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2016 Holden Commodore SS-V Redline Review

 

Good points

  • Awesome 6.2L V8 is full of character
  • Handles pretty well for a big beast
  • Great value

Needs work

  • Obviously, it’s thirsty
  • No manual wagon available
  • No folding seats limits practicality
2016 Holden Commodore SS-V Redline Review - Chasing Cars

In a year, production of the last Australian-made car will cease.

That’s a terrible shame because Holden’s final upgrade to the Commodore SS is an absolute cracker.

The $56,000 Holden Commodore SS-V Redline is the top of the range, and it offers the best value for money available on the market today.

Not only is the last SS great bang for buck – but it is a cohesive, premium-feeling sports sedan that evokes clear memories of the late 1990s BMW M5.

V8 up front, power to the rear wheels alone, a nice interior – and the feeling that you’re buying something very final and very special: the Holden SS is feelgood motoring.

As we said in our Chevrolet SS review – the rebadged American SS Commodore – this is a very approachable fast car, full of character, and easy to drive.

It says a lot that a friend of Chasing Cars experienced our press car from the video above, and immediately bought a Redline for himself.

The car has that effect on people.

As an Australian, it’s easy to fall into nostalgia about the end of Australian cars. So, in our week with the SS-V Redline, we thought a lot about whether this type of car is truly obsolete.

They use an awful lot of fuel and have eschewed turbocharging to the very end. They are huge, five-passenger cars in a time when Australians have just one or two kids. The Commodore is built by expensive labourers and it will be far cheaper to just import a German Insignia and call it a Commodore.

All those things are true – but it doesn’t stop the VF Series II from being the best car Holden built, and its inevitable departure from the car scene will still feel like a great loss.

2016 Holden Commodore SS-V Redline Review - Chasing Cars

Key specs (as tested)

Engine
Capacity
6.2L
Cylinders
8
Induction
Naturally aspirated
Power
304kW at 6,000rpm
Torque
570Nm at 4,400rpm
Configuration
Conventional
Power to weight ratio
173kW / tonne
Fuel
Fuel type
Petrol
Fuel capacity
71L
Consumption
12.9L/100km
Average Range
550km
Drivetrain
Transmission
Automatic
Drivetrain
Rear wheel drive
Engine configuration
V8
Gears
6
Dimensions
Length
4.96 metres
Width
1.90 metres
Height
1.47 metres
Unoccupied weight
1758kg
Cargo space seats up
495L
Cargo seats down
Seats do not fold

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