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.
Fully engineered and design by GM’s Brazilian arm, Chevy’s new compact sedan measures 4,479mm (176-in.) long, 1,735mm (68.3-in.) wide and 1,514mm (59.6-in.) tall, while riding on a 2,620mm (103.1-in.) long wheelbase. The Cobalt’s external dimensions put it between the Sonic/Aveo and Cruze sedan.
The exterior design of the global Cobalt is certainly different, though we’ll leave it to you to decide if that’s a good thing or not.
Inside, Chevrolet says that the Cobalt “has room for five adults who are accommodated comfortably” while the saloon also features a generous boot space of 563 liters (19.9 cubic feet).
The interior styling is similar but not identical to the Sonic/Aveo series with the Cobalt featuring a motorcycle-themed instrument cluster.
In Brazil, buyers will be able to choose from two engine options, including a flex-fuel 1.4-liter unit delivering 102HP when running on ethanol and 97HP on gasoline and a 1.8-liter unit linked exclusively to a 6-speed automatic transmission (GM did not release power figures for the larger displacement unit).
The Detroit-based company said that in other markets, the Cobalt will be offered with a wider range of four-cylinder engines ranging in displacement from 1.3- to 1.8-liters.
Pricing in Brazil starts from R$ 39,980 or about US$23,000.
PHOTO GALLERY
