Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

All-new Camaro Six is revealed – and we’ve got all the details

By Shahzad Sheikh

In the Pony car wars, the Camaro has been sweeping up. Launching an all-new version of the car whilst riding a wave of success is always risky. But confidence is high that they’ve nailed it with the new car from the off.

Lighter, stiffer, smaller, with a four-cylinder, V6 and V8 engines on offer, the 2016 Chevrolet Camaro intends to hit the ground running.

Classic design cues – long-bonnet, short rear deck, bulging fenders, gaping grilles – I’m really liking the stance and look of this car. It doesn’t deviate from the style made popular by the previous Camaro too far, yet brings it a little more up-to-date, and keeps things butch, despite the smaller dimensions. And the interior is just so much more inviting and superior to the previous Camaro.

Here are the key facts:

• Four seat, two-door coupe, front-engined, rear drive
• 2.0-liter Turbocharged four-cylinder producing 270bhp and 290lb ft gives 0-100kph acceleration in less than 6 seconds.
• 3..6-litre V6, 330bhp and 285lb ft (yep, more power, but less torque than the four-pot).
• 6.2-litre V8 producing 440bhp and 450lb ft for SS – most powerful SS ever.

2.0 left, V8 SS centre, V6 right

• Based on the Cadillac ATS, Camaro Six is smaller
• 2.0 and 3.6 available with Tremec 6-speed manual and 8-speed automatic

• 6.2 available with Tremec 6-speed manual with Active Rev Match and 8-speed auto
• Compared to the 2015 Camaro, Camaro Six is 41mm shorter wheelbase, 57mm shorter length, 20mm narrower, 28mm lower (interesting the rear track is 9mm wider) and at least 90kg lighter.
• Suspension. Front: MacPherson-type strut with dual lower ball joints, twin-tube struts and direct-acting stabilizer bar; Magnetic Ride Control with monotube inverted struts available on SS. Rear: Independent five-link with twin-tube shocks and direct acting stabilizer bar, Magnectic Ride Control with monotube shocks available on SS.

• ZF rack-mounted electric power steering with variable ratio
• Only carry-over from previous Camaro is rear bowtie emblem and SS badge
• 2016 Camaro SS is said to be faster around a track than track-focussed 2015 Camaro 1LE
• Drive Mode Selector has up to eight vehicle attributes for four modes: Snow/Ice, Tour, Sport and Track settings for SS models
• Inside you can choose from 24 different lighting effects, there are configurable displays and wireless phone-charging, as well as a new version of Chevrolet MyLink.
• US sales later this year.

The new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro will offer more personalisation with 10 exterior colours and five colour combinations, as well as a selection of wheels and stripe packages. There’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a driver-focussed cabin and claims of better quality materials used inside. There are control rights around the air vents for temperature and fan speed adjustments instead of regular knobs and buttons.

Although the Camaro is based on the Cadillac ATS platform, 70% of components are unique to the Chevrolet. The body-in-white is over 60kg lighter, partly from switching the instrument panel frame from steel to aluminium saving 4.2kg.

SS comes with Brembo brakes and Goodyear tyres used on all versions with teh SS getting Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 run-flats on 20-inch alloys.

The 6.2-litre V8 in the SS is from Corvette Stingray – but 20% of the drivetrain components are unique to Camaro including a new tubular ‘tri-Y’ type exhaust manifolds.

Chevrolet has focussed a lot on the sound of the engine. The 2.0 features active noise cancellation in the cabin, but Bose-equipped cars also feature engine sound enhancement amplifying the engine sound (it can be disabled).

The 3.6 and 6.2 feature mechanical sound enhancers – sound resonators to pump engine noise back into the cabin and have dual-mode exhaust with electronically controlled valves that bypass the muffles under acceleration. You’ll be able to adjust the sound from ‘stealth’ to ‘track’.

SS models gets a rear spoiler. RS and SS models gets HID projector-beam headlamps and LED ‘signature lighting’ daytime running lights, plus LED lighting for rear taillamps.

Let us know what you think of the new 2016 Chevrolet Camaro below