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2008 Chevrolet HHR Review

Retrowagen gets more performance. by Staff, New Car Test Drive

Overview


		» Overview » Lineup » Walkaround » Interior » Driving Impressions » Summary


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The Chevrolet HHR is a car-based retro-wagon that celebrates its Chevy heritage with styling inspired by the iconic 1949 Suburban. HHR stands for Heritage High Roof, a reference to the early high-roofed Suburbans and panel trucks that inspired the design of the HHR.

Based on the same platform as the Chevrolet Cobalt, the HHR was first launched as a 2006 model. The HHR competes most closely with the Chrysler PT Cruiser, but also with Honda Element, Ford Escape, and Jeep Liberty.

For 2008, the HHR lineup gets a new high-performance SS model.

We found the Chevy HHR fun to drive. It isn't a sports car, but it's nimble and we were pleased with its acceleration. The HHR feels more responsive than its horsepower, torque, and transmission ratio numbers suggest. Plus, it gets decent fuel economy.

The HHR Panel Van features smooth, windowless side panels and rear cargo doors with no handles. The rear cargo doors open via an instrument panel button. While it?s more Spartan inside and provides seating for only two, the Panel best exemplifies the early Suburban heritage.

The HHR SS is the most fun to drive, launching quickly off the line and offering sharp handling. On an autocross circuit, we found it handled like a sports car.

The HHR interior isn't as functional as we'd like, however. And the base cloth fabric left us wishing we'd ordered the optional leather.

The Chevrolet HHR remains relatively unchanged for 2007 with the exception of slightly more powerful engines and a few additional new color choices. New exterior color options for 2007 include Imperial Blue Metallic and Golden Teal Metallic; a new interior color option is Ebony.