The Chevrolet SS sport sedan may live to see a second generation if some folks at General Motors have their way.
It has been widely expected that the demise of GM’s Holden manufacturing operations in Australia would mark the end of the rebadged Commodore, but an interview with GM’s Al Oppenheiser by caradvice.au seems to indicate that there may yet be hope for the nameplate’s future.
When asked point-blank by the caradvice.au correspondent whether a replacement was coming along that could take over where the Zeta-platform SS leaves off, Oppenheiser said, “[m]aybe.”
Essentially, the SS has two things going for it. For one, it is meeting GM’s meager sales expectations, meaning that while it doesn’t sell in any meaningful volumes, in Oppenheiser’s own words, “[i]t sells what it’s supposed to.”
Secondly, the sedan may have a significant proponent in GM’s Mark Reuss. Reuss, currently in charge of global product development, was previously the managing director of Holden. When the product planner has a soft spot for specialty cars, that can be good news for enthusiasts.
Nothing is guaranteed of course, and Oppenheiser stopped well short of promising anything. For now, the SS soldiers on in its current form as a 2017 model. What happens after that is anybody’s guess.
H/T to Ed. Photo by Andrew Ganz.
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