2008 Chevrolet HHR SS

SS model packs 260 hp, but the most fun begins when you really punch it under `launch control'

Jun 07, 2008

Special to the Star

When I first reviewed the Chevrolet HHR nearly three years ago, GM wasn't overly pleased when I suggested that the anemic wagon's name stood, not for the Heritage High Roof the company intended, but for "Hardly a Hot Rod."

The company has definitely rectified that with the newest version, the turbocharged HHR SS. Despite its flaws, this one's really a hot rod. It's fast and it's fun, and I won't even mention that seeing its awkward name spelled out makes me think of a funeral coach.

Chevrolet has gotten a lot of mileage out of this little wagon, which it also recently introduced as a panel truck by removing the rear windows. The HHR is based on the Cobalt, and was designed under the leadership of Bryan Nesbitt, after he left Chrysler and the PT Cruiser he produced there.

For the SS version, the HHR uses the 2.0 L turbocharged and intercooled four-cylinder borrowed from the Saturn Sky Red Line and Solstice GXP. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, and gives the SS a horsepower rating of 260; with the optional four-speed automatic it drops to 250 hp.

Other items that set it apart from its regular HHR siblings are 18-inch aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport tires, performance suspension, liftgate spoiler, bolstered seats with suede-style inserts, a boost gauge moulded into the A-pillar, and standard anti-lock brakes, which are optional on other models.

There's also a hefty chin spoiler in place of the HHR's fascia with moulded-in, old-fashioned bumper guards, and a mesh grille that I prefer to the standard chrome one.

Electronic stability control is standard, while a limited-slip differential is an extra $645. That was added to my tester, along with an optional sunroof, six-CD stereo, curtain airbags, a "performance driver's seat" (which really means "very narrow"), and cargo net.

The big deal with the SS is its launch control and "no-lift shift," which is where the fun begins. You press the traction control button twice; the screen in the instrument cluster first informs you that you are in "Competitive Mode," and then "Launch Mode." This allows you to punch it hard from a starting stop while keeping wheel slip to a minimum.

The no-lift shift is a program that keeps the engine speed steady at 5100 rpm; you keep the pedal to the metal while you shift, without lifting off the throttle between gears. It's not easy to do at first, because old habits die hard, but once you do, you'll find any chance to do it again.

The major benefit is that the turbo doesn't lose its charge between shifts, as it would if you took your foot off the throttle; it's just sheer, steady acceleration from zero to seven days' impoundment before you know what's happening. GM says it can hit 96 km/h in 6.3 seconds, and has a top speed of more than 240 km/h.

Now, where you'll actually get to use all that is another question. The competitive modes are supposedly meant for track performance, and I'll bet this car is a hoot on a closed course.

Sports car windshields generally sit around waist height when you're standing beside the car; fun as it is, the HHR SS has all the aerodynamics of a brick. (Of course, once the HHR Panel SS arrives for 2009 as expected, it'll be worth having just for the way-cool factor.)

It could also use all-wheel drive; its torque steer is brutal, and if you give it any sort of power around a corner from a full stop, you better hang on, because it's going wherever it feels like it. I also wasn't keen on the shifter, which is far too notchy and hard to shift smoothly.

I actually took the car out twice, the second time because I thought it had been too new and needed more road time under its belt, but the extra 800 km that had been added between my first and second test didn't show an appreciable difference.

What else don't I like? There's a fierce wind noise whistle around the mirrors, the exhaust note is too quiet for its performance ability (and dual exhaust would look much better, too), and the busy instrument cluster is hard to read.

What do I like? The two-tone interior looks fabulous, fit and finish is excellent, the seats are comfortable, the SS-specific tires are nice and sticky, premium fuel is recommended but not required, and if you fold all the seats, you can bring home a stack of eight-foot lumber with the hatch closed. Practical is always good.

Overall, this is very much a niche car, but given that everything necessary was already in the parts bin, GM has turned out a halo car without breaking the bank. Sometimes, just being a lot of fun is enough for a car's reason for being.

Toronto Star