In 2005 Chevrolet needed a replacement from it’s long-running and successful Cavalier. It found it, albeit only for a while, in the Chevrolet Cobalt. The Cobalt was designed for compact car drivers looking for high quality, good performance, and superior fuel economy, and achieved successes in these areas during its 6 year production run.
The Chevrolet Cobalt started out with a moderately powerful engine but increased its punch significantly throughout its short existence. The 2005-6 model’s 2.2L L61 I4 engine came with 145 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque. By 2010 those numbers had both increased to 260 thanks to the inclusion of the 2.0L Ecotec LNF Turbo I4 engine in the SS Supercharged model; one review described the 2008 Cobalt SS as “the quickest car you can buy under $25,000”. Fuel economy went up with it: the 2009 model boasted numbers of 24 mpg city and 34 mpg highway for automatic transmission, and 26/37 for manual. Four speed automatic and five speed manual transmissions were offered for the Cobalt’s several trims (though not all trims had both options available).
The Chevrolet Cobalt was a large car for its genre. The 2005 sedan was 4.9 inches longer than that years’ Honda Civic, and 1.5 inches wider than its Toyota Corolla. It also ran several hundred pounds heavier than both models. The different trims also included a variety of options such as anti-lock brakes, a leather covered steering wheel, rear spoiler, traction control, OnStar assistance, seven speaker sound system and front side airbags.
The Chevrolet Cobalt ended production in June of 2010, making way for the Chevrolet Cruze. The Chevrolet Cobalt sold just over 1,000,000 in total worldwide. One web site has reported information about a 2012 Chevrolet Cobalt concept model, but nothing has been mentioned yet on Chevrolet’s official web site.
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