2005 Chevrolet Cobalt Preview

New Cobalt Promises to Deliver Premium Compact Quality and Features

All the talk surrounding General Motors of Canada positioning the new Chevrolet Cobalt higher on the pecking order than

With an entry price of $15,495, the new Cobalt starts at $735 below the current $16,230 Cavalier. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

its previous Cavalier is a testament that you shouldn't listen to everything you might overhear.

Why so? Having announced an entry-level price of $15,495 for the new model, at $735 below the current $16,230 price of the base Cavalier, might cause a person to wonder just what going upscale is all about.

That will be made all too apparent as soon as prospective buyers sit inside the new model, which has been upgraded and refined in every way over the long-in-the-tooth Cavalier. According to a General Motors press release, "a

Just like the Cavalier, the new Cobalt will offer coupe (shown) and sedan configurations. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

high level of refinement is apparent in the quality of materials, appointments and styling cues used throughout the cabin."

Available in 2-door coupe and 4-door sedan iterations, just like Cavalier, the new Cobalt improves on styling, interior layout and materials and driving dynamics.

The new model will be available in eight trim levels, including base, LS, LT and SS designations for the sedan, and base, LS, SS and SS supercharged trim levels. Over and above the $15,495 base model, the LS will start at $19,795, the LT sedan at $22,995 and the supercharged SS coupe at $24,995.