Chevrolet News:2016 Chevrolet SS Gets A Nip and Tuck

[William Maley]

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Earlier this week, we introduced you the refreshed 2016 Holden Commodore lineup. Now one question that came up was if the Chevrolet SS - a rebadged version of the Commodore - would see any changes. Chevrolet has provided the answer with an announcement of an updated 2016 SS sedan.

 

Changes for the 2016 SS are mostly cosmetic with new vertical ducts to improve aerodynamics and a set of LED lighting. Finishing off the exterior are a set of functional hood vents and nineteen-inch alloy wheels. The 6.2L V8 remains unchanged with 415 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. A new dual-mode exhaust comes as standard.

 

"The 2016 SS design changes more fully express the true driving character of the sedan while further enhancing the car's overall performance," said Todd Christensen, Chevrolet Performance Car marketing manager.
Source: Chevrolet

 

 

Press Release is on Page 2

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2016 Chevrolet SS Designed for Performance

 

DETROIT – Building on the performance-oriented updates made to the Chevrolet SS last year, the 2016 model features several exterior enhancements that reinforce its presence on the road.
A revised front fascia features new, vertical ducts at the outer edges to direct airflow over the front wheel openings to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The fascia also incorporates new LED signature lighting, while new, functional hood vents and new-design 19-inch cast-aluminum wheels contribute to a stronger appearance for the rear-drive sports sedan.

 

“The 2016 SS design changes more fully express the true driving character of the sedan while further enhancing the car’s overall performance,” said Todd Christensen, Chevrolet Performance Car marketing manager.
What hasn’t changed is the SS’s unique blend of performance, comfort and spaciousness. It features a 6.2L V-8 engine under the hood and turns out an SAE-certified 415 horsepower (310 kW) and 415 lb-ft of torque (563 Nm), and offers a six-speed manual transmission or a paddle-shift six-speed automatic transmission.
A new, dual-mode exhaust system for 2016 complements the V-8 engine with quieter performance at low engine speeds and a more muscular engine note at wide-open throttle.

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[oldshurst442]

Looks nice...with the nip and tuck...actually...looks a lot better...although subtle are the touches...makes a difference...

 

However...there is still something about it that I cant put my finger on that I am not too excited about...and it has ALL the ingredients that I WANT from my muscle car daily driver...including the LS3...415HP/415 ft.lbs torque is plenty of ooomph that I require in a daily driver...no need for more...

 

But somehow...I aint interested...maybe its because Im am soooooo excited by the Alpha Camaro...yet the Camaro...is a small 2 door sport coupe...not really my style...its a small pony car...mid-sized muscle is how I roll...

 

I dont know...Im confused...

 

I SHOULD BE LOVING THIS CAR ....but Im not. 

[William Maley]

Looks nice...with the nip and tuck...actually...looks a lot better...although subtle are the touches...makes a difference...

 

However...there is still something about it that I cant put my finger on that I am not too excited about...and it has ALL the ingredients that I WANT from my muscle car daily driver...including the LS3...415HP/415 ft.lbs torque is plenty of ooomph that I require in a daily driver...no need for more...

 

But somehow...I aint interested...maybe its because Im am soooooo excited by the Alpha Camaro...yet the Camaro...is a small 2 door sport coupe...not really my style...its a small pony car...mid-sized muscle is how I roll...

 

I dont know...Im confused...

 

I SHOULD BE LOVING THIS CAR ....but Im not. 

 

Is some of it the styling of the SS? I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of the styling. I think some small changes could make a big difference.

[oldshurst442]

 

Looks nice...with the nip and tuck...actually...looks a lot better...although subtle are the touches...makes a difference...

 

However...there is still something about it that I cant put my finger on that I am not too excited about...and it has ALL the ingredients that I WANT from my muscle car daily driver...including the LS3...415HP/415 ft.lbs torque is plenty of ooomph that I require in a daily driver...no need for more...

 

But somehow...I aint interested...maybe its because Im am soooooo excited by the Alpha Camaro...yet the Camaro...is a small 2 door sport coupe...not really my style...its a small pony car...mid-sized muscle is how I roll...

 

I dont know...Im confused...

 

I SHOULD BE LOVING THIS CAR ....but Im not. 

 

Is some of it the styling of the SS? I'll admit that I wasn't a fan of the styling. I think some small changes could make a big difference.

 

It could be...it does not help that the styling of the Chevy SS is a tad on the conservative side. But then again...I wasnt  all that smitten with the Pontiac G8 either...even in GXP trim...although the silhouette is sexy...

 

It does not help either that the exterior colours GM offers on the Chevy SS are also on the conservative side...although that blue colour on the intro to the article is stunning...makes the car look more like a fun car to drive.

 

I absolutely love the interior of the Chevy SS...miles apart from the Pontiac G8...and quite classy...for a Chevy...that interior is befitting for an Oldsmobile...

 

I dont know...

[hyperv6]

It is what it is and never was intended to sell in numbers great enough to make it profitable with whole sales changes.

It is a car where the circumstances and the time it is built and where it was built have conspired to hold it back and bring its end.

I am hoping the new GM culture has plan to move a similar model here built on the Alpha and merge it with the Impala. I am not holding my breath but you always dream.

The best thing in the world was this was a Holden or we would never have had it. The worst thing is it was a Holden coming from half way around the world from a market that sells less cars combined than the Camaro alone.

Edited September 18, 2015 by hyperv6

[oldshurst442]

When GM finally green lit the Chevy version to be sold to the public, GM itself handicapped the vehicle and limited its sales by only offering a V8. The Caprice is only for government fleets, etc...

 

The Pontiac G8 never took off because of circumstance. Recession and bankruptcy and consequent killing off of Pontiac.

 

Had GM offered multiple engine offerings, like the G8, and more so like the Zeta Camaro, (the Camaro's LFX 3.6 or even the slightly less powerful version in the Holden Commodore) then the SS would have sold more...

 

I understand the whole economics part of the equation...built in Australia and shipped to America...not even in Canada...therefore too many options for the Chevy SS might have been a money losing proposition...so I get that...

 

What I dont understand is why GM didnt commit to building the Chevy SS in Canada along side the Camaro?

What I dont understand is why GM was afraid to commit?

.

Its understood that the G8 failed because of bad timing....or was it other reasons that GM knows and wont tell us?

 

But yeah...we  were lucky to have experienced these cars.

 

I remember back in the day when we had the Cadillac Catera here in North America with that dog of an engine and I was reading about Middle Eastern Lumina SS cars, i was thinking to myself...WTF? I thought North America was home to the Muscle Car...what gives?

 

And finally when Bob Lutz gave us...well Americans...the Monaro as the Pontiac GTO....I was super elated...because THIS is  FINALLY a step FORWARD in getting back our muscle cars...the F-Body pony cars died...and the closest to a muscle car we had was those German cars from BMW with the "M" badge and AMG trimmed Mercedes Benzes...

 

And then...the G8...WOW!!!

 

And the Zeta platform....so I heard because I havent driven a Zeta car....Camaro/G8/SS or otherwise...is a solid performing platform. GM and Holden REALLY dialed it in... Its a shame that the SS and the Holden versions are going away. I feel the same way I felt when the F-Body was killed off.

 

Yes I know...I said that I did not care for the SS or the G8 all that much...it still doesnt change the fact that I KNOW the SS and the G8 and obviously the Holden models were fantastically engineered muscle cars...and as of now...NOTHING is said to replace them...and THAT is extremely sad...

[Frisky Dingo]

It is an improvement, albeit a small one. It's still not aggressive enough to draw many buyers' looks.

 

I for one have no problem with the looks, as they're fitting on a car like this. My problem lies with how GM packaged the car. They should have either built lower-end models so they could be competitive with Charger, or if they wanted to stick to an expensive one-car-fits-all approach, they should have found a way to get the new LT1 and trannys in there.

 

As it stands, it's a fantastic car to drive, especially in 6MT form. It's a new BMW E39 M5. But with modern features and better reliability. I've given serious thought to buying one, but my employee price is still in the 42K ball park, and I just can't justify it. I'll wait for a GM corporate demo to pop up with a few thousand miles that I can get for cheap, and maybe make a move then.

[regfootball]

let's enjoy the car for what it is and that it is still available.  I would love a white SS manual + MT.

 

It could never be a daily driver for me in winter here or in daily traffic but as a good fun car or trip car it would be the bomb.  I'd make better use of this than a current Camaro.  A 16 Camaro 2.0 turbo MT would be a nice garage companion to this  

[hyperv6]

The limitations of this car are many,. Some self imposed by GM for various reasons an some due to circumstances. Some of these we know why well and some we will never know. It is what it is.

 

I am just hopping there is an Act 2 that we are not aware of yet. I would love to see a melding of the Impala and Camaro into a full line larger sedan. This would remove it from the Malibu that is growing in size. It would offer a lighter RWD car than what Chrysler has and what Ford does not offer. It would still provide a police version. Finally It would give a chance to offer it in a 275 HP 4 to a 455 HP V8 or more. 

Being on an Alpha would help control the cost of a lower volume model. Lets face it this size car will never sell in the numbers the original Caprice of the 80's did as the market has down sized. Make it with a different body but make it more Camaro under the skin. The suspension should carry pretty much right over accept for spring rates.

 

I hope the silence on the Impala and SS hold more than they might.

 

I know it is something Mark would approve of but can he make the business case to get it approved?

[oldshurst442]

The limitations of this car are many,. Some self imposed by GM for various reasons an some due to circumstances. Some of these we know why well and some we will never know. It is what it is.

 

I am just hopping there is an Act 2 that we are not aware of yet. I would love to see a melding of the Impala and Camaro into a full line larger sedan. This would remove it from the Malibu that is growing in size. It would offer a lighter RWD car than what Chrysler has and what Ford does not offer. It would still provide a police version. Finally It would give a chance to offer it in a 275 HP 4 to a 455 HP V8 or more. 

Being on an Alpha would help control the cost of a lower volume model. Lets face it this size car will never sell in the numbers the original Caprice of the 80's did as the market has down sized. Make it with a different body but make it more Camaro under the skin. The suspension should carry pretty much right over accept for spring rates.

 

I hope the silence on the Impala and SS hold more than they might.

 

I know it is something Mark would approve of but can he make the business case to get it approved?

This is where Im conflicted...

 

The Impala name...

Gone are the days when a RWD Impala meant muscle...and its been a very long time...

The 1994-1996 Impala SS does not count...most people recognize the Impala name as a family hauler be it as a RWD boxy car of the 1980s or FWD cars that replaced a Lumina....most people dont even remember the Lumina...but they equate the Lumina to an Impala...

 

Going back to the 1980s...even the Impala name is confused with Caprice as many people equate that body style to solely a Caprice and as cop cars...and THAT is why the 1994-1996 Impala SS does not count...as many people equate THAT body style as a cop car as well...

 

What Im trying to say is that...I dont think a RWD Impala SS in 2016 or beyond will have any effect to entice people to buy these cars or even show up at a Chevy dealership to look at them and them drive off in a brand new Malibu, Cruze or Equinox...

 

It seems like the Super Epsilon Impala is a mild hit...but like you said...the numbers are not that high as people have downsized in cars...but do buy SUVs for family haulin' needs...

 

The Super Epsilon Impala has rendered the Buick Lacrosse obsolete...

So...that leaves another problem....the Cadillac XTS is going away...GM does need to fiil in that hole...Buick SHOULD get the next XTS...make that into the next Park Avenue? B

ut is there enough room to continue to offer two plebian Super Epsilon cars?

 

Either the Impala should continue on or the Lacrosse...but not both...

 

However...should the Lacrosse continue on...I dont think a RWD Impala based on Camaro hardware and software which is based on Cadillac ATS hardware will not make a big splash either...and we saw it in the Chevy SS...

 

Many say its not the name of a car that projects sales of a model....Ill  agree to that to a certain degree...Had they called the Chevy SS an Impala SS...I dont think that would have generated much sales either...

 

And its not because the Chevy SS had the LS3 under the hood either...415 HP and 415 ft.lbs of torque is still a healthy amount of power to market to people...

 

What I am trying to say is that...the Chevy SS failed in the market place in the US...its because the average Joe does not want a muscle car anymore to haul around his family...the Chrysler/Dodge cars sell the way they do...because of V6 under the hood...not V8...

 

So...If a RWD Chevy Impala is in the cards...if the sole engine offered is a V8 so the car would be called Impala SS...it will generate just as many sales as the hevy SS generated...

 

And THAT is why Im conflicted...because I have come to realize...that muscle cars...for the average Joe is a thing of the past...

 

 

Does my speech make ANY sense?

I seem to go around in circles...but yet...it makes sense to me...does it makes sense to you?

Or am I completely in left field somewhere collecting daisies while the baseball game is unfolding before my eyes and the fly balls are passing over my head?

Edited September 19, 2015 by oldshurst442

[hyperv6]

I think you are over thinking this.

As it is now the Impala is for the most part not nor is it expected to be a Volume model. It under cuts the lacrosse fine and makes added income off the platform. This for sure is a low risk no brainer.

 

Now my thought here is one the Impala name is not damaged. Second many people still equate the performance models of the 60's with the name.

 

What I would like it to see this car morph into what would be a 4 door Camaro with out being a Camaro. We would have styling of it's own and make even more  use of the Camaro parts they have made up. The price would be such that it would entice people to pay more for a RWD car and the profit per unit would go up. This would make more money on a lower volume car. Lets face it the Impala as it is now can move up more because one people would not pay it for a FWD car and we already have a Lacrosse.

 

Then for Buick you keep on offering AWD and add the AWD and RWD Omega.

 

The name Impala would not change a thing about the present car. What many fail to understand or realize is the SS was a program from way back around Chapter 11 time. For what all the reasons it got here late in the game and was pushed through. I had a talk with the head of the GM RWD Performance platforms Oppenhiser years ago and he told me then the car was coming but there was no set time for reasons he could not give.

 

Like the present Malibu the SS was a vehicle caught at a time in GM history where things did not get all they could because of the amount of time and money going into other projects. Some of these models were just to keep the line up fresh as they finished the Alpha and other things that would carry them forward. If GM had not used these still born models they would be like Chrysler struggling on with older models for 5 years or more. GM Dumped money into these models in 08 to try to get them to a point they could be taken off the shelf when they could to at least offer something new. Even the ZL1 was one of these projects.

 

I just feel there is enough to build a business case for an Alpha RWD sedan at Chevy in lower volumes. It also could serve as police fleets to help round out profits.

 

This would also help put a different twist on Buick and Chevy too.

This model could also serve in most LHD markets the Holden is in too and be exported out to the Middle east etc.

 

While the Impala had some lean years it was never seen as a failure and the equity of the name would be fitting. They could even use it in conjunction with the Caprice name too.

 

Lord knows the Impala SS of the 90's is still a very popular car as the prices continue to climb.

[oldshurst442]

Yeah...I could see the advantages as the way you put them in place.

 

- a platform that would be paid off even faster with government fleet sales. Helping to fund more bespoke Cadillac architecture...

 

- engines and transmissions even suspensions shared with a coupe (Camaro) that would also help amortize said hardware. (irony in this case as it seems that a coupe would take the lion's share of sales in this case)

 

- and of course the world wide appeal of an affordable Alpha based Chevy/Holden. I dont know about the Aussies because their market seems to mirror ours circa 1980/1990 as of today...but then again...Cadillac wants to go world wide...and even in the Middle East...especially in the Middle East...Im guessing Chevy Lumina SS cars that evolved into Caprice SS and Commodore SS...a Cadillac ATS or Cadillac CTS would be a bigger hit than a Chevy equivalent...because of badge snob appeal...and even if Chevy somehow has more brand appeal than Cadillac, even in that region...I would think that Cadillac would want that peace of pie...just to introduce brand appeal to that market...you know...CT8 sales success might rely on that region...

 

 

And by all means...I didnt want to sound like the Impala name is messed up...I wanted simply to say that the name has been thinned out. But I guess you are right...even Millennial youngsters do know about full sized muscle Impala SS'es of the 1960s.

[regfootball]

i read recently that the Avenir / clone may become the Commodore replacement and serve as a possible SS replacement.  As if to suggest we may get the Avenir, and then some form of it as an SS for Chevy.  Just to get the Avenir would be nice though.

 

What i wonder, is Buick really developing a new Regal, LaCrosse AND Avenir for the US?

 

AND THEY DON'T HAVE A MID SIZE CROSSOVER

 

Ignore the hot segments and make a bunch of sedans

[hyperv6]

I too have speculated the Avenir would be coming. I really think the only delay is the CT6 reaching the market and the new Lacrosse coming next year. I would peg 2018 as the year and guess what that is the year the SS and Holden both die. About then the Impala also is need of update or replacement as it will only have till 2019 if it is kept on line at Oshawa. We know the XTS that is on the same line I believe is good till 2019.

 

Either way moves will have to be made and these models fit together with a time line that is plausible.

 

Yes Buick will get a new Lacrosse next year. The Regal should be in just after it.

as for the mid size CUV there is one in China just ready to be built here. The whole thing about importing them is just a UAW negotiation tactic.  I am wondering with word the Terrain may be moving to Spring Hill with the SRX if it may on the longer version and the Buick will be on the shorter Nox Version. That way they do not step on each other at the dealers.

 

Also we have one more  mid size SUV coming too. We have yet to hear much on it but there is one more in the mix.

Yeah...I could see the advantages as the way you put them in place.
 
- a platform that would be paid off even faster with government fleet sales. Helping to fund more bespoke Cadillac architecture...
 
- engines and transmissions even suspensions shared with a coupe (Camaro) that would also help amortize said hardware. (irony in this case as it seems that a coupe would take the lion's share of sales in this case)
 
- and of course the world wide appeal of an affordable Alpha based Chevy/Holden. I dont know about the Aussies because their market seems to mirror ours circa 1980/1990 as of today...but then again...Cadillac wants to go world wide...and even in the Middle East...especially in the Middle East...Im guessing Chevy Lumina SS cars that evolved into Caprice SS and Commodore SS...a Cadillac ATS or Cadillac CTS would be a bigger hit than a Chevy equivalent...because of badge snob appeal...and even if Chevy somehow has more brand appeal than Cadillac, even in that region...I would think that Cadillac would want that peace of pie...just to introduce brand appeal to that market...you know...CT8 sales success might rely on that region...
 
 
And by all means...I didnt want to sound like the Impala name is messed up...I wanted simply to say that the name has been thinned out. But I guess you are right...even Millennial youngsters do know about full sized muscle Impala SS'es of the 1960s.

Build the car right and the name Impala will help with the older buyers and introduce the newer buyers. They may be young but with so many sales over the years with Impala and Caprice the equity is hard not to use.

[aurora97]

It is great to see so much enthusiasm over this car with what could have been and what might be.

 

I think the Catera, GTO, G8, and now SS are examples of how Big GM (old and new) could never really "globalize" their models properly.

 

With Holden, you had three fundamental hurdles; 1) Distance to actually ship the product, 2) Different government regulations to build the product, and 3) consumer demand to buy the product.

 

There is an old video that can be found on this site where Bob Lutz gave three reasons for why the GTO didn't quite gain traction when it first was introduced; 1) The design of the car was late in the lifecycle period and did not come to the states with a fresh look.  2)  They shipped the car to places all over the US where the GTO had traditionally high sales (based upon 40 year old data) only to come to find that it was a big hit in SoCal.  That meant shipping a bunch of cars BACK to Long Beach where they first showed up just to be sold.  3)  The car was at a price point a bit too high along with dealer mark-ups.

 

If there is an SS with a MANUAL transmission available in my area, then I would seriously consider buying AND driving it. 

 

If purchased, this would give GM the data it needs to justify a next generation IMPALA SS sedan with the new LT-1 and a SEVEN speed manual.

[GMTruckGuy74]

You are all missing the boat when it comes to law enforcement.  Police officers no longer want SEDANS, they want CUVs built to handle the requirements of the job.  GM needs a Ford Explorer competitor if they plan to sell to law enforcement in volume.  At a local car show I attended yesterday, the town police had the roads closed for the show.  On the ends there were Ford Crown Vic's, around 2009-vintage.  In the middle were new 2014 Ford Explorers and Chevy Caprices (2012-2013 vintage).  Only one cop, a supervisor with a 29k mile 2009 Crown Vic, wished Ford never stopped with the Crown Vic.  The officer I spoke to with the Caprice said it goes like a bat out of hell, but is too cramped in the front seat with the PD computer and other PD equipment; he said he prefers the Explorer.  The other two cops, each with an Explorer, told me they'd never look back at a Crown Vic, Caprice, or Charger again.  Fleet sales of the Explorer to law enforcement are through the roof.  Police Dept's no longer desire nor want sedans.

 

I am a huge fan of the Chevy SS Sedan and the Caprice PPV, were I wish a civilian version was offered.  I would have jumped on either if I could afford the SS or a Caprice was offered to the public (in place of my GMC).  Last November and again in January, I looked at leftover 2014 SS sedans but just couldn't handle the payments - very few sales incentives were available even then.  Many Chevy dealers around me in southern NJ just don't want to stock these cars, and if they do it's usually one or two at the most.  I've recently been looking at dealer stock again and most of the dealers that had two just a month ago are down to one; a lot of other dealers that had one still have it (showroom or concrete pad queen, if you know what I mean).  Even at car shows I see tons of new privately owned Corvettes and Camaros, but only one local show had a dealer display consisting of a Camaro, Corvette, and an SS.  Heck, I just seen a silver SS on the road yesterday - the first spotting in months (and I drive all over south & central NJ and eastern PA).  These SS sedans aren't marketed because: (1) the dealer cost & MSRP is high, (2) incentives do not exist on the SS compared to the rest of the Chevy lineup, and (3) most people that want a powerful car like this are buying BMW M's and Mercedes AMG's while the Average Joe is looking for deals on Chargers, Challengers, Mustangs, and Camaros - none of which can compete with the SS on incentives and price.  I want nothing more than the SS to live on, heck I still drool over each one I see and say if I hit the lottery its the first purchase I'm making.  But the reality is GM was contractually obligated to sell Holden's in the US and this was the only way GM would do it (selling low volume, fully optioned, V8 powered models).

 

GM needs to concentrate on making CUVs that people want (arguably they do with the Terrain/Equinox/SRX), add in heavy duty versions that can serve law enforcement outside of full-size SUVs that LE doesn't want, and realize the market for full-size sedans has shrunk to the point they are becoming a niche market.  GM has the small-to-midsize sedan market well covered, and it should only continue to improve when the new Malibu and Regal go on sale.  Full-size sedans are not what the majority of the buying public want anymore, they want CUVs and so do law enforcement.

Edited September 21, 2015 by GMTruckGuy74