The Chevrolet Cobalt may be dead in the States where it was successfully replaced by the Cruze sedan, but the nameplate lives on in the rest of the world.
After the debut of the concept version at the Buenos Aires motor show this past summer, General Motors today introduced the final production 2012 Cobalt that will eventually go on sale in 40 countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South America - but not North America.

In addition to Brazil, which is the first country to receive the new Chevrolet Cobalt, the car will be produced in three more factories around the world, though GM did not disclose any more details on the locations.

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.

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.

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.