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Feann Torr25 Sept 2017
REVIEW

Holden Commodore SS 2017 Review

After almost 40 years, the locally-made Holden Commodore story is coming to a close… an appropriate time to celebrate Aussie ingenuity
Review Type
Road Test
Review Location
Perth, WA

Like the final wave of an oceanic storm surge creating a spectacular explosion of water as it subsumes a rocky outcrop, the last Aussie-made Holden Commodore V8 goes out with a bang, not a whimper. But forget for a moment the throbbing 6.2-litre ‘bent eight’ with its glorious war-cry, and the beautifully balanced dynamics - this car is also roomy, comfortable and charming to drive. The Aussie large cars are almost gone, but they won't be forgotten.

Feel the rear-drive love, 'Straya’
Over the years I've always enjoyed testing rear-drive locally-made Ford and Holden cars. The second press car I ever reviewed was a VX Holden Commodore and I still remember it fondly.

Fare thee well, Holden Commodore

It wasn't the first Commodore I'd driven (that ‘honour goes to a ‘fully sick’ paddock bomb VC) but it was the first near-new example. I drove it to the beach, took it on some twisty mountain roads, filled it with family for a few short trips and genuinely thought I could own one of these.

So I did. Our family car for seven years was a VX Holden Berlina with a 3.8-litre V6. The Kia Stinger sounds like an intriguing alternative but that burning desire to own one hasn't emerged.

Sure, patriotic pride is part of the warm and fuzzy feeling felt when driving the locally-made cars. But there is also satisfaction derived from their absolute suitability to local conditions – I for one have always enjoyed hopping into Falcons and FPVs, Commodores and Walkinshaws and revelling in their crisp turn-in to corners fast and slow.

There's more room in the Commodore than some one-bedroom units!

It's the little things like the way they sit on the road and glide across ruts, the cushy seats and fade-prone dashboard plastics…well, let's file that last one under ‘character’.

Part of my love for these vehicles is the conceivable tomfoolery, too.

There's an understanding that you shouldn't spin the rear wheels or rev the engine too loudly… but you know you can right? Just like SUV or 4WD owners who never take their car off-road, but feel confident in the knowledge they could if they wanted to.

A special journey
Driving to one of my favourite places, Yallingup in West Australia, for what will probably be the last time in a new Commodore SS sedan, is bitter-sweet.

After picking up the ‘Slipstream Blue’ car in Perth – there are seven colours all up – and slotting into the driver's seat, a sense of splendid ease is apparent. The big, wide, welcoming seats and straightforward controls score a subconscious nod of approval.

The Holden seats proved comfortable over long distances

After quickly adjusting the seats and mirrors – after all these years, finding a comfortable driving position takes all of four seconds - it's time to ignite the engine. Even though this isn't the audacious SS V Redline model, the engine still sounds brilliant as it sparks into life, fire and fury filling each of its eight chambers in rhythmic succession and piping the remnants out of the four trumpets at the rear.

Navigating Perth city and the surrounding suburbs as I cross town to the Kwinana freeway reveals a car which is easy to manoeuvre thanks to a tight turning circle – one of the benefits of a rear-drive configuration. The steering is well-weighted and has good feel, which is just as important in traffic as it is on the race circuit.

In urban driving, one of the best features in the Commodore SS is the head-up display, which presents lots of useful data in a clear projection onto the windscreen. Seriously, this is one of the world’s best head-up displays.

The best head-up display available? Could be
Pricing and Features

In one display I've got vehicle speed, I've got the legal speed limit, I've got temperature; the only thing its missing is a frivolous social media feed. But you can customise it to display a tachometer and a g-force meter, which are probably more useful driver aids than seeing what Taylor Swift is wearing today.

While I didn't need the g-force stuff while cruising on the highway, the trip south of Perth did highlight impressive levels of comfort, despite the big 19-inch wheels. Holden has the suspension beautifully tuned – even in this sporty model – providing good control, while retaining supple ride quality.

Cruising in the West
After the three hour run to Yallingup, making good use of the Bluetooth functionality and using the steering wheel controls to switch between phone calls and podcasts without taking my hands off the wheel, I step out of the car with no aches, no pains and no drama.

People aren't buying large cars anymore... So did the SUV kill the Commodore?

Not all cars we test are so straight-forward.

Comfort levels are very good, there's no doubt about it, and there's heaps of room in the back seat for passengers. Getting the child seat in is relatively painless with the top-tether and the boot is big enough for most situations which don't involve flat-pack furniture.

In fact, the only real problem with the cruising nature of this 6.2-litre V8 sedan is its abundant thirst.

According to the trip computer, at 100km/h the SS Commodore was burning about 9.0L/100km. Factor in some urban driving and, later, some coastal blasts and across the week, the average was 16L/100km – a discovery almost as shocking as finding a Federal pollie without dual citizenship.

The six-speed manual transmission is a beauty

I must confess I also got a sore leg from the clutch workout. I'm a fit bloke, but the SS’ clutch isn’t featherweight. Of course, given the chance to whip the six-speeder through a few cogs, I'm in there with bells on, which probably exacerbated the problem. Totally worth it though.

Get on it son
Okay, so the clutch is heavy, but the connection it affords you with the bristling powertrain is clear. The throttle is just lovely and the response you get physically and acoustically will give you goose pimples.

Pump the accelerator and the SS Commodore shifts with purpose. Snapping from second to third gear, heading down a freeway on-ramp at full blast is way more fun than it should be. The LS3 V8 engine blats and crackles between gear shifts and has a glorious burble on the overrun. You can provoke the 304kW/570Nm V8 for more volume, or smoothly tour without making a fuss as it happily lopes along at low revs.

The Commodore is built for Australia's wide brown lands

The engine also likes to sing. With 304kW of power on tap at 6000rpm, it happily spins with zest and the hefty 6.2-litre V8 is just as comfortable raging above 5000rpm as it is cruising at 2000rpm. But, as anyone who has driven one of these glorious Michigan-made V8 engines knows, they're all about torque.

Like cream cheese on hot toast, the torque spreads beautifully across the rev range and in fact a skilled driver will find enough low end grunt to pull the car away from standstill in third gear. By the same token, peak torque of 570Nm occurs at 4400rpm, so wringing the SS’ neck is also hugely rewarding.

On a snaking section of road not far from Bunker Bay, the Commodore feels alive. The suspension is hard to fault, the springs loading up quickly as lateral G-forces build, while the dampers soak up mid-corners ruts. For the driver, the payback is impressive grip and communication.

With more than 300kW on tap, and almost 600Nm, the LS3 V8 is equal parts thirsty and awesome

Rifling out of corners at full throttle, the SS feels balanced and progressive and is supremely engaging once you understand how capable it is. True, it's heavy, but the chassis is so keenly dialled in, after a time it seems to shrink around you.

The suspension tune is one of the best all-rounders I've ever tested in a car of this size and should go down in history as one of the best suspension tunes ever – at least for Aussie conditions. The new German-built 2018 Holden Commodore drives better than expected, but cannot match this vehicle's blend of road-holding and ride comfort.

Saying goodbye is never easy
When a five-year-old tells you "make it do the popping sound Dad," it's difficult to argue. My daughter absolutely loved this SS Commodore and, even with the booster seat in the back, there was room for another adult alongside her.

There's ample room for the whole family in the Holden Commodore SS

Of course, it's not perfect. For instance, pulling-up a car weighing 1749kgs takes some work and the brakes could do with a little more bite (don’t forget an upgraded brake package is available). And, while the touchscreen infotainment system is more intuitive than some newer input methods we're seeing, it's starting to look and feel a bit cheap and the sat nav graphics are a bit low rent.

On the other hand, for an ageing, soon-to-be-retired vehicle, it's still got some cool convenience features. The SS Commodore does a good job parking itself, plus there's parking sensors, a pushbutton park brake, stability control, blind spot alert and loads of airbags. The only tech it never included - and which would have been handy on longer drives – is radar cruise control.

Gone but not forgotten... The Holden Commodore is a part of the Australian pysche

This is likely the last VF Commodore review I'll pen. It's a poignant moment in time, backed by a memorable 1100km drive. No doubt there’s some nostalgia mixed-in there - growing up in Australia, cars like these are part of connected milestones and memories.

It's funny to think cop cars will soon be from Korea and Germany, and the days of Commodore and Falcon taxi cabs are all but over.

I imagine, decades from now when we reflect on the last Australian-built Commodore, we'll scoff at the archaic overhead valve V8 engine and probably, in the autonomous era, chortle at the steering wheel and pedals.

But right here, right now, the Commodore is a King among men. It's big and bold, but functional and practical too. Perhaps most of all, it's satisfying to drive.

2017 Holden Commodore SS pricing and specifications:
Price: $47,490 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.2-litre V8 petrol
Output: 304kW/570Nm
Transmission: Six-speed manual
Fuel: 16.1L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 293g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: Five-star ANCAP

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
81/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
17/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
16/20
Safety & Technology
15/20
Behind The Wheel
18/20
X-Factor
15/20
Pros
  • V8 power
  • Comfort, space
  • Driver engagement
Cons
  • Dated tech
  • Fuel economy
  • Prices will go up
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