Holden Commodore

The iconic Holden Commodore SS Ute. Ownership of this prized possession has become all but a right of passage for young tradies with a passion for Holden V8s offering a bucket full of testosterone.

Mind you, with an entry-level price of just over $42,000 (before on-road costs) for the latest SS Z-Series ute it doesn’t exactly fall into the budget basket.

But the relatively humble Holden Commodore SS Ute is still the least expensive option in the Holden V8 range, with its Commodore SS sedan stable mate commanding a sizeable $5500 premium.

Rival car maker Ford doesn’t do an equivalent V8-powered Falcon ute (unless you step up to the pricier FPV range), but the Falcon XR6 Turbo lines up on the same grid at a slightly more attractive $39,190 (before on-road costs).

While the Ford is powered by a turbocharged 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine generating 270kW of power and 533Nm of torque, Holden’s naturally aspirated 6.0-litre V8 packs an almost identical punch with the same 270kW – making slightly less torque than the Ford, at 530Nm.

However, there’s nothing humble about a Holden Commodore Ute with a stomping 6.0-litre V8 under the bonnet. The SS rumbles and shakes at the lights, and it roars on the fly.

If you want all this V8 has to offer, though, you’ll need the six-speed manual, which pushes out marginally more grunt than the auto (up 10kW and 13Nm).

The downside of opting for the manual is that you lose the fuel-saving benefits of Holden’s Active Fuel Management (AFM), which given this vehicle’s propensity for gulping petrol might be worth consideration.

That said, there’s a difference of just 0.1L/100km, with the average combined fuel consumption falling from a claimed 12.4L/100km to 12.3L/100km.

We found the real-world fuel consumption to average out at quite a bit more – at 18L/100km. However, the SS Ute has flexi-fuel capability, meaning it can run on bio-ethanol, E10, unleaded and premium fuels.

The Holden Commodore SS Ute is unashamedly a blokey kind of car, at least in manual guise, as tested here.

The clutch is heavy and the shifter requires no small amount of elbow grease to lock it into the selected gear ratios. But you get used to it, and in some strange way you even feel better for it – like an unscheduled visit to the gym.