Chevrolet Sneaks HHR

Chevrolet released a sketch on its new HHR wagon at a recent automotive conference in the USA.

Gary Cowger, president of General Motors North American operations spoke at the Management Briefing Seminar in Traverse City.

Here's an excerpt from his speech:

"The heritage of a great brand is one of its greatest assets. And Chevrolet is no exception. Look at the SSR, which is in early production in Lansing even as we speak.

Did you know that one of the early Signature Series SSR production models sold on eBay for $140,000?

Well, the overwhelming success of the SSR got us to thinking about another kind of vehicle... one that even more people could appreciate.

To understand its heritage, you have to go back about 55 years ... to the 1949 Suburban.

That really was the first crossover vehicle, used for hauling people or cargo.

So, we took that Suburban...

And the SSR...

And came up with ... this.

Codename: HHR.

Like the SSR, it's both a nod to the past and a big step into the future. The inspiration comes from nearly 95 years of great Chevy design and performance.

In addition to its striking exterior design and proportions, this vehicle offers a more flexible interior than any similarly sized vehicle in its class. It seats five, has a flat load floor and folding second-row seat.

We'll also give it "more-than-expected" Chevy performance. It will utilize the growing family of ECOTEC 4-cylinder engines ranging from 140 horsepower to more than 220 horsepower.

Its DNA requires that only Chevy get this vehicle.

For the few people who have driven it, the comments are positively glowing on the interior, ease of driving, acceleration and ride and handling. In fact, words like "wow" and "fun" come up a lot.

This vehicle is about Chevy's proud heritage, and what Chevrolet heritage can do to create a halo for an entire brand"

2003-08-08 Please quote Autoindex.org if You use this news article!