Not the Fastest but One of the Coolest
Not since driving a then new bright yellow Hummer H2 around town have I pulled so many eyeballs. But the SSR is even better exhibitionist material, as the top drops to let all see who's behind the wheel.
First off, I've got to commend the bowtie boys for allowing this truck to exist. Sure, the halo affect of something this stylish wearing Chevy's logo can only do positive things for its brand image, but if there wasn't some sort of business model involved (i.e. profit scenario) then it wouldn't have been possible.
But the business model is quite different than the usual scheme to attract Canadian customers. Normally automakers offer a built in MSRP discount to those residing north of the U.S. border, important for getting a populace to spend hard earned money, that dollar for dollar has less to live on than the average American. GM Canada, however, is charging quite a bit more for the SSR than U.S. customers have to pay. At current exchange rates (Feb. 7, 2004) the base price of a U.S. SSR is $41,370.00 USD, the equivalent of $54,984.71 CAD. While it looks like GM Canada is gouging Canadians mroe than $15,000 per SSR, the base U.S. version doesn't come with as much standard equipment. But add on even more options than come standard in Canada, and the top price is still substantially less, at $47,715.00 USD, or $63,417.83 CAD. I don't know about you, but $6,500 plus is a tough price to pay just to be Canadian.
As it seems, Chevy has found enough buyers who want to lay down a rather substantial $70,000 just the same. After all, it's more or less a Corvette roadster pickup truck. But is it really?
I've driven my share of Corvette's over the years, and unlike the legendary sports car the SSR obviously isn't as much about performance as it is about styling. Initially, when GM introduced the concept at the 2000 Detroit auto show, it featured the brand's 6.0-L V8 mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.
While I can live without a manual, being that automatic transmissions are true to hotrod heritage, the 360 lb-ft of torque that the 6.0-L makes would have added a little jump off the line. Instead the SSR sounds fabulous, rumbling at idle, but feels sluggish when attempting a stoplight charge. To drive this point home the rather heavy 2,159 kg (4,760 lb) truck was annihilated by an even heavier Dodge HEMI quad cab, making me shrink in embarrassment.
Not since driving a then new bright yellow Hummer H2 around town have I pulled so many eyeballs. But the SSR is even better exhibitionist material, as the top drops to let all see who's behind the wheel.
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| If you want to turn heads and get noticed, to have perfect strangers come talk to you whenever you park, Chevy's new SSR is just the ticket. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
But the business model is quite different than the usual scheme to attract Canadian customers. Normally automakers offer a built in MSRP discount to those residing north of the U.S. border, important for getting a populace to spend hard earned money, that dollar for dollar has less to live on than the average American. GM Canada, however, is charging quite a bit more for the SSR than U.S. customers have to pay. At current exchange rates (Feb. 7, 2004) the base price of a U.S. SSR is $41,370.00 USD, the equivalent of $54,984.71 CAD. While it looks like GM Canada is gouging Canadians mroe than $15,000 per SSR, the base U.S. version doesn't come with as much standard equipment. But add on even more options than come standard in Canada, and the top price is still substantially less, at $47,715.00 USD, or $63,417.83 CAD. I don't know about you, but $6,500 plus is a tough price to pay just to be Canadian.
As it seems, Chevy has found enough buyers who want to lay down a rather substantial $70,000 just the same. After all, it's more or less a Corvette roadster pickup truck. But is it really?
 |
| Despite its exhaust rumble the SSR isn't as much about performance as it is about styling. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
While I can live without a manual, being that automatic transmissions are true to hotrod heritage, the 360 lb-ft of torque that the 6.0-L makes would have added a little jump off the line. Instead the SSR sounds fabulous, rumbling at idle, but feels sluggish when attempting a stoplight charge. To drive this point home the rather heavy 2,159 kg (4,760 lb) truck was annihilated by an even heavier Dodge HEMI quad cab, making me shrink in embarrassment.