GM Confirms Holden Commodore-Based Chevrolet SS for 2013

Vehicle to Feature RWD and a V8 Engine

The rumors have been flying for some time that General Motors had plans to bring the next Holden Commodore sedan to the U.S as a Chevrolet, and now it’s official.

GM has confirmed that the next Commodore will make its return to North America in late 2013 as the new Chevrolet SS rear-wheel drive performance sedan. The vehicle is currently being tested to be GM’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup racecar beginning in 2013 with the Daytona 500.

The production Chevrolet SS will be a based on the yet to be released VF Commodore, and will come equipped with a V8 engine and sold as a limited production 2014 model.

Greg Tyus, GM Holden’s Executive Director of Engineering, said Chevrolet and its customers will benefit from the brand's expertise in rear-wheel drive vehicles.

“Holden has a great track record of producing performance cars for GM and the world,” said Tyus. "We were responsible for the design and engineering of the Chevrolet Camaro, VE Commodore was sold as the Pontiac G8 and we are currently exporting the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle - so we understand the needs of the North American market."

Chevrolet has a long history of using the SS (Short for Super Sport) designation on high-performance models of some of their most well known vehicles. The SS designation was first used in 1957 on a Corvette prototype race car built to enter in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

Fast forward to the 60’s and you will find the first production vehicle offered with an SS option, the 1961 Impala. Of the 61 Impala only 453 were built with the performance upgrades which included power brakes, a modified chassis and suspension, unique wheels and tires, and a steering column mounted tachometer. The latest SS model to be included in the Chevy lineup came in 2012 and is the fifth-generation Camaro.

The 2014 Chevrolet SS will be built alongside the VF Commodore at GM Holden's plant in Adelaide, Australia.

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