Every so often a car shows up that seems almost too good for the money, then quietly disappears before most buyers notice it. The Chevrolet SS was that car. Sold in the U.S. from 2014 through 2017, it paired a 415-hp small-block V8 with rear-wheel drive, four doors and, eventually, a six-speed manual transmission. To the untrained eye it looked like just another midsize Chevy. Anyone who knew what was under the hood knew better.
Key Takeaways
- The Chevrolet SS was sold in the U.S. for the 2014 through 2017 model years.
- It was built by Holden in Australia and based on the VF Commodore.
- Power came from a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 rated at 415 hp.
- A six-speed manual transmission joined the lineup for 2015.
- Only about 12,900 were sold in the U.S., so clean examples are increasingly sought after.
- Its low-key styling kept it off most shoppers’ radar, which is part of why enthusiasts love it now.
An Australian Import Wearing a Bowtie
The SS was not really a Detroit engineering project. It was a Holden, built at GM’s Elizabeth plant in South Australia and based on the VF-generation Commodore, a car Australians had long treated as their national performance sedan. GM had tried this trick before with the Pontiac G8, which was also a Commodore underneath. When Pontiac was shut down, the idea sat on the shelf until Chevrolet revived it with a name borrowed from its own performance history.
Chevrolet also positioned the SS as the road-going cousin of its NASCAR Cup car, which gave the model a tidy marketing story. The real story was simpler. It was a full-size, rear-drive sedan with a proper V8 at a time when that recipe had almost vanished from American showrooms outside of Dodge.
LS3 Power and a Manual That Arrived Just in Time
Under the hood sat the 6.2-liter LS3, the same basic small-block V8 family used in the Corvette and Camaro SS of the period. In the SS it made 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque, which was plenty to make a roomy four-door feel genuinely quick. Brembo brakes and a well-balanced front-engine, rear-drive layout meant it could handle a winding road as happily as a highway on-ramp.
At launch the only gearbox was a six-speed automatic. Enthusiasts pushed back, and for 2015 Chevrolet added a six-speed manual. That decision changed the car’s reputation overnight. A family-sized, rear-drive sedan with an LS V8 and three pedals had become one of the rarest combinations on the market, and the manual cars are the ones collectors chase today.
The 2016 refresh brought a sharper front fascia, a dual-mode exhaust and Magnetic Ride Control as standard equipment, which improved the balance between comfort and body control. Those updates are why the 2016 and 2017 cars are generally seen as the most desirable of the run.
Why So Few People Bought One
Chevrolet sold only about 12,900 SS sedans in the United States across four model years. Several things worked against it. The styling was restrained to the point of anonymity, with none of the aggressive bodywork that helped the Dodge Charger stand out. Marketing was minimal. And the price, which started in the mid-$40,000 range, put it against well-equipped luxury sedans even though its cabin was more practical than plush.
The final blow had nothing to do with the car itself. Holden ended Australian vehicle manufacturing in October 2017, and the platform the SS depended on went with it. GM never offered a direct replacement, and American buyers lost one of their last traditional V8 sports sedans.
The SS Today: A Sleeper Worth Protecting
Scarcity has done what advertising never could. Low-mileage manual cars now draw serious attention on the used market, and owners tend to keep them rather than trade them in. That makes preservation a real priority. Body panels specific to this Holden-built car are not as easy to source as parts for a high-volume Chevrolet, so keeping the original paint healthy matters more than usual.
The front bumper takes the brunt of stone chips on any car, and the SS is no exception, especially if it sees highway miles or the occasional track day. A pre-cut paint protection film kit is one of the simplest ways to keep the finish looking right without changing the car’s quiet factory look, which is exactly what most SS owners want to preserve.
Build the Look — Related Vicrez Upgrades
The kits below are cut specifically for the Chevrolet SS sedan. Pick the one that matches your model year: the 2016-2017 kit accounts for the refreshed front fascia and parking sensors, while the 2014-2015 kit fits the earlier bumper.
Featured Product
Vicrez Paint Protection PPF Pre-Cut Kit, Front Bumper, Sensors vpp134585 for Chevrolet SS Sedan 2016-2017
$268.99
Cut for the 2016-2017 Chevrolet SS with front parking sensors.
Recommended Product
Vicrez Paint Protection PPF Pre-Cut Kit, Front Bumper vpp134557 for Chevrolet SS Sedan 2014-2015
$253.99
Cut for the earlier 2014-2015 Chevrolet SS front bumper.
The Bottom Line
The Chevrolet SS was a rare case of a big automaker building something for enthusiasts and then barely telling anyone about it. It had the engine, the layout and eventually the transmission that driving fans had been asking for, wrapped in a body that kept it under the radar. That same subtlety kept sales low, and it is now a big part of the car’s appeal.
Do you think the Chevrolet SS was the best V8 sedan GM sold in the last decade, or did the Pontiac G8 do it better? Tell us in the comments.
