Cars counted for the Chevrolet Division of General Motors range from fuel-efficient commuter vehicles and refined family sedans to slick coupes and America's favorite sports car, Corvette. For 2006, Chevrolet forges new iterations of Impala, the four-door sedan, and a two-door coupe derivation, Monte Carlo, then expands the list of powerful SS special editions to reach to Impala, Monte Carlo, Cobalt, Malibu and Malibu Maxx. And the supercar Z06 Corvette pops up carting a race-bred powertrain and suspension.

The economy car from Chevrolet works as a four-door notchback sedan or five-door hatchback. The two formats vary at the rear, where the sedan has an arched roof concluding at the trunk ledge while the hatchback extends the roof to a back door that slopes to the bumper. Both bring a cabin with room for five and more personal space than the pint-size appearance indicates. Seatback folds flat in the sedan, but on the hatchback the rear seat folds and flips forward to expand the cargo bay.

Aveo's sole engine, a dual-cam 1.6-liter in-line-four, musters 103 hp with standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic shifter. Trim designations for sedan and hatchback range from the entry-level Aveo Special Value edition to uplevel LS and deluxe LT. Safety modifications for 2006 include standard side-impact air bags added to front seats and two-stage frontal air bags.

Compact cars from Chevrolet shape up as a four-door sedan or two-door coupe. They display bold styling on the outside and a five-seat passenger compartment laced with gear. Three four-cylinder Ecotec engines apply. Standard is a 2.2-liter plant with 145 hp for LS and LT coupe or sedan plus the new LTZ sedan. A 2.4-liter engine at 171 hp powers sporty SS coupe and sedan, but for Cobalt SS Supercharged coupe the plant becomes a 2.0-liter four with blower added to achieve 205 hp.

Cobalt the sedan looks stylish in a smooth but tall format, and the coupe mimics that form in front but adds a swoopy tail with Corvette-inspired round taillamps. Air conditioning and an audio kit with CD deck are standard, with options like a sunroof, OnStar and XM satellite radio service. Majestic Amethyst is one of several new paint shades.

Chevy's svelte two-seat sports car works as a coupe and convertible or new Z06 fixed-roof hatchback -- the most powerful production model in it's 53-year history. With a name tracing to the '63 Sting Ray special showroom race car, Z06 for 2006 carries race-honed gear like carbon-fiber composite fenders and awesome engine.

The 7.0-liter LS7 V8 whips up 505 hp through a six-speed manual Tremec T56 gearbox. Corvette Coupe and Convertible use the LS2 plant, a 6.0-liter aluminum V8 worth 400 hp. It ties to the Tremec six-speed manual or a new electronically controlled six-speed Paddle Shift automatic with three driving modes -- Drive, Sport and Paddle Shift. Corvette the coupe has a removable roof panel, while the convertible's fabric lid operates manually or with optional power controls. Look for new body colors in the 2006 Corvette line like Velocity Yellow Tintcoat and Monterey Red Metallic Tintcoat. (CONTINUED...)