Transmission tested: Six-speed automatic
If youve already read the SS-V drive impression then youll have a fair idea of the wonderful experience SS offers. Understandable considering the two cars share the same drivetrain, steering and suspension.
" Fear not, its still an outstanding drive,
full of communication and zest"
But the SS does have its variations.
Inside is where the $7000 price gap to SS-V is most noticeable. The leather seat trim and funky steering wheel are gone, along with the dual zone climate control and multi-function colour display.
It makes for a less imposing residence more reflective of the cars repositioning as a new-age Commodore SV8 rather than SS.
Its no less spacious than SS-V, of course, and a tiny bit more comfortable because the SS rides on slightly taller 18-inch Bridgestone rubber rather than 19s.
There are minuses that come with the reduction in footprint though.
The steering loses a touch of weight when cornering and the feel and certainty is wound back a notch.
Fear not, its still an outstanding drive, full of communication and zest.
The 18-inch wheels also didnt fill the substantial wheel arches quite as well as the 19s, while the 10-spoke alloy wheel look less imposing than the SS-V design.
It may also concern some that theres precious little styling difference between SS and the cheaper SV6.
Ah well, theres no doubt once youre on the road where the SSs livewire 6.0-litre, 270kW V8 simply stonks into the distance, ably supported by a wonderful chassis system (for more on this see the SS-V review).
In the case of this test car the engine came matched to GMs new six-speed automatic transmission (codenamed 6L80E).
This is as dramatic a change in equipment as any in the transition from VZ Commodore to VE. The old four-speed (4L65E) was a clunky and clumsy bit of gear.
Now there are two more ratios, a sports mode and a sequential manual mode that allows the driver more control.
Like the ZF six-speed automatic employed by Ford in some Falcon models, it reads the drivers behaviour and adapts to suit.
The VE Commodores automatic can be mild or it can be wild.
The shift from normal to sports modes is pronounced. You can feel the gearbox downshifting under heavy braking, dropping two gears at a time punching out of corners.
Our only concern? Sometimes the auto dropped gears sometimes not when the conditions seemed identical.
Perhaps it was a calibration glitch, perhaps a reflection of the wet conditions, which prompted less decisive throttle actions.
Still, for total control go for semi-manual mode. Forward to shift down, back to go up and exploit that loveable lump of an engine to the max.
And while youre at it savour the rest of this car as a sporting package too. It might be a few per cent behind the honed edge of the SS-V but its still miles ahead of any of Holden V8 sports sedan to come before it.
