2009 CHEVROLET New Car Model Guide

Chevrolet from General Motors shows a broad spectrum of passenger cars, ranging from fuel-efficient commuter vehicles and refined family sedans to slick coupes and America's favorite sports car – Corvette. For 2009, Chevy hones engines for fuel efficiency on small-scale cars like Aveo and Cobalt, and then issues a new gas-electric hybrid edition of the mid-size Malibu.

Aveo
Chevy's economy line skews as a four-door notchback (Aveo) and five-door hatchback (Aveo5). The two vary at the rear, where Aveo totes a trunk and Aveo5 has a liftgate back door. Both bring a cabin with room for five and more personal space than the pint-size appearance indicates. A new 1.6-liter in-line-four Ecotec engine with variable valve timing (VVT) and output of 106 hp becomes the standard plant for all 2009 Aveo models. A five-speed manual shifter is stock but a four-speed automatic is available. New front-end styling seems bold with prominent grillework inspired from Malibu.

Cobalt
Chevy's compacts divide into a four-door sedan and two-door coupe. Each features bold lines outside and a five-seat cabin inside with lots of gear. Ecotec four-in-line engines apply. The standard 2.2-liter plant drops into LS and LT coupe/sedan, but the addition of VVT boosts fuel efficiency as well as power – now pushed to 155 hp. Cobalt SS is an entirely different animal, toting a turbo-charged four-cylinder engine tied to a quick five-speed manual gearbox produced by GM Powertrain Sweden. The turbo plant delivers 260 hp. OnStar telecommunications is now standard on all Cobalt models.

Corvette
Chevy's sports car offers a coupe and convertible or the Z06 fixed-roof hatchback plus a ZR1 supercar stocking the new LS9 supercharged 6.2-liter V8 rated at 638 hp. Z06 carries race-honed gear like carbon-fiber composite fenders and a 7.0-liter LS7 V8 whipping up 505 hp through a six-speed manual gearbox. Corvette Coupe and Convertible use the LS3 6.2-liter V8 pumping 430 hp in concert with a six-speed manual or electronically controlled six-speed Paddle Shift automatic. Corvette the coupe has a removable roof panel, while the convertible's fabric lid operates manually or with optional power controls.

Impala
With a mid-size structure but full-size cabin space and seats for all in the family, Impala the sedan ranks among the best-selling passenger cars in America. The series offers fuel-saving engine options from a 3.9-liter V6 with GM's AFM (Active Fuel Management) technology or a flex-fuel version, which runs on gasoline or E85 ethanol. Two models – base Impala LS and upscale LT – use a 3.5-liter V6 with VVT for 211 hp. Impala LTZ goes further with the 3.9-liter V6, but sport-tuned Impala SS brings a 303-hp 5.3-liter small-block V8 with AFM.

Malibu
Mid-size Malibu the sedan mirrors dressy exterior styling of several mega-bucks German touring sedans. The stylish treatment carries over to Malibu's interior design, as the cabin looks handsome and deploys deluxe materials to cover dash, doors and seats. Trims for 2009 include Malibu LS, LT and LTZ. Standard engine is GM's Ecotec 2.4-liter VVT four-pack with 169 hp. Malibu LT and LTZ show an optional upgrade to a dual-cam 3.6-liter V6 with VVT which generates 252 hp via a six-speed automatic. New body paint shades for 2009 includes Silver Ice Metallic, Summit White and Gold Mist Metallic.

Malibu Hybrid
Mid-size Malibu the sedan mirrors dressy exterior styling of several mega-bucks German touring sedans. The stylish treatment carries over to Malibu's interior design, as the cabin looks handsome and deploys deluxe materials to cover dash, doors and seats. Trims for 2009 include Malibu LS, LT and LTZ. Standard engine is GM's Ecotec 2.4-liter VVT four-pack with 169 hp. Malibu LT and LTZ show an optional upgrade to a dual-cam 3.6-liter V6 with VVT, which generates 252 hp via a six-speed automatic. New body paint shades for 2009 includes Silver Ice Metallic, Summit White and Gold Mist Metallic.

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