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next Cobalt?

01Malibu

By 01Malibu
in Chevrolet

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The O.C. Newbie

The O.C.

Posted
Posted
Focus is doing better with fresher styling. I plan to do some googling to find any spy photos of the next Cobalt.

There's not that much wrong with Cobalt that a significantly better interior wouldn't fix....! Even the "new" Focus' interior is seemingly light-years ahead in style, design, and material fit-and-finish (and it's still not class-leading IMHO.)

Little Cobalt Sport models that are running around SoCal as rentals have some pretty decent eye-appeal......and there's never been anything wrong with the Ecotec engines.....it's just it's bottom-of-the-barrel interior that kills it (for me....)

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A Horse With No Name Experienced

A Horse With No Name

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Actually the Chasis of the Cobalt is just fabulous IMHO. The car handles very, very well in some ways.

It's not a bad looking car either.

I'd buy one before I'd buy a Focus...

Chris

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Paolino Apprentice

Paolino

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Before the bitching starts, there is a new Cobalt next year :AH-HA_wink: . BTW, the new Cobalt is global as well.

Really? I hadn't heard anything on the subject...

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hyperv6 Newbie

hyperv6

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Here is the problem guys the Cobalt right now is a really good car. But it looks just like the old car. The SS is the performance buy of the decade right now but until the next gen come in the unwashed non GM people will over look this car.

The new Focus does very poor in the comparo test and most panned it styling. What it is offering is not performance or styling but economy. Not just in the fuel milage area but in a great number of features along with a cheap price. Lets face it this is the car you buy your girl when she gets her drivers permit in high school and she drives it off to collage.

In this market Price is everything and the value is balanced with the features offered.

GM needs to offer the next Gen Cobalt with a lot of featured in a basic mechnical package to keep the price down.

This is the formula Hyundia has ridden to great growth on several market levels. This is the key to Chvevys future as a Value leader. They are doing this with the Malibu and HHR now. So I expect the CObalt package will improve as it is upgraded.

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z28luvr01 Newbie

z28luvr01

Posted
Posted

The Focus is an eyesore, but the people I know tht have them love the way they handle.

OC's not entirely bluffing about the Cobalt interior. Its overall design is nice and vintage Chevy, but some of the parts used could stand to be more substantial, as I've had a few pieces replaced under warranty - probably more than I should have (although it's important to note that my car is a first year '05 and that GM has since fixed a lot of the problems with said parts in subsequent model years). A decent sized storage bin in the center console would be most welcome. Why they went with the tiny armrest/console is a mystery. Good thing I normally don't carry much in my car anyway.

Still, none of this is stopping me from entertaining moving "up" to a turbo SS sedan when it comes out.

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Intrepidation

Intrepidation

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The Cobalt's biggest shortcoming is the interior. It's cheap and brittle and makes the Caliber's interior feel nice by comparison. The design is alright but you're constantly reminded anytime you touch anything that this is a cheap car. The next issue for me is the electric steering. I just don't like the way it feels, but most people will never know or care and I could live with it in a non=performance model.

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pipius Newbie

pipius

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Posted

On one of the local Youngstown TV stations saying that Lordstown has the Cobalt. But what one of the stations was saying that it will be getting a new name. Also they had a spy video of the car but this was on the o’clock news and is not on there website yet. It was also on one of the other local website http://www.wfmj.com/Global/story.asp?S=8287412 here. The video looked like a car a little smaller then the cobalt of today. This also maybe the Gamma format and a completely different car.

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daves87rs Collaborator

daves87rs

Posted
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On one of the local Youngstown TV stations saying that Lordstown has the Cobalt. But what one of the stations was saying that it will be getting a new name. Also they had a spy video of the car but this was on the o’clock news and is not on there website yet. It was also on one of the other local website http://www.wfmj.com/Global/story.asp?S=8287412 here. The video looked like a car a little smaller then the cobalt of today. This also maybe the Gamma format and a completely different car.

Nope.

The Balt is being built in Mexico...the same plant that built the Cavalier and Sunfire for Canada.....

You guys get the new Aveo/new Pontiac model (maybe) and two new Gamma Models....

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Eric77TA Newbie

Eric77TA

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Posted
That pic screams Korean...

GMDAT is doing a lot of the engineering. So that's not surprising.

I actually think it looks pretty good. I think with some bigger wheels and everything uncovered, and in a less bland color, it could look pretty decent.

I totally agree about the current Cobalt's interior. My daily driver is the basest of the base 2006 LS and the really cheap seat fabric drives me crazy. Overall, the interior actually works fine and I don't care about the hard plastic dash, since caressing the dash isn't really one of my passtimes, but better seat fabric and door panels would be welcome. I know that the LT and LTZ get the "sport cloth" but it's not really much better. What happened to the decent cloth of the 90s and before? My 2002 Cavalier had much nicer seat fabric.

Now, on the flip side, I think that the car rides and drives fine, it averages 31 MPG in my driving cycle, its screwed together pretty well even if the materials are cheap, and I think it looks good on the outside other than the wheelcovers by Wham-O! I would definitely consider another Cobalt if they upgrade the interior a bit on all models. And get some fascia spoke wheels like Malibu has for the cheapies without alloys.

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Blake Noble Newbie

Blake Noble

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All spy shots in this thread are of the same car. :AH-HA_wink:

Anti-sentiments about GMI set aside here, GMI's Cobalt sedan from their "Revitalization In Action" project actually is close in some details in regard to some of the side sculpting on the upper portion of the car and a very small number of other details. Look at the spy shots in the link Toni posted and you will see what I mean.

detail_cobalt_sedan.jpg

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ocnblu Newbie

ocnblu

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Posted
OMG, Mr. Jacket, I remember admiring that chop, and I do see a lot of similarities to the spyshots. I like what I see so far, and with my somewhat diminished expectations for Pontiac, I would like to see if a Delta II Pontiac is in the cards, and if so, will it be as distinctive from this Cobalt as the Sunfire was from the Cavalier, since it could have been developed from the outset to wear its own sheetmetal? :scratchchin:
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Blake Noble Newbie

Blake Noble

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OMG, Mr. Jacket, I remember admiring that chop, and I do see a lot of similarities to the spyshots. I like what I see so far, and with my somewhat diminished expectations for Pontiac, I would like to see if a Delta II Pontiac is in the cards, and if so, will it be as distinctive from this Cobalt as the Sunfire was from the Cavalier, since it could have been developed from the outset to wear its own sheetmetal? :scratchchin:

If there is a Delta II Pontiac in store, I echo your expectations of exclusive sheetmetal, as well.

I hope that Pontiac would also make the most out of having such a car, make it more than just a fraternal twin to the Chevrolet Cobalt. I am envisioning it as a Lancer competitor, with aggressive, bold design and bold surfaces, with a range-topping all-wheel drive GX/P to take on the Evolution and possibly even getting Pontiac into rallying.

I could live with that, sure. Now there is the problem of naming it. I wonder, would the Tempest name fit such a car? :scratchchin:

And if I could have it my way, I would position a mid-sized Alpha Pontiac above that, then with an Omega Pontiac above that. Add the Solstice on Kappa II and the Pontiac range is complete in my eyes.

It is so simple.

As for an Epsilon II Pontiac, it could have a place as well if it was properly designed to be a Pontiac. However, it would present some unwanted overlap with the Alpha Pontiac, but then again, I wouldn't really foresee a lot of Epsilon II Pontiac shoppers cross-shopping the Alpha Pontiac in the same showroom. I see those two cars appealing to entirely different audiences. The Epsilon II Pontiac could also provide a few Delta II buyers a chance to step up within the Pontiac brand when it is time to trade in.

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Blake Noble Newbie

Blake Noble

Posted
Posted (edited)
the side kinda makes me think malibu/cts..... is there any front view of it?

this seems like it'd work very well.

The front view is of their vision of the coupe model. Again, I think you will find most of the surfaces are similar when you compare them to the spy shots of the actual Cobalt sedan, especially around the upper portion of the car, but the grille is quite off from the real thing.

Cobalt_Front.jpg

Edited by YellowJacket894
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thegriffon Newbie

thegriffon

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Posted
That's the Daewoo Nubira.

There is no such thing anymore. There used to be an old, old J100 Daewoo Nubira, which was replaced by the J200 Daewoo Lacetti. Only in the UK was that car briefly known as the Nubira, and it is now Chevrolet Lacetti throughout Western Europe. Outside Europe the J200 is most commonly known as the Buick Excelle (which recently received a major MCE so that it is now much different to the standard J200), and most widely as the Chevrolet Optra (Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Latin America). The next generation J300 will probably be universally known as the Chevrolet Cobalt (global trademark filings by GM back this up). A distinct Buick version for Chinese markets is also in development. The Daewoo version (the only one which may keep the Lacetti name) will be unveiled in Korea later this year with a Korean-built version of the new 1.8 Dual-VVT engine from the Astra and a Hydramatic 6-speed auto. Nowhere will it be called the Nubira except in the minds of senile autowriters still living in the '90s.

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thegriffon Newbie

thegriffon

Posted
Posted
If there is a Delta II Pontiac in store, I echo your expectations of exclusive sheetmetal, as well.

I hope that Pontiac would also make the most out of having such a car, make it more than just a fraternal twin to the Chevrolet Cobalt. I am envisioning it as a Lancer competitor, with aggressive, bold design and bold surfaces, with a range-topping all-wheel drive GX/P to take on the Evolution and possibly even getting Pontiac into rallying.

I could live with that, sure. Now there is the problem of naming it. I wonder, would the Tempest name fit such a car? :scratchchin:

And if I could have it my way, I would position a mid-sized Alpha Pontiac above that, then with an Omega Pontiac above that. Add the Solstice on Kappa II and the Pontiac range is complete in my eyes.

It is so simple.

As for an Epsilon II Pontiac, it could have a place as well if it was properly designed to be a Pontiac. However, it would present some unwanted overlap with the Alpha Pontiac, but then again, I wouldn't really foresee a lot of Epsilon II Pontiac shoppers cross-shopping the Alpha Pontiac in the same showroom. I see those two cars appealing to entirely different audiences. The Epsilon II Pontiac could also provide a few Delta II buyers a chance to step up within the Pontiac brand when it is time to trade in.

Alpha doesn't arrive till c2013, a generation after the EPII sedans.

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Oracle of Delphi Newbie

Oracle of Delphi

Posted
Posted
If there is a Delta II Pontiac in store, I echo your expectations of exclusive sheetmetal, as well.

I hope that Pontiac would also make the most out of having such a car, make it more than just a fraternal twin to the Chevrolet Cobalt. I am envisioning it as a Lancer competitor, with aggressive, bold design and bold surfaces, with a range-topping all-wheel drive GX/P to take on the Evolution and possibly even getting Pontiac into rallying.

I could live with that, sure. Now there is the problem of naming it. I wonder, would the Tempest name fit such a car? :scratchchin:

And if I could have it my way, I would position a mid-sized Alpha Pontiac above that, then with an Omega Pontiac above that. Add the Solstice on Kappa II and the Pontiac range is complete in my eyes.

It is so simple.

As for an Epsilon II Pontiac, it could have a place as well if it was properly designed to be a Pontiac. However, it would present some unwanted overlap with the Alpha Pontiac, but then again, I wouldn't really foresee a lot of Epsilon II Pontiac shoppers cross-shopping the Alpha Pontiac in the same showroom. I see those two cars appealing to entirely different audiences. The Epsilon II Pontiac could also provide a few Delta II buyers a chance to step up within the Pontiac brand when it is time to trade in.

What Alpha Pontiac would that be? :scratchchin:

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thegriffon Newbie

thegriffon

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Posted

I'm sorry, but besides having four doors, how does this look like a Malibu? Some people are clutching at straws in their hate of GM. The company has an uphill battle in NA. You gotta wonder if it will ever pay off. At some point you gotta cut your losses and shut everything down to focus on export production like the Chevy MPV.

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