Chevy HHR Panel Delivers Style, Function
And Fun In A New, Segment-Exclusive Configuration
The 2007 HHR Panel, designed for a
myriad commercial and private uses, adds a new dimension of
functionality to the popular HHR’s lineup of stylish, efficient
vehicles.
Photos: Chevrolet
The HHR Panel features windowless
side panels and rear cargo doors in place of conventional rear
doors. A flat load floor provides more than 57 cubic feet (1,614
L) of cargo space, along with approximately 6 cubic feet (170 L)
of additional covered, under-floor storage.
“The HHR Panel is a model unlike
anything else in the segment, and it continues HHR’s mission of
offering customers a bold, expressive, functional and different
vehicle,” said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. “It’s great
for delivery companies and other small businesses, but we think
auto enthusiasts will love it too, as it gives them a large
canvas on which to express their individuality.”
HHR Panel production is expected
to start late in the first quarter of 2007. It will be offered
in LS and LT trims, with 2.2L and 2.4L engines – both of which
help the HHR deliver 30 mpg in highway driving.
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HHR’s styling draws upon
inspiration from the original 1949 Chevy Suburban, which
was built on a platform that also offered panel models –
vehicles that became essential tools for urban and small
businesses. Over the years, vintage panel vehicles have
become prized by collectors and street rodders. The HHR
marks the next chapter in Chevy’s panel heritage.
The body of the HHR Panel
features steel inserts in place of side windows and
cargo doors in place of conventional rear doors. The
cargo doors open wide to enable cargo access from both
sides of the vehicle, as well as from the rear liftgate.
The cargo doors don’t have
external handles; they are opened via a dashboard release
button. The continuous “canvas” created by the windowless cargo
doors and rear panels provides a large area for business logos,
advertising or personalization.
An auxiliary power outlet is available in
the rear of the cargo area, with available 40-amp service for a variety
of specialty equipment needs. This also answers the call of upfitters,
who have asked for an additional power source to suit their specialty
vehicles.
HHR Panel is available in LS and LT trim.
Both models come with a fuel-efficient 2.2L engine rated at 149
horsepower (111 kW). The LT model offers a 2.4L engine rated at 175
horsepower (130 kW). With either engine, the HHR is rated at 30 mph in
highway driving and can provide up to 450 miles of cruising range on a
tank of gas.
Power front seats, a family of
radios with MP3 capability, XM Satellite Radio and OnStar are
available on both LS and LT models. LT models also offer 17-inch
wheels and leather-appointed seating.
Standard safety features include
dual-stage frontal air bags with GM’s Passenger Sensing System.
This system works with the front passenger seat and
differentiates between adults – 5 th percentile females and
larger – and small children or child seats to adjust air bag
deployment. Head curtain side-impact air bags are available.
OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation is
available on the HHR Panel, enhancing its value as a courier or
delivery-type vehicle. OnStar Turn-by-Turn provides verbal instructions
to assist the driver with right- and left-hand turn directions; and it
establishes a new route if the driver needs to get back on track, for
example, if a freeway exit is missed.
Since its launch, HHR has received
five-star crash ratings – the highest rating awarded by the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) New Car Assessment
Program. The five-star ratings were awarded for the driver and
right-front passenger in a frontal crash, as well as five-star
side-impact crash ratings for front seat and rear seat passengers. The
HHR also was the highest-rated SUV for the 2006 model year in NHTSA
rollover testing.
