2009 Chevrolet Aveo

2009 Chevrolet Aveo Overview
Introduction

The Chevrolet Aveo sedan and Aveo 5 hatchback combine a fuel efficient engine, seating for five, ample cargo space and a host of optional features.

The front-wheel drive Aveo and Aveo 5 are available in three trims. The LS comes standard with power steering, body-colored mirrors, 14-inch wheels, front cloth bucket seats and an AM/FM radio. The 1LT trim adds carpeted front and rear floor mats, air conditioning and a CD player. The 2LT trim further adds: 15-inch wheels, satellite radio, cruise control, and power mirrors, windows and door locks with remote keyless entry. All trims come standard with a 107-hp 1.6-liter engine mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Safety features include front driver and passenger airbags with dual-stage deployment and seat-mounted side airbags for the front row occupants.

For 2009, the Aveo 5 hatchback was redesigned and variable valve timing was introduced to increase the engine's horsepower by 4.

2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500

2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 Overview
Introduction

The 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 successfully combines the hauling capacity of a long-bed pickup with the comfort of a five-passenger sport utility vehicle.

Available in LS, LT, and LTZ trims the Chevy Avalanche comes in one configuration, a half-ton, full-size pickup with four doors, room for up to six passengers and outfitted with a unique, fold-down rear bulkhead accessing an enclosed bed. Four engines are offered, two 5.3-liter V8s make 320 horsepower in the two-wheel drive version and a third 5.3-liter V8 makes 310 horsepower in the four-wheel drive model. A 366-hp, 6.0-liter V8 is available on the LT and LTZ. New for 2009, the transmission is a six-speed automatic, mated to an electronic transfer case in four-wheel-drive models. Safety features that come standard on all models include front seat and side curtain airbags, LATCH rear-seat child safety seat anchors, and the OnStar crash-notification system.

The Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 carries over from 2008, with the addition of a six-speed transmission as standard equipment.

Corvette ZR1

GM thinks that the Corvette ZR1 is pretty much the baddest machine on four wheels, period. This was driven home today in a post on the Fastlane Blog by Chevy general manager Ed Peper. Seeing him advocate his brand's (and GM's) flagship is far from surprising, and as he rattles off the car's positives, it seems like pretty standard-issue public relations fare. It's only as he wraps up that he seems to get a little exercised over some folks' habit of turning all Corvette-related conversations into pushroad vs. overhead-cam arguments. In response, he namechecks some very heavy hitters -- the Porsche 911 GT2, the Ferrari 599 GTB, and the Lambo LP640 -- as he casually pulls the gloves off, matter-of-factly stating that the ZR1 has a better power-to-weight ratio than all of them. Then, in his parting shot, he dons the brass knuckles and calls out any and all comers who would challenge the Corvette ZR1's abilities with two simple words: "Bring it."