Chevrolet Cobalt

Remember the Cavalier? You probably do, because it sold remarkably well

2007 is the last year of production for Chevrolet's hyperactive Supercharged compact... kind of. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)

during its lifetime (particularly towards the end when it was offered at unbelievably low prices) and still has a rather loyal following in the sports compact arena. Even with this in mind, as a compact car it fell rather short in comparison to other cars in its class. The people at GM's Performance Division sat up and took notice. The sport compact class of vehicles is a hot market segment, and it’s got some pretty cool cars competing for your dollars, so Chevrolet decided back in 2005 that it wouldn’t just idly stand by and risk its owners checking their baggage for a Japanese or European import.

Besides being a big step forward in general, the Cobalt SS Supercharged (not to be confused with the regular, and quite frankly lame non-supercharged SS) was a big step forward for GM’s performance offering in the compact segment. Z24 drivers won’t be the only ones pining to get behind the wheel of one of these, with promises of handling tuned on the Nurburgring and rather appealing exterior visuals. While the oversized rear wing has become the telltale sign of an SS Supercharged (the SS doesn’t have as big a wing), it literally cuts out half your rearward visibility. You

Since the birth of the non-Supercharged Cobalt SS, the wing is the easiest way to tell the two apart. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)

really can’t tell if the car following close behind belongs to the folks in law enforcement or not. The car's body does have flares in all the right places, and the front and rear bumper skirts look great, as do the polished, flangeless 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels. The Cobalt immediately distances itself from its predecessor in terms of a visual statement, such as the new Civic Si and Sentra SE-R that look rather ordinary. The car has the looks, but given the choices sport compact buyers have, how does it drive?

Quite well, as it turns out. As we said, if you’re a Cavalier owner the Cobalt will blow you away. It’s a huge step forward. The chassis rigidity of the international Delta platform (also shared with that exciting new Saturn Astra) is leagues above the J-Body, and gives the car a nice, tight feeling. For the Cobalt application, the Delta underpinnings come alive; it seems perfectly suited to its sporty demeanor. People often talk about rigid structures as a vital starting point to tuning the car dynamically, and the Cobalt SS doesn’t disappoint. Not only does it have a solid feel, but you feel just as confident tracking straight and true on the highway as you would on a twisty back road.

And twisting roads in mind, the sport-tuned suspension with aluminum links does a great job at controlling body roll and dive when the going gets quick. In fact, the Cobalt’s rear suspension has some really trick hydro-elastic bushings that allow sharpness of handling without shaking your fillings loose around town. It’s a technology found on some premium import brands, and it works well on the Cobalt. All these components conspire to endow the SS with handling abilities that rival or exceed its competition; it can generate cornering forces in the neighborhood of 0.90 Gs on the skid pad. The Cobalt SS

Interior can be had in some fairly bright colours including yellow, red and blue. (Photo: Chevrolet)

Supercharged was a little low on steering feedback, due to the fact that the car has an electrical power steering system instead of the traditional hydraulic power steering.

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises surrounding this particular Cobalt is the awesome braking performance it serves up. Its four wheel discs are of modest size, yet it scrubs off speed quite well. We suspect that a lot of time was spent calibrating the brake balance. Whatever the case may be, the Cobalt stops reassuringly, even after aggressive use. Another feature we enjoyed about the car under braking was the pops and burbles the exhaust makes as you zing the tach on a downshift, conducted through a short-shift five-speed Getrag manual transmission.

As with so many cars in this class, the big story is what’s under the hood.

Very important - don't forget the supercharger gauge! (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)

The SS joins the party with a 2.0-litre version of GM’s Ecotec four-cylinder. For this most ultimate of Cobalts, it’s mated to an Eaton supercharger that allows 12 psi of peak boost. The guys at GM Performance deem it necessary to know exactly what the blower is doing, so they mounted a boost gauge in the A-pillar for easy monitoring. We liked making it swing to its limit as much as possible. When you do that, your ears will be treated to some classic supercharger whine followed by an impressive shove forward. In fact, just over 6 seconds is all it takes to hit 100 km/h. That’s fast. Even during a street start, the car lunges forward convincingly as it autographs the asphalt with two black stripes of rubber. Needless to say, we were quite pleased with the car’s penchant for speed.

Though 205 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque is now merely average for a car in this category, especially with the introduction of the 280-hp Dodge Caliber SRT4 and the 263-hp Mazdaspeed3, the Cobalt SS Supercharged plays daily usability as its strong card. Because the supercharger provides power on demand, there’s no waiting around.

We'll be sad to see it go, but the upcoming turbocharged Cobalt SS will have even more power... so we won't miss this guy too much. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, Canadian Auto Press)

The Cobalt SS Supercharged is also available with a limited slip differential from master engineers Quaife, which helps to put the power to the ground.

Even though the SS Supercharged doesn’t have a big-block engine, we think that it’s one of the best representatives of the SS nameplate. People take the Cobalt SS Supercharged seriously, and it’s helped to elevate GM’s position in the marketplace substantially. It’s for this reason that we’re saddened to see that the Cobalt SS Supercharged won’t be around for much longer. But don't cry too much, as all you need do is look to the new turbocharged HHR SS for a sign of what the next-gen, top-line Cobalt SS will produce. Trustworthy sources from within GM have strongly hinted that the turbocharged, direct-injected 260-hp turbocharged inline-four also used in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line will find its way into this sporty coupe, and really spice things up.

For supercharger fans, even though the clock is ticking there’s more than enough time to get into one of these cars, and with good reason too. MSRP on a Cobalt SS Supercharged starts at under $25,000, which makes it cheaper to buy than a VW GTI or Civic Si. The Cobalt SS Supercharged might’ve fallen off the radar in the past little while, but it’s a sports compact that can put a smile on your face without denting your wallet too hard.

Specifications (Chevrolet Cobalt SS Supercharged):

• Price range: $24,960
• Body Type: 2-door coupe
• Layout: front engine, FWD
• Engine: 205 hp, 200 lb-ft of torque, 2.0L, 16-valve DOHC supercharged I-4
• Transmission: 5-spd manual
• Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS
• Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,580 / 1,725 / 1,415 / 2,624 mm (180.3 / 67.9 / 55.7 / 103.3 in)
• Curb Weight: 1,327 kg (2,925 lbs)
• Tires: 215/45R18
• Trunk: (roof up/down): 394 L (13.9 cu-ft)
• Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 10.5 / 7.1 L/100 km
• Observed Fuel Economy: 10.1 L/100 km
• Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive; 60/160,000 powertrain
• Competitors: Acura CSX Type-S, Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Si, Mazdaspeed3, MINI Cooper S, Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V, Subaru Impreza WRX, Volkswagen GTI / GLI
• Website: www.chevrolet.gm.ca