Preview: 2006 Chevrolet HHR

Chevrolet may be late to the party with its new HHR - for "heritage high-roof"- but even years after Chrysler's PT Cruiser rumbled onto the scene, it seems there's still life left in the retro wagon shape.

The production version of the 2006 HHR will be unveiled this week at the Los Angeles auto show, from which TCC will be reporting starting Wednesday, January 5. The HHR had been shown in sketch form at previous auto shows. And from those shows, the HHR stood out - because in a parade of retro-flavored GM concept cars, the HHR is the only one to enter production thus far.

Chevrolet says the HHR gets its distinctive look from the '49 Chevy Suburban, which it calls the original utility vehicle (without the Willys folks around, who can argue?), and from the SSR hot-rod pickup, a semi-useful looker that's been a sales dud so far for the bowtie division. Sharing its mechanicals with the Cobalt reviewed here at TCC this week, the HHR is the crossover variant of the compact chassis that also underpins the Saturn Ion.

Chevy includes its crossover in its wide spectrum of compact offerings, as Ford does with the Escape. And like the Escape, only less SUV-centric, the HHR puts its emphasis on carrying people and things to places outside the usual compact-sedan mileu. The HRR, Chevy says, offers up enough space for five people and sports an interior that can be configured to suit the passengers, from surfboards of the watery kind to surfboards of the cable-modem kind.

Body by Boomers

While Ford seems to have run out of retro options - is there a Montclair in the offing? - Chevy hasn't yet offered a vehicle so squarely tied to its visual past as the HHR. Rest assured, what's underneath is modern enough: the HHR's Delta architecture, GM says, gives the wagon a splendidly strong structure that has the quietness and fortitude of a more expensive car.

Inside and out the HHR fuses the '49 Suburban's visage with the functionality that the Greatest Generation could only have dreamed of. The HHR's seating position is high and trendy, giving the commanding view of the road that SUVs have spoiled upon American drivers. Vaguely retro lines delineate the interior, with two-tone dash treatments and metallic-ringed instruments giving off a distinct whiff of PT Cruiser.

And like the PT Cruiser, the HHR's wagonback flexes and folds and generally makes itself available for most light duties - short of assembling a Craftsman house, it's hard to imagine a task the HHR's configurable cargo area couldn't tackle. Ransacking a Pier One after the holidays? The front passenger seat folds flat to swallow the whole wicker collection; the rear seats split 60/40 too, so a passenger or two still could ride in back. The load floor is flat, and it can be raised in part to create a two-tiered storage system. A pair of storage bins fits in the floor behind the rear seats, too.

Model upbringing

There will be two HHR wagons arriving for the 2006 model year. The LS and LT share the same body style and 174.5-inch length, as well as a cargo capacity of 63.1 cubic feet. What they don't share is powertrains. The LS spins out 140 horsepower through a 2.2-liter version of the GM corporate Ecotec four-cylinder, making 150 pound-feet of torque as well. The LT moves up to a 2.4-liter Ecotec four with 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque. The engines are both dual overhead-cammers with balance shafts and electronic throttle control for smoothness.

Five-speed manual sticks come with either model, and a four-speed automatic is optional. The manuals are Getrag units, with different final gearing for the two engine variants. The Hydra-Matic automatic is similarly tweaked for LS and LT models.

The suspension is pretty familiar to Cobalt readers and enthusers: the MacPherson strut front teams up with a semi-independent torsion-beam rear end, with a softer FE1 suspension setting outfitted with 16-inch wheels. The FE3 sport suspension gets the 17-inchers. Electric power steering is standard, but drum brakes are still shod on the rear wheels.

Chevrolet hasn't standardized much of the very latest safety gear. Dual front airbags are here, but anti-lock control and traction control are options, as are side-curtain airbags and OnStar telematics. No word yet on all-wheel drive.

Other equipment stocked on both models includes standard air conditioning, power locks and windows, an AM/FM/CD player, and remote keyless entry. XM Radio and upmarket audio systems are offered, as are a power sunroof, a larger gas tank, 16- and 17-inch wheels, and remote starting. The base LT model adds a power seat, while a jazzier 2LT package includes ABS, fog lamps, leather trim, 17-inch wheels, and a sport suspension.

Chevy clearly hopes that the gas hasn't run out of the retro-wagon market. And in case you didn't see the HHR as a tuner's playground, Chevy will show off a special version, commissioned by West Coast Customs, at the L.A. show alongside the production version (see the HHR scrapbook link above for all the HHR pictures).

Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but look for the HHR to hit the streets in the second half of 2005.

source: www.businessweek.com