Face it, the average sedan can be boring. Four doors and a modest engine spell family friendly, but not exciting or fun. No one sits in a dreary office on a rainy day dreaming of a sedan as their most wanted vehicle. Dream cars are sports cars with huge engines or muscle cars with that signature growl in cherry red or sinister black, two doors and a whole lot of power. Speed and sedans are not typically synonymous, thus making them seem lackluster. Chevrolet, creator of the classic powerhouse cars, has the answer to the tiresome sedan, the SS.
The American version of Aussie power sedan, the Holden Commodore, the Chevy SS has been an impressive addition to the Chevrolet family since 2013. The SS is not your average sedan with over 400hp and a V8 engine. Smaller than the Impala, but bigger than the Malibu, the SS can easily hold the family, but is still sporty enough for a little speed-heavy action. For the big dreamers about the ultimate fantasy car, the SS is now heavily featured in NASCAR and has even garnered a big win in the Daytona 500. The SS, however, may not be for the faint of heart.
The SS is a big ticket item, weighing in at nearly $46K as a starting price. It’s available in 10 colors that won’t be ignored, and is built with airflow in mind. All about performance and function, the SS is low and wide but outfitted with a streamlined exterior. A dual exhaust, flared fenders, and rear wheel drive round out the performance driven focus of the SS. A sedan that can hit the 60mph in under five seconds is almost unheard of, but the Chevrolet SS has bested the time at 4.7 seconds. Speed will not be a problem when it comes to this vehicle.
The one big hang-up in the automotive world about the SS when it first came out was the noticed absence of a manual transmission option. Chevrolet has since rectified that issue by offering a six-speed manual transmission in the 2015 edition. As an alternative to the manual transmission option, there is also an automatic transmission option complete with the trademarked TAPshift system. Whether you’re looking for the complete and total control of a stick shift or the harnessed power of an automatic, the SS has the option you need.
Clearly, this vehicle is made for performance as it is outfitted with Brembo brakes and magnetic ride suspension. Brembo brakes are specifically made for performance vehicles as they have stiffer calipers to provide better cooling and less fluid displacement. The magnetic suspension uses a dual-coil system to provide both excellent handling and a smooth ride. The weight distribution is almost a perfect 50/50 split and gives the driver the feeling of stability and control over the car. No matter what the driving conditions, the SS is constructed to ensure that the driver never feels the bumps in the roadway.
Of course a vehicle with massive speed capability like the SS needs to have an extraordinary safety options as well. Rear Cross Traffic Alert is on board to assist drivers with possible interference from other drivers while reversing, and Side Blind Zone Alert protects drivers from approaching vehicles in their blind spots. Lane Departure Warning assists drivers by alerting them that they’ve changed lanes without the use of a turn signal, while Forward Collision Alert warns drivers of their proximity to the driver in front of them. For difficult driving conditions, Chevrolet provides StabiliTrak to sense the different conditions and adjust accordingly. Should a collision happen, the eight air bags are designed to protect the driver, and OnStar will be on alert to dispatch emergency authorities if need be.
While a sedan doesn’t usually accompany a heart-pounding thrilling adventure, Chevrolet has managed to make the two images synonymous. Driving the new SS is built to handle the constraints of driving with a family, but is also on-call for all the curve-hugging, speed loving adventure of an all-out drive. It may be Chevrolet’s least known car, but its gaining notoriety. If the Camaro is impractical for your daily life, but you don’t want to size of the Impala, the SS may be the best choice for giving you the driving experience you’re looking for.