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2008
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 — the Corvette. For 2008,
Chevy casts a new iteration of the mid-size
Malibu four-door sedan, then turns on
the power for the Corvette, which sports
a new small-block V8.
 Aveo
Chevy's economy line offers a four-door
notchback Aveo and five-door hatchback
Aveo5. The two vary at the rear, where
the Aveo totes a trunk and the Aveo5 offers
a liftgate back door. Both bring a cabin
with room for five and more personal space
than the pint-size appearance indicates.
The Aveo's engine — a dual-cam, 1.6-liter
in-line-four — musters 103 horsepower
with a five-speed manual or optional four-speed
automatic shifter. It also stocks side-impact
air bags, a stereo with auxiliary input
device for iPods and options for a power
sunroof and anti-lock brake system (ABS).
The Aveo5 also offers tightly tweaked
suspension settings.
 Cobalt
Chevy's Colbat segments into a four-door
sedan and two-door coupe. They show bold
lines outside and a five-seat cabin laced
with gear inside. Ecotec four-in-line
engines are offered. The standard 2.2-liter
plant drops into the LS and LT coupe/sedan,
while a 2.4-liter version with variable
valve timing (VVT) motivates the Cobalt
Sport coupe/sedan. For the Cobalt LT2,
the optional Performance Appearance Package
attaches a tail spoiler, 16-inch aluminum
wheels, foglamps, white-face instruments
and a leather-trimed steering wheel. New
gear for all 2008 Cobalt models is a tire
pressure monitoring system (TPMS) plus
curtain-style side air bags.
 Corvette
Chevy's sports car offers not only a coupe
and convertible, but the Z06 fixed-roof
hatchback. The Z06 carries race-honed
gear including carbon-fiber composite
fenders and an awesome engine. The 7.0-liter
LS7 V8 whips up 505 horsepower through
a six-speed manual gearbox. The Corvette
Coupe and Convertible earn a new 6.2-liter
V8 pumping 430 horsepower in concert with
a six-speed manual or 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.
 Impala
With a mid-size structure and full-size
cabin space, the Impala sedan ranks among
the best-selling passenger cars in America.
For 2008, the series offers fuel-saving
engine options such as a 3.9-liter V6
with GM's AFM (Active Fuel Management)
technology or a flex-fuel version that
runs on gasoline or E85 ethanol. The two
models — base Impala LS and upscale
LT — use a 3.5-liter V6 with VVT
for 211 horsepower. The Impala LTZ goes
further with the 3.9-liter V6, while the
sport-tuned Impala SS brings a 303-horsepower,
5.3-liter small-block V8 with AFM.
 Malibu
Chevrolet's newly designed Malibu begins
with GM's global mid-size platform, which
forges a strong structure and sets up
refined driving dynamics. The dual-port
grille on Malibu's sculpted prow will
become the new styling face for future
Chevrolet cars. The Malibu is bigger now,
with a six-inch wheelbase stretch applied.
Trims for 2008 include the Malibu LS,
LT and LTZ. The engine for the LS and
LT is GM's Ecotec 2.4-liter VVT four-pack.
Malibu LTZ has a dual-cam 3.6-liter V6
with VVT to generate 252 horsepower via
a six-speed automatic. Safety standards
include curtain-style side air bags and
a TPMS.
For
more on Chevrolet
cars.
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