CHEVROLET Cobalt Sedan Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

Chevrolet ditched the Cobalt nameplate for U.S. customers but let it live in some other countries as a small-sized sedan for emerging countries.

While still struggling to get back on its feet after the world financial crisis, the American automaker thought that using the same Gama II platform for the Cobalt as on the Sonic would lower production costs. The strategy partly worked, but the vehicle still had a steep price compared to its competitors. In addition, neither the car's exterior design nor the interior was something to write home about it.

Sporting a set of headlights that resembled those installed on the Splash, the 2011 Cobalt was a three-box sedan with a clean design and nothing fancy on it. Still, the horizontal slat that featured the bow-tie badge was carefully adorned with chromed trims. On the lower bumper, depending on the options, the automaker also placed the fog lamps and a secondary, smaller grille. The Cobalt's profile revealed a three-box sedan shape, with slightly enlarged rear quarter panels that resembled those installed on the Renault/Dacia Logan.

Inside, the materials' quality was low, with hard plastic areas on the dashboard, door panels, and other easy-to-reach areas. But Chevrolet gained some points in front of its customers thanks to the instrument cluster that featured a large analog dial for the tachometer and an LCD for the onboard computer and for the speedometer. In addition, the automaker offered an option for an infotainment system placed on the center stack above the HVAC control panel. At the front, the Cobalt sported slim bucket seats, while at the back, there was a split-folding (60/40) bench seat.

Chevrolet offered the Cobalt's second generation with different engines, depending on the market. Thus, while the South American customers could get dual-fuel engines, in CSI (the Russian Federation) they could get the car with a turbo-diesel.

In 2007, Chevrolet introduced a facelift for its existing small-class sedan, the Cobalt. It was a good moment for a budget car.

The world economic crisis started to pick-up and affected all the car-makers not far from the introduction moment. There was a hard moment for the Detroit-Three and for the city itself. On the other hand, the Cobalt was an inexpensive vehicle that still had a bow-tie on the grille and history in the back.

The GM design department succeeded in building a simple successor for the Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunfire models in 2004, and the facelift enhanced those qualities. The rakish design with curved greenhouse and short rear overhang amplified the dynamic look. The new headlights were bigger and enhanced the night illumination factor. The standard version was fitted with 15" steel wheels, but light-alloy wheels up to 18" in diameter were on the options list.

The interior was slightly changed, but the three-color interior was not such a great idea. But the customers didn't care, as long as they have leather seats on the options list, automatic transmission for selected trim levels, and a pair of cupholders in the front.

Chevrolet installed a new engine lineup under the hood, with some units carried-over from the European branch, Opel. The naturally aspirated 2.4-liter was now rated with 174 hp, while the supercharged version reached up to 260 hp and competed against the new hot-hatches and sport-coupe vehicles from other Japanese car-makers.

Despite its similar look to its predecessor, the 2008 Cobalt SS sedan was that kind of small, four-door vehicle with which you wouldn't mess around.

The 2008 Cobalt SS significantly improved over its predecessor since it dropped the displacement and traded a supercharger for a turbocharger. Then, the design department stepped in and added some changes to the bodywork. The car was supposed to rock the Civic Si crown as the most appealing sport-compact sedan on the market, and, in some aspects, it did that. Then, the 2008 financial crisis started and stirred the market.

The Cobalt SS sedan looked almost like a regular compact sedan on the market, apart from the trunk's small wing. At the front, the car featured an A-shaped grille in the lower bumper area and added a pair of side-scoops for the fog-lights. Its standard 18" light-alloy wheels were demanded by the GM Performance Division, which said they needed to improve cornering speed.

Inside, the evolution continued with high-bolstered bucket-seats seats and SS badge embroiled on the front seats' seatbacks. The instrument cluster featured two large dials for the tachometer and speedometer and a smaller gauge for the fuel level. Fortunately, there were tons of aftermarket suppliers for the much-needed gauges for turbo, oil pressure, and oil temperature.

Under the hood, Chevrolet dropped a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with direct injection and variable valve timing. The 2008 model came fitted with stiffer suspension and a 5-speed ZF gearbox. Moreover, the GM Performance Division thought to add a no-lift shift system, which improved the quarter-mile time.

Chevrolet Cobalt replaced the Cavalier in 2004, and it was a compact sedan that dreamed big and offered little for its customers unless they were a rental company.

GM tried to wash away the bad reputation gained by the Cavalier and changed the car's name, and improved it in every way. The era of Bob Lutz started, and he didn't want to cut corners anymore. The carmaker already had a low-budget econobox built on top of a Korean platform (the Aveo), so it didn't want to make another low-budget car in the compact segment.

From the outside, the Cobalt featured angled headlights with sharp, angular lines on the inner side, and the wrapped-around, body-colored bumper made a good impression on a market where the Asian cars already gained their reputation. The reversed trapezoidal grille sported a horizontal slat adorned with the golden Chevy badge. Despite being on the budget side of the compact segment, it featured body-colored door handles and mirrors. Its profile resembled the European Opel/Vauxhall Astra, especially on the C-pillars. The carmaker tried to manage the big-taillights vs. wide trunk opening situation and handled it fine in the back.

The Cobalt could look like a cheap economy car or a premium wanna-be inside, depending on the trim level. The base levels featured cloth upholstery and a cheap-looking instrument panel saved only by its white dials. Still, the carmaker provided the vehicle with standard AC, power windows, and power mirrors. The customers could enjoy the artificial leather, the sunroof, and the wood trims on the dashboard for the top-spec version.

Under the hood, GM offered the Cobalt with two engine versions. Its coupe sibling also received a supercharged four-banger made to compete in the boy-racer segment.