Summary
Performance: 415-hp 6.2-liter LS3 V8, 415 lb-ft of torque, and rear-wheel drive.
Sleeper Status: An inconspicuous four-door sedan with legitimate sports-car performance.
Rarity: Only around 13,000 produced during its 2014–2017 production run.
Driving Experience: Brembo brakes, Magnetic Ride Control, limited-slip differential, and an available six-speed manual.
Value: Still a great buy in 2026, with strong resale values and growing enthusiast interest.
Bottom Line: The Chevrolet SS is one of GM's most underrated modern performance sedans, and chances are most people still don't realize what it can do.
If anything, the Chevrolet SS has become even more interesting with age. It's a relatively rare, rear-wheel-drive performance sedan packing a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter LS3 V8, 415 horsepower, and 415 lb-ft of torque. It has the kind of performance that can embarrass plenty of cars on the road, yet most people wouldn't give it a second look in a parking lot.
That's part of what makes the SS so cool. It doesn't need oversized wings, aggressive bodywork, or flashy styling to announce what it is. In fact, unless you're familiar with the car, you could easily mistake it for another ordinary Chevrolet sedan.
But There's Nothing Ordinary About It.
When Chevrolet introduced the SS for 2014, it brought something back to the American market that had been missing since the Impala SS of the 1990s: a proper rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered Chevrolet sedan with GM sports car DNA.
Underneath its relatively conservative exterior was a serious performance package. The SS was based on Australia's Holden VF Commodore, built at Holden's Elizabeth manufacturing facility, and engineered around GM's rear-wheel-drive Zeta platform.
Power came from the familiar 6.2-liter LS3 V8, the same basic engine family found in the C6 Corvette. In the SS, it produced:
Engine: 6.2-liter LS3 V8
Horsepower: 415 hp at 5,900 rpm
Torque: 415 lb-ft at 4,600 rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic or six-speed manual
Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
Suspension: Sport-tuned suspension with Magnetic Ride Control
Brakes: Brembo four-piston brakes at all four corners
The automatic was the only transmission available for the 2014 model year. Chevrolet added a six-speed manual option for 2015, giving enthusiasts another reason to appreciate the car.
And this wasn't just a big engine stuffed into a family sedan. The SS received a limited-slip rear differential, performance tires, sophisticated suspension hardware, and the kind of chassis engineering that made it genuinely enjoyable on a winding road.
Car and Driver recorded a 4.5-second 0–60 mph time and a 12.9-second quarter-mile at 111 mph with its 2014 automatic test car. The 2017 manual model managed 4.5 seconds to 60 mph and a 13.0-second quarter-mile at 111 mph.
That's impressive performance for a full-size four-door sedan, even by today's standards.
Back when the SS was still in production, there was plenty of speculation about what Chevrolet might do with the car for its final model year.
One of the more exciting rumors involved the possibility of a supercharged LSA engine producing more than 500 horsepower. There was also speculation about a more aggressive suspension setup borrowing technology from the Camaro 1LE.
Unfortunately, Neither Happened.
The 2017 Chevrolet SS retained its naturally aspirated LS3 V8 and essentially carried over the established performance package. There was no factory supercharged version or 1LE suspension package.
Still, 415 horsepower was nothing to complain about. And considering the performance Chevrolet had already delivered, the SS didn't exactly need another 100 horsepower to make its presence known.
The Bigger Story Was That 2017 Became The Final Model Year.
GM's decision to end Australian vehicle manufacturing meant the end of the Holden production operation responsible for building the SS. Chevrolet wasn't simply abandoning a successful American-built sedan; it was losing the manufacturing source for a vehicle that was developed and assembled in Australia.
That made the SS a short-lived chapter in Chevrolet performance history.
One of the biggest reasons the SS stands out today is that Chevrolet never sold very many of them.
Unlike the Camaro, Corvette, or even the Dodge Charger, the SS was never a high-volume performance model. It received relatively little mainstream attention, and Chevrolet never seemed particularly aggressive about marketing it.
For a car with this much performance, that always seemed strange to me.
The SS was introduced as a limited-volume performance sedan, and its four-model-year production run amounted to roughly 13,000 cars according to published GM production figures. That's a pretty small number when you consider how many ordinary sedans were sold during the same period.
And unlike some limited-production performance vehicles, the SS never had particularly flashy styling to distinguish it from the rest of the Chevrolet lineup.
That's What Makes It such An Interesting Sleeper.
You could pull up next to someone at a stoplight, and they might not have the slightest idea they're sitting next to a 415-horsepower LS3-powered sedan. They might recognize the Chevrolet badge, but unless they're familiar with the SS, there's a good chance they won't realize what they're looking at.
Even among car enthusiasts, the SS can fly under the radar.
Here's where things get particularly interesting.
The Chevrolet SS is no longer just an overlooked used performance sedan. It's a discontinued, low-production, rear-wheel-drive V8 car with a manual transmission option and a powertrain that has a strong enthusiast following.
And Despite Its age, It Remains A Compelling Purchase In 2026.
Consider what you're getting: a 415-horsepower LS3 V8, a well-engineered chassis, Brembo brakes, Magnetic Ride Control, a comfortable four-door interior, and the ability to run with some seriously capable performance cars.
Try finding another sedan that combines all those characteristics without moving into considerably more expensive territory.
The SS also has something going for it that many newer performance sedans don't: its relatively understated appearance. It looks like something you could comfortably drive every day without advertising to everyone around you that you've got a serious performance car.
And the resale market has shown that these cars aren't simply depreciating like ordinary used sedans.
Hagerty's October 2026 valuation data puts a 2014 Chevrolet SS in good condition at approximately $27,700 to $35,767, depending on the valuation range. A 2016 model in the same condition carries an estimated value of approximately $32,100 to $41,033.
Hagerty also reported an average sale price of $47,900 across its 12-month market sample of 2014–2017 Chevrolet SS models.
Those numbers will vary considerably depending on mileage, condition, transmission, originality, and maintenance history. However, they demonstrate that the SS has maintained a meaningful place in the enthusiast market.
That's pretty impressive for a Chevrolet sedan that spent much of its original production run flying under the radar.
Of course, finding a good one at the right price is becoming increasingly important. Clean, low-mileage examples and manual-transmission cars can command a premium, so buyers need to do their homework.
But for someone looking for an understated V8 performance sedan, the SS deserves serious consideration.
Looking back, I still think Chevrolet missed an opportunity with the SS. A little more advertising and a better effort to get the car in front of performance enthusiasts might have helped it find a much larger audience.
But perhaps that lack of attention is also part of what makes the car so appealing today.
The Chevrolet SS is one of those vehicles that doesn't need to shout about its capabilities. It has the power, handling, braking, and engineering to back up its performance credentials without wearing them on its sleeve.
It's also a reminder of a time when Chevrolet was willing to offer something a little different: a naturally aspirated LS-powered, rear-wheel-drive sedan with a manual transmission and room for the family.
Nearly a decade after the last one rolled off the production line, the Chevrolet SS remains a rare find, a genuinely capable performance car, and one of the more interesting used-car buys in the modern GM lineup.
If you find a clean one at a reasonable price, don't overlook it.
Because that ordinary-looking Chevrolet sedan might just be packing more punch than most people realize
