Cars.com Reviews the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS

Chevy has joined Dodge and Mazda in the turbocharged-hatchback wars. We’re not sure Chevy’s HHR needed a high-powered version — of course, we don’t think the Dodge Caliber was really asking for one either — but reviewer Mike Hanley found enough to like about this trim level. Check out the review and the accompanying video if you need a hatchback and 260 hp.

2008 Chevrolet HHR SS Expert Review

Weekend Athlete: 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS

The HHR is a car I've had a lot of experience with as a rental car, driving it for everything from camping trips and triathlons to ski races. The faster, sportier SS version was new to me, though, and I hadn’t written about those previous HHRs, so now seemed as good a time as any.

Video: 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt SS and 2008 HHR SS

For 2008, Chevrolet rolled out two high-performance SS versions of its small SUV-like HHR and its Cobalt compact car. Both have similar powertrain and suspension upgrades that make them SS models, and we recently got a chance to take both on the track at Road America in Wisconsin. We also put them side by side in this video to note the differences between these new turbocharged, high-performance compacts.

Recall Alert: 2006-08 Chevrolet HHR

GM is recalling more than 180,000 Chevy HHRs due to poor crash-test ratings — an unusual cause. The company is going to insert energy-absorbent materials into the headliner of all models not equipped with roof-mounted airbags.

Model year 2006-08 HHRs are included in the recall. It’s extremely rare for a car company to fail a standard federal safety test, and we’re surprised it took so long for the recall to take place, since it involves a 3-year-old model. For more information, contact Chevrolet at 800-630-2438.

GM Recalling 180,000 Chevrolet HHRs (NHTSA via Autoblog)

2009 Chevy HHR Gets First E85 Four-Cylinder

This morning at the Chicago Auto Show, GM announced that the 2009 edition of the Chevy HHR will feature a four-cylinder E85 engine standard, making it the first four-cylinder that can run on the renewable fuel.

There will be two versions of the engine: a 2.2-liter and a 2.4-liter four-cylinder, both of which will be E85-capable flex-fuel engines, meaning they can run on regular gas or ethanol-derived E85. The 2009 HHRs will go on sale later this year.

Mileage estimates weren’t released, but other Chevy flex-fuel engines deliver roughly 25% worse fuel economy when running on E85 than when running on regular gasoline. The current HHR gets 22/30 mpg city/highway and 20/28 mpg for the 2.2-liter and 2.4-liter engines, respectively, on regular gasoline. A 25% drop would knock those city numbers well into the teens.

2008 Chevy HHR Panel SS Concept

• Competes with: Mazdaspeed3, Dodge Caliber SRT4, HHR SS non-panel
• Looks like: A HHR Panel with bigger wheels
• Drivetrain: 260-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, five-speed manual transmission
• Hits dealerships: Early 2009 

Chevy calls this a concept but then goes around and whispers that the HHR Panel SS will be a limited edition production model sometime in the future, namely 2009. We’re a bit boggled at that late date, as a fully windowed HHR SS will be out in 2008 with the exact same powertrain.

We were surprised the HHR Panel even made it into production, so this almost seems logical. What else is there to say about this concept? Um…it has 20-inch wheels? OK, we admit, we’re only a few cars into the SEMA show preview and we’re getting bored. And remember, this attitude exists even though we’re just covering cars and concepts likely to go into production, not all the radical custom stuff of interest to even fewer people.

2008 Chevy HHR SS

• Competes with: Chrysler PT Cruiser Turbo, Scion xB with optional supercharger, Dodge Caliber SRT4
• Looks like: A squished 1950s panel van on steroids
• Drivetrain: 260-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic; front-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Late 2007

One complaint about the Chevy HHR — and I have more than one — is its puny power plant. It might be adequate for point-to-point errand running, but it leaves a lot to be desired for those who admire the hot-rod looks of the retro van. Chevrolet is fixing that problem with the 2008 Chevy HHR SS, a new, high-powered trim level.

Besides the 260-hp turbo engine, the HHR SS gets a sport-tuned suspension, 18-inch wheels, electronic stability control and antilock brakes standard. There are also some revisions to the styling, with a new mesh grille up front and a spoiler around back. The inside sees a number of new details, like a smaller steering wheel and race-inspired leather seats, while the manual-transmission HHR SS sees the shifter placed higher off the ground for easier shifting. And there’s a turbo gauge, of course.

The HHR SS goes on sale later this year. Prices have not been announced, but we expect a $4,000 bump similar to the one the Cobalt SS took over the LT trim. The HHR LT starts at $17,005. Check out the photo gallery below.

Friday Fleet Notes: 6.1.07

This week’s Fleet Notes will be brief because we covered so much last week, but one interesting tidbit comes from a staffer who got to drive the new version of his own car. Is he jealous? A bit.

2007 Nissan 350Z

As a current owner of a 2005 350Z (above right), I jumped at the chance to take the new 2007 for a drive. I did most of my driving on the busy streets of Chicago, running some errands, but I also got the opportunity to take it on the track at Road America in Wisconsin. There were many subtle changes from my ‘05 ride to the new ’07, some of which took place in the 2006 update.

Friday Fleet Notes: 05.25.07

We’ve got a healthy list of staff reviews this week, as we’ve been flooded with some particularly interesting cars, such as the 2007 Chevrolet HHR Panel and a couple of new models from Saturn. Senior reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder gives his take on the Audi RS 4 and 2008 Saturn Vue that we recently posted full-length reviews of earlier this week.

2007 Chevrolet HHR Panel

I’m not sure who would buy this car. A florist in Malibu? A contractor in the Hamptons? Purely as a delivery skiff, it didn’t impress me. I hauled my mom and her luggage to the airport one morning, and the rubber floormats could’ve used some dividers to keep things from shifting around. We didn’t mess with the dual storage bins behind the front seats, but they seemed large enough to swallow a bag or two.

Not that anyone looking for serious storage would choose this. With a starting price north of $18,000, you could easily ramp up to a Dodge Caravan cargo van — it has more than double the room in back, and with the current discounts the outgoing 2007 model starts in the same price neighborhood.

Granted, the HHR panel has a higher cool factor than the Caravan, but some of its features have more style than substance. The two rear doors unlatch with the push of a dashboard button, but that requires you to climb up front first. I wish the buttons had made it onto the key fob, or — imagine this — Chevy had left the handles on the back doors. The paneled windows, meanwhile, make for a wicked blind spot. My advice: Change lanes reeeaaal slow.

• Kelsey Mays, assistant editor

Chevy Introduces HHR Premiere Edition

The retro Chevrolet HHR is one of those vehicles that is prime for special editions. This fall, we saw an all-black limited edition; for the spring, Chevy will roll out a mere 4,000 of the just-introduced Premiere Edition. Despite the limited numbers, the package is priced at $995 on top of the base HHR 2LT price of $18,760 — not including destination.

Specific features on the Premiere Edition include: 17-inch black chrome wheels, black chrome exterior package, rear spoiler, Cappuccino Frost Metallic exterior and an ebony and gray two-tone interior.

Expect to see these HHRs in early spring.

Source: GM

Chevy HHR Panel: A Retro Business Wagon

Chevrolet is taking this whole retro thing all the way. When the company released the HHR last year, it was clearly an exercise in recapturing the classic looks of Chevy’s mid-century trucks and vans. Back then, many of those vehicles were used by businesses of the day, like milkmen, handymen, etc. This new take on that work van, however, will probably be used more for marketing than hard labor.

Sure, the new HHR Panel has 57 cubic feet of rear storage — plus 6 cubic feet of hidden storage under the floor — but most compact SUVs have more than that and they have back seats. What the HHR delivers is an eye-catching blank slate for advertising. The best example of this trend is Best Buy’s Geek Squad, which promotes its services with black and white VW New Beetles that double as transportation for the store’s computer technician house calls. Other popular vehicles that double as work transportation and rolling advertisements include the Mini Cooper and Scion xB.