The compact economy car from Chevrolet returns in two-door coupe and four-door sedan styles with optional seat-mounted torso air bags. Trims for both coupe and sedan extend from the base Cavalier to upgraded LS and the top-end LS Sport rigged with GM's FE2 sport suspension. All pull power from a dual-cam 2.2-liter EcoTec four-in-line engine that makes 140 hp and mates to either the standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. Cavalier dresses up in optional gear such as chrome aluminum wheels, a tail spoiler and leather on the steering wheel and shifter knob. Audio packages reach to an optional CD deck that can play MP3 files and link to OnStar telecommunications and the XM satellite radio service.

Chevy's svelte two-seat sports car shows up in the 2005 line on a new platform with coupe and convertible versions. There's a sportier posture for the next Corvette as designers lop five inches off the length and an inch in width. There's edgy body styling apparent too with always-visible headlamps on a pointed prow with Xenon high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. And beneath the hood this 'Vette stocks a new LS2 V8 engine pumping 400 hp. Top speed climbs to 186 mph, making this the fastest production model ever.

The new Corvette rolls on larger wheels and tires (18-inches up front but 19s in back), with stronger brakes and a range of sophisticated chassis control systems available including three different suspension settings. Standard gearbox is a Tremec T56 six-speed manual, with an upgraded Hydra-Matic 4L65-E four-speed automatic optional. The coupe has a removable roof panel on top, while the convertible's five-layer fabric lid operates manually or with optional power controls. An AM/FM stereo radio with CD deck and MP3 capability drops into Corvette's revamped cockpit, which contains form-fitting sport bucket seats divided by a front-to-rear console.

The itsy-bitsy economy car from Chevrolet works as a four-door notchback sedan or five-door hatchback. Both look sleek and stylish in the manner of curvy European city cars, as Giorgetto Giugiaro's Italdesign studios in Turin developed exterior shapes. Sedan and hatchback vary at the rear. The sedan shows an arched roof concluding in a defined trunk ledge while the hatchback has the roof extending to the lip of a back door that slopes to the body-colored bumper. Both reveal spry manners on a curvy road and deliver a stable ride quality due to responsive mechanical gear aboard.

The 1.6-liter in-line-four engine feels zippy when running on suburban streets. It musters 105 hp with standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic shifter. Aveo's cabin seems far more spacious than the subcompact dimensions imply. Seatback folds flat in the sedan to boost cargo capacity, but on the hatch its rear seat folds and flips forward to forge a generous cargo bay.

New compact-class cars from Chevrolet shape up as a four-door sedan or snazzy two-door coupe. Cobalt applies bold styling to the exterior package and a five-seat passenger compartment laced with premium features. Three four-cylinder EcoTec engines work with Cobalt. Standard is a 140 hp 2.2-liter plant for base, LS and LT trims, with a new 2.4-liter engine at 170 hp for SS coupe and sedan due at mid-year. However, a new 2.0-liter four with blower added in Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe knocks out 205 hp. The sedan looks stylish in smooth but tall format, and the coupe mimics that form in front yet shows a swoopy tail marked by Chevy's signature round taillamps. Standards for the cabin are air conditioning and an audio kit with CD player, with options extending to heated leather seats, a sunroof, OnStar telecommunications and XM satellite radio service. (...BACK)