up feeding on the throttle too soon and riding the clutch. It's also not my favourite manual gearbox and it's sometimes reluctant to go into reverse when you want it to.

The traction systems do a sensational job of holding it all together. (Image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

The technology is not just old school but glitchy and annoying, especially the Bluetooth that sits for a few long seconds of stony silence before actually connecting a call. It's not as refined as a European V8, and nor is it as easy to drive smoothly when you want to just take it easy.

But... I don't care. Anyone who tells you a ute can't be a muscle car is dead wrong. This V8 is a glorious thing, a rumbling beast that delivers its power in fat, effortless lumps, chirping the tyres slightly as you take off from the lights and as you snap through the gears. While engine's outputs are unchanged, Holden's engineers have tweaked the power delivery so it arrives earlier in the rev range, making the SS Ute feel faster and shaving moments off the 0-100km/h time.

It's the bi-modal exhaust that I love the most: quiet at city speeds but roaring at pace, and it sends these shotgun cracks and pops echoing around the cabin when you back off the throttle high in the rev range.

The traction systems do a sensational job of holding it all together, though, but things do get a little more life-threatening when you disable the lot, meaning you leave two fat, simmering lines of rubber every time you get a little over-excited with the accelerator.

But it's the bi-modal exhaust that I love the most: quiet at city speeds but roaring at pace, and it sends these shotgun cracks and pops echoing around the cabin when you back off the throttle high in the rev range. It's glorious. Part of the fanfare is thanks to an altered exhaust tip that reverberates the note back into the cabin, increasing the volume by up to 10 per cent.

You now get 19-inch alloy wheels, satellite navigation and a new head-up display. (Image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

The steering is terrific, too, responsive and sharp without feeling fidgety, while the sport-tuned suspension adds a ton of confidence at pace, but doesn't crash and bang in the city. It must be said, we didn't test it with a load in the back, but then, this is not the kind of ute people use as a lug-a-load workhorse.

Warranty & Safety Rating

Basic Warranty:

3 years/100,000 km warranty

ANCAP Safety Rating:

What safety equipment is fitted? What safety rating?

7 / 10

The SS version of Holden's venerable Ute range gets a reversing camera, front and rear parking sensors, trailer sway control, and six airbags (dual front, dual side and dual curtain) as part of its basic standard safety package, as well as electronic stability control, ABS, traction control, EBD, and EBA.

Under that big bonnet lurks Holden's LS3 V8: a 6.2-litre beastie that generates 304kW. (Image credit: Andrew Chesterton)

But it now also adds blind-spot monitoring, reverse cross traffic alert and a self-parking system as standard kit.

What does it cost to own? What warranty is offered?

7 / 10

The SS is covered by Holden's three-year/100,000km warranty, and will require a trip to the service centre every nine months or 15,000km. The SS also falls under Holden's lifetime capped-price servicing scheme, with the first three services capped at $239 each.

Pricing & Specs Insurance Quote

Verdict

Pricing Guides

$38,240

Based on 37 cars listed for sale in the last 6 months.

LOWEST PRICE

$11,990

HIGHEST PRICE

$99,885

See all Holden Commodore pricing & specs