- Non-supercharged SS models were new for 2006.mountrains road perspective image by Julia Britvich from Fotolia.com
The 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt SS is a sporty coupe and sedan line from General Motors. Class competitors include the Honda Civic Si, Ford Focus ZX3 and Nissan Sentra SE-R. Available in the coupe model only is the even better-performing SS Supercharged coupe, which shares most components with other SS models--except for its engine. The Cobalt was praised as a much better car than Chevy's outgoing Cavalier, with the 2006 model a final contender for Motor Trend's Car of the Year. - Standard SS coupe and sedan models have GM's 2.4-liter dual-overhead cam engine with variable valve timing and four valves per cylinder. Bore and stroke are 88 and 98 mm and the compression ratio is 10.4 to 1. This engine outputs 171 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 163 ft.-lbs. torque at 5,000 rpm. For the SS Supercharged coupe, a completely different 2.0-liter supercharged engine has dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. The compression ratio is 9.5 to 1 with bore and stroke of 86-by-86 mm. Power output for this top-of-the-line engine is 205 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 200 ft.-lbs. of torque at 4,400 rpm. EPA estimated fuel economy is 20 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for the SS Supercharged and 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway for naturally aspirated SS models.
- Both SS and SS supercharged versions use a front engine, front-wheel drive configuration typical of competing sport compact cars. A five-speed manual transmission came standard with non-supercharged models available with a four-speed automatic as an option. Front strut-type independent suspension is paired with a rear semi-independent torsion beam system with stabilizer bars found on both the front and rear as well. Four-wheel disc brakes with ventilated discs in the front handle stopping power.
- The Cobalt SS measures 180.3 inches long, 67.9 inches wide and 57.1 inches tall. The wheelbase is 103.3 inches and it has a curb weight between 3,000 and 3,200 pounds, depending on body style and equipment choice. From a styling perspective, the sedan is more restrained than the coupe. One of the more distinctive styling features are the tail lamps, which use a dual round fixture design on each end to echo the Chevrolet Corvette. The SS coupe and SS Supercharged coupe are differentiated by way of a large rear wing, different front fascias and more aggressive wheels. Inside is seating for five with two-tone leather standard on the SS Supercharged and leather available on other SS models.
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