review from www.fastlane.com.au

City-sslicker SS ute is a real beaut

Perhaps no other vehicle type has carved itself a niche in the Australian psyche so thoroughly as the utility truck, or the `ute'.

It is, after all, an Australian invention (originally by Ford, but we're too diplomatic to mention that in present company), and over the years since major protagonists Ford and Holden both began offering their respective versions, the good ol' Aussie ute has been the mainstay of farmers and tradesmen alike.

Maybe it's that `real men drive a ute' image, but the workhorses have also long been favoured targets for custom enthusiasts. And it was undoubtedly for those wanting a ute with a bit more go`n'show that Holden decided to offer a sporty 'SS' version.

While the VT Commodore does business in the sedan market, we have to wait for the VT ute but recently got an upgraded VS Series III range of Commodore utes, headed by the limited SS.

Just 300 Series III SS Utes are being produced, endowing them with special edition status that Holden expects will make them collectible.

Like any Holden SS, the badge comes along with a 5.0 litre V8, something extra in the looks department and a few additional interior niceties.

Externally, the SS ute sits a little lower than its lesser siblings and carries a body kit consisting of a front bumper skirt and side skirts, along with a distinctive rear sports bar in polished alloy, 16" alloy wheels, fog lamps and SS badging. (Well of course - kerbside cred and all that.)

Inside, there's a leather-bound steering wheel, handbrake and gearshift handle, plus SS logos on the seats, with standard power windows and air conditioning.

Quite comfortable actually, with good support from the seats, though it can't match the abundant legroom of the VT sedan.

But its real credibility is under the hood, where the V8 sits waiting to churn out 168kW of power through a 5-speed manual transmission (oh all right, there's also a 4-speed slushbox for those who prefer them).

A turn of the key produces that wonderful V8 rumble that never fails to ignite something deep inside me (I'll grow up someday), and it doesn't take much to confirm that this is one ute with grunt to match its looks.

A decidedly quick beastie, it takes a gentler foot off the clutch to avoid attracting unwanted attention with wheelspin, and once mobile it can be stirred quite rapidly along with the gearbox's smooth shift action.

But the best part is in the handling department.

Gaining adulthood in the bush, where owning a decent ute was considered a guarantee of social acceptance, I and every other young bloke knew that a good-sized bag of sand in the rear was essential to keeping it on the road.

Instead of extra weight over the rear axle, the SS ute has its own version of Holden's lowered sports suspension, along with anti-lock braking (ABS) and a limited slip differential.

On wet bitumen, or the gravel roads that few of these 300 rareties are likely to encounter too often anyway, the limited slip diff makes it infinitely easier to keep pointed in a straight line. A worthy performer on twisty bitumen roads too, though with a tendency towards oversteer that is slightly more noticeable than a sedan, thanks to the lighter tail.

Considering that there is almost $11,000 difference between the entry-level V6 Commodore ute and this one, an SS ute is unlikely to be called upon to do any serious work, and most of them will probably remain `city slickers' all their lives.

But jeez, I wish I'd been able in my youth to pull up outside the old Walkaway Tavern in something like this..

Nuts`n'Bolts - Commodore SS Ute