LA AUTO SHOW: Chevy Cobalt Due for 2005 Model Year

The 2005 Chevrolet Cobalt, an all-new premium small car featuring an expressive design and dynamic driving experience, is making its public debut at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. Cobalt will be manufactured beginning in the fourth quarter of 2004 at General Motors' Lordstown, Ohio assembly plant.

With the Cobalt and all-new 2004 Aveo, Chevrolet is well positioned in the entry level and premium small car segments.

“Cobalt is one of 10 new products joining the Chevrolet family over the next 20 months,” said Chevrolet General Manager Brent Dewar. “With Cobalt and Aveo, Chevrolet will become a dominant player in the small car segment again.”

According to Lori Queen, GM vehicle line executive for small cars, Cobalt was created to deliver a driving experience not expected in the small car segment.

“Cobalt achieves a new level of small car refinement, quality and performance,” said Queen. “With its great looks and outstanding performance, Cobalt is just plain fun to drive.”

Expressive Chevrolet design The Cobalt family continues Chevrolet’s refined and expressive design character. The sedan offers sophisticated appearance coupled with a higher seating position for a more commanding view of the road. For the coupe, Chevrolet builds on the identity of America’s most aspirational sport coupe, the Corvette. Leveraging the style of the sedan from the A-pillar forward, the Cobalt coupe reveals an elegantly tapered reverse C-pillar leading the eye to Chevrolet’s signature four round taillamps.

Great attention was also given to the use of tailored rubber moldings for a clean appearance. All models feature body-color moldings and door handles, as well as jewel-like headlamps and taillamps. Several wheel options also are offered, including standard 15-inch wheels and available 16-inch, 17-inch, and 18-inch wheels, all with unique designs.

The Cobalt family features 10 contemporary exterior colors.

The interiors of the Cobalt models reflect the same attention to detail as with the exterior designs. The high level of refinement is apparent in the quality of materials, appointments and styling cues used throughout the cabin. The execution of the gauges, knobs and buttons is simple and easy to use, yet elegant.

Standard features “Cobalt offers many unexpected features not typically found in small cars today,” said Pete Langenhorst, Chevrolet Cobalt marketing director. “We’ve also packaged these features in a way our customers will appreciate and enjoy.”

Cobalt offers a long list of standard features including air conditioning, electric rear defogger, CD player and driver information center. Available features include heated leather seats, power sunroof, XM Satellite Radio, MP3 playback and OnStar. In addition, Cobalt features plenty of interior flexibility, including easy access to the rear seat, 60/40 folding rear seats, interior access to the trunk area, as well as ample, versatile storage.

Dynamic driving experience With a strong structural foundation and wide array of engines, transmissions and suspensions, Cobalt delivers a dynamic driving experience regardless of model and trim level. In addition, safety and interior noise were significantly addressed throughout the development, delivering a safe and pleasing interior experience.

Cobalt was created on a strong foundation - GM’s Delta architecture. The rigid lower-dominant body structure is engineered as a single unit for mass efficiency and stiffness. The underbody uses high-strength steel as welded members in strategic locations for maximum strength, structural integrity, mass optimization and crashworthiness.

Noise reduction One-piece stamped tailor welded blanks are used for the inner and outer frame for added rigidity. In the instrument panel mounting area, a sound-deadening plenum is formed from a plastic layer sandwiched by thin steel sheets.

The Cobalt’s stiff underbody also supports a quiet ride, producing nearly 27 Hz in bending frequency. The rigid cockpit structure provides additional noise reduction, as well as providing load-carrying capability for crash protection.

The powertrain is supported by a torque-axis mounting arrangement that allows the suspension to operate at maximum efficiency while minimizing engine noise and vibration.

Ride and handling Cobalt’s advanced chassis systems are tuned to deliver ride and handling characteristics to fit the diverse requirements of a broad customer base. Electric power steering also is tuned to match the performance levels of the various tire and suspension packages. The tight turning radius is 34.8 feet (10.6 meters) curb to curb. Cobalt features a strut-type front suspension, semi-independent torsion beam rear suspension, and front and rear stabilizer bars for more exact body roll control.

Brakes and traction control Vented front disc brakes with single-piston calipers and composite drum rear brakes are standard on the base models. Four channel anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard on LS, LT and SS models. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard on SS models. Cobalt also features an enhanced electronic traction control system.

Safety The rigid body structure that enables Cobalt’s dynamic driving experience also reinforces its safety. In addition to the solid unibody structure, dual-stage air bags are standard and side head curtain air bags are available. Front seat-belt pre-tensioners, rear center shoulder belts and the LATCH child seat retention system are also standard equipment.

Powerful powertrains Cobalt offers three race-inspired Ecotec four-cylinder engines, one proven automatic transmission and two manual transmissions. The Ecotec family includes a standard 2.2-liter engine in the base, LS, and LT models; a new 2.4-liter engine standard in the SS coupe and sedan; and a 2.0-liter supercharged engine standard in the SS Supercharged coupe.

The Ecotec 2.2-liter engine delivers an estimated 140 horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque. The combination of increased displacement and variable valve timing technology enables the Ecotec 2.4-liter to achieve one of the highest torque ratings - an estimated 170 lb.-ft. - for a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder in the United States. The 2.4-liter’s 170 horsepower at 6000 rpm also is one of the highest specific-power outputs for any non-boosted four-cylinder of any size sold in the U.S., according to Ward’s 2003 market data.

The 2.2-liter and 2.4-liter dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engines feature aluminum block and cylinder heads, counter rotating balance shafts, roller finger follower valve lifters, chain driven camshafts, electronic throttle control, coil-on-plug ignition, GM Oil Life System and extended life spark plugs and coolant.

With the new 2.4-liter engine, variable valve timing (VVT) is introduced to the Ecotec family. The new VVT system uses electronically controlled hydraulic camshaft phasers to alter the relationship of the intake and exhaust camshafts as much as 50 degrees relative to the crankshaft for improved performance and efficiency.

Mated to the Ecotec 2.2-liter engine in the Cobalt is a standard Getrag five-speed manual and available Hydra-Matic 4T45-E electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission. The compact and efficient five-speed manual features five synchronized forward gears and a synchronized reverse gear. The 4T45-E is engineered to deliver transparent shifts in a quiet and durable package. With the Cobalt SS Supercharged model’s 2.0-liter supercharged engine, a manual transmission tailored to its unique power bands is included.

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