It carries a namebadge with “SS” and “supercharger” designations, telltale signs this coupe may be compact in size but has enough muscle for spirited zero-to-60-m.p.h. sprints, just like the big boys.
Of course, with the price of a gallon of gas now topping the price of a pint of water, anyone spotted in a car carrying either badge risks the wrath of the self-anointed energy police, those keen on dictating what people drive.
Fear not, the supercharged Chevrolet Cobalt SS coupe also carries a window sticker giving it license to ply the streets alongside the battery-powered cars those in charge of political correctness deem worthy of flag-waving Americans.
That sticker reads 22 m.p.g. city/30 m.p.g. highway, so though the SS puts some zip into the daily routine, you don’t have to hide your head because your car doesn’t have a battery pack under the rear seat or a corn stalk painted on the decklid.
Hop in and take off — and leave the guilt in the garage.
Looks good, too, with sporty front and rear fascias, lower rocker extensions along the sides and a high-mounted deck lid spoiler. Titanium-face gauges and a supercharge boost gauge along the A-pillar (the one at the windshield) deck out what was born as an economy car.
The supercharged 2-liter, 205-horsepower 4-cylinder delivers 200 foot-pounds of torque for those who prefer lively to limp, while boasting membership in the 30-m.p.g. club that includes such bigger members as the Chevy Malibu and Impala as well as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
The Cobalt SS does zero-to-60 in 6.4 seconds with a top speed of 143 m.p.h., though don’t expect the 4-banger to deliver 30 m.p.g. at that speed. Of course, if you’re pushing 143 m.p.h., mileage is probably the last thing on your mind.
And thanks to a sports-tuned suspension and 18-inch performance radials that stick to the pavement in tight turns and corners, there’s no need for mea culpas even at a few m.p.h. over the posted limit — unless the police stop to say howdy.
That sports-tuned suspension was developed on the track and combined with those 18-inch radials, higher spring and shock rates and larger diameter stabilizer bars to keep the body flat with no stumbling. Speed-sensitive steering adds to the agility.
While the SS pops away from the light, aided and abetted by the supercharge power burst, it’s a car whose appeal is limited to those who have mastered a 5-speed manual. No automatic, not even one of those tap-shifter jobs.
Chevy also offers a Cobalt SS in coupe and sedan form with a 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic, powered by a 2.4-liter, 173-h.p. 4 but no supercharged boost. The attraction is sporty show rather than sports-car go. But in the 2008 model year, these non-supercharged pretenders will lose the SS designation in favor of being called Sport models.
As an everyday driver, Cobalt SS trunk space is good, and the split rear seat backs fold so you can slip more stuff inside through the trunk. But the rear seats don’t fold flat, so count on a balancing act for whatever you put in.
And there are a couple other gripes. To lower the seat backs, you pull levers along the trunk lid roof and then must lay against a dirty bumper to reach your verrrrrrrry long arms through the trunk to lower the seat backs. For the majority of folks whose arms aren’t as long as legs, however, they will have to walk around and reach into the cabin to pull the backs down after tugging the levers.
And unless you have a couple little kids, the rear seat probably best holds cargo. Once clearing the seat belts serving as a barrier to the back, you then have to put up with a shortage of leg, knee and especially melon room.
The supercharged 2007 Cobalt SS starts at $20,925.
Other standard hardware includes four-wheel, anti-lock disc brakes, power mirrors, air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with CD/MP3 player, XM satellite radio, heated leather seats, power door locks and windows, cruise control, rear-window defroster, keyless entry, remote trunk release, front and rear floor mats, leather-wrapped tilt steering wheel and daytime running lamps.
The test vehicle added side-curtain air bags for $395, a must that’s proven to save lives, and the OnStar satellite communications system can be equipped with a turn-by-turn voice navigation system through the radio. No need for a pricey navigation system with dash screen, when an OnStar adviser guides you to your destination turn by turn via the radio.
The fun machine holds promise for its coming stablemate, the midsize, rear-wheel-drive Camaro arriving in late 2008 or early ’09 with its choice of V-6 or V-8 and even better road manners and more power, along with an even higher sticker price.
No official word as yet, but you have to suspect Camaro will offer an SS version while enthusiasts are counting on a high-power Z28.
Joe Phillippi, head of his own AutoTrends consulting firm, sees great utility in having a little brother to Camaro.
“At the end of the day, you have to say the SS is a micro performance car, a sporty little coupe that competes with all those rice burners from Toyota and Honda that are running around that kids have tricked up on their own to have fun.
“The price of gas is never going to go to $1.50 again, but cars like the SS are part of a car culture that says — whether it’s a Ferrari or simply a tricked-out Cobalt — if you can’t have some fun in cars you don’t have much of a reason for cars,” he said. “We don’t want to go back to the days [in the early 70s] when a Mustang only delivered 145 h.p. to conserve energy.”
Amen.
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2007 CHEVROLET COBALT SS
Price as tested: $22,410 *
22 M.P.G. CITY/30 M.P.G. HIGHWAY
THE STICKER
$20,925 Base
$695 OnStar
$395 Side-curtain air bags
$395 18-inch polished aluminum wheels
* Add $615 for freight.
THE NUMBERS
WHEELBASE: 103.3 inches
LENGTH: 180.3 inches
ENGINE: 2-liter, 205-h.p., supercharged 4-cylinder
TRANSMISSION: 5-speed manual
PLUSES
– Very good power.
– Very good handling.
– Very good mileage.
MINUSES
– Tight rear-seat room.
– Staying clean when lowering seat backs an adventure.
