Hey Mac Whats New? Chevy Back with Rear-Drive V-8

By Mac Gordon
Editor at large
Michigan Bureau
The Auto Channel

Elizabeth, Australia February 18, 2013; GM has at long last (17 years) realized the hardship of ceding the fullsize sedan market to the “Germans” plus Lexus and Infiniti.

For 17 years, Chevy has been largely absent from the rear-drive V-8 sedan market.

But to the surprise of NASCAR fans and speed-driven auto writers, Chevy on 02-15 unwrapped the 2014-model SS (Super Sports) in a long-awaited response to users of Aussie-built Commodores, patrol-car Caprices and NASCAR racers.

If the SS shares the platform and powertrain of the 2013 Corvette Sting Ray, so be it. As Corvette-booster GM president Ed Cole used to say, no automaker can make waves globally without a rear-drive V-8 or a front-drive small car, and a 'hot' sports coupe, Camaro, et al.

The new SS fills the lineup gap and will be priced accordingly, offered with a 6-speed AT and TAP shifters on the steering wheel and up to 415 hp.

As for fuel economy, that's been kept secret until dealers get the 2014-model greenlight this summer. We think the diesel added to the Cruze 4-banger this spring will join the Caprice/Commodore family this year, too.

“Bringing power back” was the Detroit Free Press's headline on the Chevy SS's rollout on President's day.

The GM plant here in Elizabeth never stopped building rear-drive V-8 sedans (Holden's Commodores). Cole was right: power and economy are both gotta-haves.

More Details: 2014 Chevrolet SS

Body style and driveline: Front-engine
 with rear-wheel drive

Assembly: Elizabeth, Australia

Engine: 6.2-liter, overhead-valve Chevy LS3 V8

Transmission: Six-speed automatic with TAPshift 
paddles enabling manual shifting

Wheelbase: 114.8 inches

Length: 195.5 inches

Width: 74.7 inches

Height: 57.9 inches

Seating: Five passengers

Legroom: 42.3 inches in front, 39.7 in back

On sale: Third quarter of 2013

Pricing: To be revealed later this year

Shared architecture: Chevrolet Camaro, Caprice 
police vehicle and VF Commodore made by GM’s 
Australian brand Holden

(To come: How the “refreshed” Dodge Ram 1500 pickup is making Chrysler competitive against the Chevy Silverado, GMC Sierra, Ford F-150 and Toyota Tundra in the full-size pickup segment.)