Chevy HHR Panel: A Retro Business Wagon

Chevrolet is taking this whole retro thing all the way. When the company released the HHR last year, it was clearly an exercise in recapturing the classic looks of Chevy’s mid-century trucks and vans. Back then, many of those vehicles were used by businesses of the day, like milkmen, handymen, etc. This new take on that work van, however, will probably be used more for marketing than hard labor.

Sure, the new HHR Panel has 57 cubic feet of rear storage — plus 6 cubic feet of hidden storage under the floor — but most compact SUVs have more than that and they have back seats. What the HHR delivers is an eye-catching blank slate for advertising. The best example of this trend is Best Buy’s Geek Squad, which promotes its services with black and white VW New Beetles that double as transportation for the store’s computer technician house calls. Other popular vehicles that double as work transportation and rolling advertisements include the Mini Cooper and Scion xB.

Trim and engine choices mirror those of the standard HHR. The LS model features a 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine with 149 hp and 23/30 mpg city/highway, and the LT has a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that produces 175 hp and also gets 23/30 mpg.

The Chevy HHR Panel will go on sale in early 2007 with prices similar to those of the current models — $15,880 for the LS and $16,880 for the LT.

The cargo doors don’t have external handles; they are opened via a dashboard release button.