All-new tops and bottoms at Chevrolet

An all-new Corvette -- only the sixth version since the two-seat sports car debuted in 1953 -- arrives, with more horsepower and other sophisticated changes. With 400 horsepower, a revised body that's slightly smaller overall than the previous model and other changes, the Corvette remains the performance bargain of the high-performance sports-car class. With a base price of about $44,000 for the coupe, it's one of Bankrate's 10 most exciting cars of 2005. Read our full road test report . At the other end of the scale, Chevrolet tries once again to make a serious dent in the compact sedan market -- dominated by Korean and Japanese brands -- with the new Cobalt, which replaces the Cavalier.

The Cobalt is built on a new chassis and comes in coupe and four-door sedan versions with a choice of three different four-cylinder engines, ranging from 140 to 205 horsepower. Chevy expects to position the Cobalt as a premium-level vehicle with a starting price of about $14,000, which puts it directly against the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

Because U.S. manufacturers have not had much success in this part of the market, and because the Cobalt comes well-equipped at an affordable price, it too is one of Bankrate's 10 most exciting cars of 2005. Read our full road test report.

Elsewhere at Chevrolet, a hybrid powerplant makes its first GM appearance, showing up as an option in the Silverado pickup. Buyers shouldn't expect a high-mileage result, however. Chevrolet puts the fuel-mileage gain on the hybrid pickup at just a few miles per gallon. It touts the power of the pickup and says the small increase in mileage will be a significant saving for fleet operators who use dozens of pickups.

The Venture minivan is replaced for 2005 by the Uplander, which Chevy tries to reposition as a "crossover sport van,'' though most buyers will recognize it as a traditional front-wheel-drive minivan, with foldable and removable second and third-row seats. The styling is more aggressive, with a grille reminiscent of an SUV. Power comes from the long-standing GM 3.5-liter V6 that makes 200 horsepower, which is less than some of the Uplander's competitors. Prices start at about $24,000.

The other new name at Chevrolet is Equinox, which replaces the old Tracker compact SUV, though the Equinox is big for a compact SUV. It's on a par size-wise with the Honda Pilot. Based on the somewhat unloved Saturn Vue, the Equinox comes standard with a 185 horsepower V6 and boasts a 3,500-pound optional towing package. Prices start at about $21,000 for the front-wheel-drive version. An all-wheel-drive version starts at $23,000.

-- Posted: Feb. 15, 2005