2003 CHEVROLET Cavalier 2.2L 5MT FWD (141 HP)

Vehicle Overview

By 1993, Cavalier was the most popular product in the GM’s line and the fourth best-selling vehicle in the U.S., but it was already an old model, so, in 1995, Chevrolet introduced a new generation.

While most of its Cavalier customers were car-fleet and rental companies, Chevrolet tried to sell the small four-door vehicle to private customers as well. Thus, they worked hard to develop the J-body generation, which was available in three shapes: coupe, convertible, and sedan.

The design was very different than the third Cavalier generation. It featured a narrow front end with a curved hood and raked A-pillars. Its headlights were designed with curved lines ended in sharp angles on the sides. The arched roofline and sloped rear windscreen gave the car an Asian or European look. But that wasn’t all; in the back, the taillights were spread across the quarter fenders and the trunk lid, which was not very common for a Chevrolet.

Inside, the fleet and rental car feeling were alive and well. The interior featured cheap plastic, a toothbrush-style gate for the automatic transmission lever, and buttons that could look good on a dryer. Nevertheless, the upholstery didn’t offer a charming look. At the front, the low and flat seats didn’t provide any kind of bolstering, and in the back, the flat bench was, at most, adequate for two adults and hardly acceptable for three.

The surprise was on the technical side, where Chevrolet offered a strong 2.2-liter engine, which was developed by Opel in Europe and detuned by GM in the U.S. to run with 82 octane gasoline. A five-speed manual was fitted as standard, while a four-speed automatic was on the options list.