What is the Chevy SS called?
The Chevy SS is officially named Chevrolet SS, and the "SS" stands for Super Sport.
The car was a rear-wheel-drive performance sedan sold in the United States from 2014 to 2017, built on Holden Commodore-based underpinnings from Australia and brought to market by Chevrolet as a dedicated V8-powered model.
Meaning of the name
The "SS" badge is Chevrolet’s long-running designation for performance-focused variants. It signals enhanced power, handling, and styling compared with standard models across several generations.
- SS stands for Super Sport, a classic Chevrolet performance designation.
- The badge has historical roots dating back to mid-20th-century Chevrolets like the Chevelle SS and Impala SS.
- In the modern lineup, the SS tag is used to denote high-performance variants, with the Chevrolet SS being the standalone sedan that carried the badge in the U.S. market.
In short, the Chevrolet SS inherits the broader SS tradition in Chevrolet’s branding, signaling a performance-oriented variant within the lineup.
Origins and production history
The Chevrolet SS debuted to U.S. audiences in 2013 as a concept built on GM’s global rear-drive platform from Holden. It went into production for the U.S. market for the 2014 model year, making use of Holden Commodore VF-based engineering and design cues. The car was assembled in Australia by Holden and imported to the United States, where it remained in production until 2017.
Key milestones in its lifecycle include its 2013 concept reveal, the 2014 market introduction, and the 2017 end of production. The model represented a rare instance of a modern American sedan that used an Australian-sourced platform and a traditional big-V8 powertrain before GM pivoted away from that configuration in the U.S. lineup.
- 2013: Concept debut at the North American International Auto Show
- 2014: U.S. market introduction and sales begin (as a 2014 model year)
- 2017: Production ends and Chevrolet does not directly replace it with a like-for-like sedan
Today, the Chevrolet SS is remembered as a niche, enthusiast-focused model—the lone U.S.-market, V8-powered, rear-drive sedan from Chevrolet during its era, and a nod to the traditional Super Sport lineage.
Current status and legacy
There is no direct contemporary Chevrolet model carrying the exact Chevrolet SS name. The U.S. market now sees Chevrolet pursuing other configurations, with the Camaro SS continuing the V8-powered, rear-drive performance spirit in a two-door form. The SS badge persists primarily as a performance designation within Chevrolet’s lineup, but the standalone Chevrolet SS sedan has not returned since 2017.
Chevrolet’s broader use of the SS badge remains a marker of performance across existing models, even as the specific Chevrolet SS car remains a historical chapter in the brand’s story.
Summary
The Chevrolet SS is officially titled Chevrolet SS, with "SS" standing for Super Sport. It was a purpose-built, rear-wheel-drive V8 performance sedan produced for the U.S. market from 2014 to 2017, based on Holden Commodore architecture from Australia. The model highlighted Chevrolet’s performance-oriented heritage, and while the standalone SS sedan is no longer in production, the SS badge lives on in the brand’s performance lineup, notably on the Camaro SS.
