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The new Chevy HHR SS is setting itself apart from the crowd and apart from the usual cars that Chevy makes. Ok so the outside may not be to different, but when it comes to what is lying under the hood…that’s where it counts. The most important changes are the turbocharger and intercooler that reside under its hood. That’s because they boost power and torque from the 2.0-liter direct-injection Ecotec four to a stratospheric 260 horses and 260 pound-feet, as seen in the Pontiac Solstice GXP and Saturn Sky Red Line, all running through the front wheels. This is a huge boost over the regular HHR’s 143-hp or 171-hp naturally aspirated four-cylinders and should keep the HHR SS very competitive with the upcoming 280-hp Dodge Caliber SRT4 in straight-line performance, once either vehicle manages to find traction through the fog of wheelspin and torque steer. Once it gets a grip, though, GM says the HHR SS should be able to achieve a 0-to-60-mph sprint in 6.3 seconds or so, and the company is claiming a 150-plus-mph top speed when equipped with the five-speed manual transmission. There’s also a four-speed auto, but overall power drops to 235 horsepower if it’s fitted. So not only do you get the boring transmission, but you also get a horsepower penalty. Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!
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Chevrolet is taking the UK by storm with its outstanding vehicles. The new Captiva is the newest vehicle that Chevrolet has released to the UK and it seems to be taking off with no problems. It may cost a steep £24,920, but it seems that you get your money’s worth and we mean that in every sense possible. The Captiva 2.0d LTX looks fresh, muscular and compact for a seven-seat, four-wheel-drive soft-roader. This is Chevrolet’s first ever diesel and is one of the least industrial-sounding diesel engines on the market. The 1991cc common-rail unit hits all the right buttons. It’s turbocharged, as you’d expect given the Captiva’s load-lugging brief, and a Bosch direct injection system helps it to produce 147bhp at 4000rpm and a promising 236lb ft at just 2000rpm. It is not particularly quick, the auto’ version takes 12.2 seconds to reach 60 mph (not 62 mph, note), but it is extremely refined, and at open-road speeds, the sound signature is no more obtrusive than that of a petrol engine. Power is channelled to all four wheels on a part-time basis via a five-speed automatic gearbox, but a manual is also available for £1180 less. In normal running the Captiva is front-wheel drive, but when the car’s On Demand All-Wheel Drive system detects any slip whatsoever, the rear axle is deployed and it automatically becomes 4wd. Driven within sensible restraints it is smooth, comfortable and light to the touch. Where it perhaps fails in terms of ‘driveability’ is in its tendency to roll on corners; not to a pronounced degree but clearly the suspension is biased in favour of ride-quality rather than handling. The Captiva is clearly a vehicle for the large families. It may look like an SUV, but in a sense it works like an MPV. The good thing about this SUV though is that it doesn’t eat gas up like crazy. That is definitely a plus in my book! Email This To A Friend or Social Bookmark It!
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