TheChevroletCavalier was introduced for 1982 and , as you ’ll learn in this clause , proved that U.S. car manufacturer could construct a contemporary smallcarto compete with the imports on the road and baffle many of them in the saleroom .
The Cavalier debuted as part of the General Motors J - car family . It was the first canonic design to be shared by all five GM partitioning – a good matter for all of them except Cadillac .
endeavor to make the phone but unspectacular J - railcar into the luxury Cadillac Cimarron essay an figure - stain stretch and a classical example in tampering with brand identicalness . This compact front - wheel - drive layout suited the Chevrolet Cavalier dead , however .
The four - piston chamber locomotive design was dated upon its introduction , but the rest of the railway car was right on , with snappy styling , four dissimilar body trend , room for four , and low base prices .
sale were warm from the origin , and the four - cylinder was soon modernise . A convertible was added for1983 , and V-6 Z24 models put in some practiced operation for1985 .
The Chevrolet Cavalier presently became Chevy ’s just - sell car , and the redesigned second - contemporaries Chevrolet Cavalier , which bowed for1995 , continue that standing .
Snappy convertible and Z24 models appealed to those looking for style and fun on a budget , but the mystery to success for the Chevrolet Cavalier was that it was at its core , honest , basic deportation . It was a expression that helped the nameplate survive all the way into the 21st 100 .
1982 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1982ChevroletCavalier debuted to pad the company ’s subcompact lineup , which had been represented of late by the antiquated – but highly pop – Chevette .
While the Chevette was rear - wheel crusade , the new Cavalier bow with more forward-looking transversally mounted railway locomotive and front - steering wheel drive . As a resolution , it was more private-enterprise with European and Japanese entries of the sidereal day .
Four body styles in three trim levels gave customers a wide pick of Cavaliers . Two - threshold sedans , three - door hatchback , four - room access sedans , and five - door police van were offered in stripper Cadet ( except the hatchback door ) , base , and fancy CL trim .
There were a wide range of options available that even included a 6 - direction power number one wood ’s hindquarters and sunshine-roof , in summation to the more expected power windows / whorl / mirrors , robotlike transmitting , and air travel conditioning .
Styling was from the " three box " school of design , with clean lines incorporating sharp edge , dual solid headlights flanking a low orthogonal grill , and a tall nursery . sib at the other GM divisions wore unlike front and rear fascias all featuring quad orthogonal headlamp – which Cavalier would adopt later on .
Initially available only with a 1.8 - cubic decimetre ( 112 - three-dimensional - inch ) 88 - horsepower four - piston chamber engine , midyear bring an optional 2.0 - liter ( 122 - cubic - in ) rendering with 90 HP . Also add at that clip was a five - speed manual transmission to join the standard four - speeding manual and optional three - amphetamine automatic .
Cavalier support a sibling rivalry with the other members of the J - car family , which include the Buick Skyhawk , Oldsmobile Firenza , and Pontiac J2000 . Cadillac also had a edition of the J - elevator car , but the Cimarron was in a different monetary value strata solely .
high-handed prices operate about $ 1,500 more than a like Chevette , which gave some buyers sticker impact . The most pop high-handed model , the base four - door sedan , started at $ 7,137 . This was about $ 500 less than a Honda Accord , but Cavalier could n’t match the Honda ’s refinement .
Nevertheless , nearly 200,000 copy of Chevy ’s new subcompact car hit the road , though some sales were undoubtedly at the disbursal of a Chevette or Citation .
1982 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1983 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1983ChevroletCavalier include a number of changes for its soph model year , most notably the addition of a transformable variant . Accomplished with the help of ASC Incorporated , the newfangled droptop unfold just a yr afterChryslerCorporation " reinvent " the convertible security by chop the roofs from its Chrysler LeBaron and Dodge 400 .
In answer to complaints of poor quickening , the 2.0 - liter four introduced in mid-1982 was made standard for 1983 . Yet despite higher compression and a electrical switch to throttle - organic structure fuel injection ( to exchange a carburetor),horsepowerdropped by four to 86 , though torsion stayed about the same . Thatenginecould be indorse by a four- or five - speed manual transmission or a three - speed robotlike with lockup torque converter .
In an attempt to concord prices down , Chevy stripped some of the Cavalier ’s standard equipment for 1983 and rename some models . The no - frills Cadet was dropped , so the melody begin with the base coupe , sedan , and wagon , all of which listed for about $ 500 less than the previous class ’s Cadet .
Top - line CL versions for1982were replaced by CS model , which realise even bigger price cut , averaging about $ 1,700 . The convertible topped the line at $ 10,990 .
consider the drop in prices , sales did n’t increase very much : from 195,000 in 1982 to about 218,500 in 1983 – only 627 of which were convertible .
1983 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1984 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1984ChevroletCavalier got quad orthogonal headlights and a newfangled grille for this model yr – the Cavalier ’s first visual aspect change since being present . Also , modelling gens were shuffle around , with the sportier " Type 10 " identification now applied to coupe and hatchback models along with theconvertible(it was previously restricted to the hatchback ) .
sedan chair and wagon now came in foundation and flashier CS trim . Convertibles , which were release late in the 1983 modelling year in limited quantities and colouration choices , were in full - scale output and available in eight different hues .
Sole powerplant on Cavaliers was still the throttle - physical structure - injected 2.0 - cubic decimeter four , rated at 86 - HP , down jolly from 1983 . Four- and five - speedmanual transmissionswere offered , as well as a three - speedautomatic .
Prices rose a scrap this year , and Cavaliers were criticized for being rather expensive once optioned to the layer that most buyers wanted them . The cheapest model , the base four - door sedan , now list at $ 6,222 , and the sofa bed start at a whopping $ 11,299 .
Yet sale more than double up from the previous class , make an telling 462,611 unit – clear Cavalier the new number - one vendor not only at Chevrolet but in the entire United States .
1984 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1985 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier was usher in with a Modern optionalengineand a few underage change , following a extremely successful class in1984 . The big engine intelligence come late in the twelvemonth in the grade of a High - Output ( H.O. ) 2.8 - l V-6 standardized to that found in the Citation X-11 and Celebrity . Here it made 125 - horsepower , somewhat less than in Cavalier ’s sib .
The H.O. V-6 had port fuel injection , substitute the carburetor used previously on this engine . Continuing as the substructure powerplant was the 2.0 - liter 88 - horsepower four with throttle - body shot , now scab at 88 horsepower .
stock with either railway locomotive was a four - swiftness manual infection , but the five - speed manual was only uncommitted with the four - piston chamber . Both could also get an optional three - amphetamine automatic .
In other 1985 newsworthiness , all two - door Cavaliers get a revise instrument venire with center console and optional digital instrumentation .
Because GM wanted to boost its 1984 EPA fuel - saving ratings to fulfill CAFE necessity , the Cavalier ’s 1984 example year extended into the winter . As a result , the 1985 ’s appeared later , which adversely involve that twelvemonth ’s output figures .
Yet despite the light model class , more than 383,000 Cavaliers were sell , making Cavalier not only the most popular Chevrolet but also the most popular cable car in America – again .
1985 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1986 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1986ChevroletCavalier featured two sporty series to complement the V-6 engine inclose in1985 . The pair was top by the Z24 , offered in two - door coupe or three - doorway hatchback body styles .
For those on a tighter budget , the RS serial replaced the premature year ’s Type 10 and was useable in all body styles – coupe , hatchback , sedan , convertible , and even the wagon .
RS models add black and ruddy exterior trim , wider 13 - inch tire , sport suspension , powersteering , and a cockpit - style legal instrument panel . Standard locomotive engine remain the 85 - horsepower 2.0 - liter four , mat to either a four- or five - speed manual of arms or three - focal ratio automatic transmitting .
The public presentation - oriented Z24 brought blackout exterior treatment , F-41 play suspension system , 14 - in tires on aluminum bike , and , most significantly , the 120 - horsepower 2.8 - cubic decimetre V-6 – which was optional on lesser Cavaliers . The V-6 could only be mated to the four - speed manual or three - speed automatic .
Z24 ’s were priced more than $ 2,000 above the substructure coupe , with a start price of $ 8,878 . Yet they accounted for more than 46,000 guild in 1986 , good than 10 percentage of total high-handed sales that reached 432,000 – enough for another first - place exhibit .
1986 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1987 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1987ChevroletCavalier featured several powertrain revisions as the model entered its fifth time of year , but small else was unexampled .
Changes to the base 2.0 - cubic decimetre four - piston chamber clear it a Generation II label . Modifications include light plunger , an aluminum head , and GM ’s Computer Controlled Coil Ignition , result in a twohorsepowerincrease to 90 .
The 2.8 - litre V-6 , made optional in1986 , acquire similar enhancement , which boosted horsepower from 120 to 130 . The changes also trimmed the install weight by about 35 pound . Standard transmitting with the four - piston chamber engine remain a four - speedmanual , with a five - pep pill manual and three - f number robotic optional .
But the V-6 now offer a five - stop number as well – a newfangled Getrag - designed manual of arms that could cope with the V-6 ’s torsion . As before , a three - speed automatic was also available with the V-6 .
With four body styles ( coupe , saloon , wagon , and translatable ) available in up to three clipping levels ( base , RS , and Z24 ) , Cavalier could boast of put up 13 unlike models for 1987 – the most in all of autodom . Yet production dipped importantly , from 432,000 to just over 346,000 , happen Cavalier out of first place in the sales standings .
1987 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1988 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1988ChevroletCavalier offered new styling – the biggest change since being insert in1982 . Up front , a rounded fascia held a new grille and composite headlight , as well as restyled fenders , bumper , and hood .
The rear shoot a line a different decklid , end panel , bumper , and taillight . Styling changes were most seeming on the coupe , which also got a new roofline with more slanted rear pillars .
Model choices were trim , with Cavaliers now coming in a " stripper " VL coupe ; base coupe , sedan , and black Maria ; RS coupe and saloon ; and Z24 coupe andconvertible . The hatchback body trend was blue-pencil . Z24s amaze a restyled analogue instrument clump with tachometer as criterion , while the previous year ’s electronic splashboard was optional on the Z24 and RS .
root word railway locomotive was again a 90 - H.P. 2.0 - liter four with accelerator - eubstance fuel injection . The larboard - fuel - injected 2.8 - cubic decimeter V-6 measure in the Z24 lose five HP to 125 but was now also offered as an option in wagons . With both engines , a five - f number manual transmission was standard , a three - velocity robotlike optional .
Despite the young look , Cavalier sales dropped somewhat , from about 346,000 to just under 323,000 . That put it no better than fourth in manufacture sales , and it was no longer even Chevy ’s top seller .
1988 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1989 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1989ChevroletCavalier visualise several changes as the model soldier into its eighth season .
Cavalier had already received a styling makeover ( it ’s big since being introduced in1982 ) for1988 . Modern features for the 1989 Cavalier include a ego - aligningsteering wheeldesigned to shrink trauma in a hit by bending to conform to the gadget driver ’s chest . In another safety - orient move , rearward berm belts became standard on all mannequin .
Z24s make headway gas - pressurized shocks and , on coupe versions , a split folding rear seatback – which was optional on lesser models . Dropped as separate models were the RS coupe and saloon , the equipment they lend being aggroup into an RS options package that could be arrange on the base coupes , sedans , and wagons .
A stripper coupe , ring VL ( Value Leader ) , anchored the melody , while the sporty Z24 render in coupe and convertible pretence . Powertrain choices remained the same as before , though the 2.8 - liter V-6 that was standard in the Z24 and optional in the Cavalier black Maria gained five HP to 130 .
Both the 130 horsepower and the stock 90 - horsepower 2.0 - liter four could be paired with either a five - speed manual transmission or three - speed reflex .
1989 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1990 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1990ChevroletCavalier dropped its open - air discrepancy – a move that was done in anticipation of the initiation of aBerettaconvertible . As it turned out , engineers had difficulty finding an stinting solution to chasten the Beretta ’s excessive body handclasp , and the effort was finally aborted . However , it was too late to revive the Cavalier droptop – at least for this year .
to offer low - priced option to the coupe , Chevrolet expanded the VL model line for 1990 to let in a sedan and estate car . These slotted in below the base model , which also comprise all three body styles , and added powersteeringand tinted glass to their tilt of standard features . With the dying of the convertible , the showy Z24 now came only in coupe form .
public presentation was enhanced across the board by enlarging the Cavalier ’s two available locomotive engine . The 2.0 - liter four grew to 2.2 cubic decimeter , pull in five horsepower in the bargain , now 95 . Standard on the Z24 and optional on the wagon was a 3.1 - liter V-6 to replace the quondam 2.8 , which likewise provided a power boost ; in this case , from 130 to 140 H.P. .
Besides minor trim alterations , Cavalier was otherwise footling alter for 1990 . toll rose by about $ 200 , and output dropped by nearly 20 percent to around 311,000 – though in this slow class for the manufacture , that was enough to take in Cavalier second place in the sales agreement race behind the Ford Taurus .
1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1991 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1991ChevroletCavalier featured mild restyling along with revised instrument and control as thecarentered its 10th model year . Up front , the traditional grille was supersede by a substantial panel , while in back , the taillamps extended all the direction from the permit plate to the fender edges .
Inside , rotary knobs were used in lieu of buttons and coast lever for the headlight andwipercontrols . A restyled panache with progress - in ledge added dual slide - out cup holders , while the instrument panel sum coolant temperature and oil pressure gage . Z24s got a new four - way adjustable driver ’s seat and optional compact disk actor .
The usual three body styles were volunteer at the start of the year – coupe , saloon , and wagon – but midyear saw the return of the Cavalier sofa bed . Three trimness levels were available . The VL carry over as a cost leader , while the al-Qa’ida framework were renamed RS . Z24 returned as the sporting choice . The revived sofa bed was offered only in RS guise this time around ; previously , it came only in Z24 trim .
Powertrains were unaltered , with a 95 - HP 2.2 - litre four standard in VL and RS models ( except the sofa bed ) , and a 140 - horsepower 3.1 - liter V-6 standard in RS convertibles and Z24s , and optional in RS wagons .
1991 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1992 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1992ChevroletCavalier got a more powerful baseengineand addedanti - lock brakesas a standard lineament in the railroad car ’s 11th model year . The model line of descent was expanded by one , with a Z24 convertible returning after a two - year hiatus . The batting order now included coupes in VL , RS , and Z28 trim ; sedans and wagon in VL and RS guise ; and sofa bed in RS and Z24 persuasion .
A newfangled fuel - injection system boosted the theme 2.2 - liter four to 110 - horsepower ( from 95 ) , while the 3.1 - liter V-6 that was stock in the Z24 and optional in RS convertible and wagons remained at 140 horsepower . Both engines came stock with a five - focal ratio manual of arms , offering a three - speed reflex as an option .
New features on all Cavaliers let in a shift mesh on robotlike - equipped models that prevented the gear lever from going into Reverse or Drive unless the brake pedal was downcast , and an innovative power lockup arrangement that automatically locked all the door when the transmission was shift into Drive , or with manual transmission , when the car reach out eight mph . VL and RS models also got new bike concealment .
full sales slipped to about 225,000 for 1992 , though that was enough for a third - plaza polish behind the Ford Taurus and Honda Accord .
1992 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1993 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1993 Chevrolet Cavalier saw only minor changes for this poser class , but they made Chevy ’s aging subcompact a more flexible oblation . mannequin choice remained the same : stripper VL coupe , sedan , and wagon ; mid - level RS in those body styles plus aconvertible ; and clean Z28 in coupe and transformable only .
Both the RS and Z28 convertible gained a Methedrine rear windowpane for 1993 , which allowed a rearward defroster to join the ragtops ' tilt of alternative . All RS models could now be ordered with the Z24 ’s 140 - horsepower3.1 - cubic decimetre V-6 , which was formerly optional only on the Big Dipper .
Standard on RS fashion model was again a 110 - H.P. 2.2 - cubic decimetre four - cylinderengine , which was the only powerplant offered in the stripper VL series . Both engines came received with a five - speed manual transmittal ; a three - amphetamine automatic was optional .
Also for 1993 , RS Cavaliers wore Z24 - grade textile interior trimming , RS wagon got a stock split - folding rear tooshie , and a low - oil - level monition light was added to railroad car outfit with the V-6 engine .
The handiness of the optional atomic number 48 player was also expanded to include the budget VL models . Sales increased over the uninspiring 1992 totality , enough to reelect Cavalier to the number - one maculation in Chevrolet ’s agate line .
1993 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1994 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1994 Chevy Cavalier had a stronger baseengineand a young unlock feature for its standard automatonlike door lock chamber as thecarentered its thirteenth model year . Otherwise , in what would turn out to be its final showing in this grade , the Cavalier continued much as before , though manakin choices were trimmed somewhat .
The stripper VL was now offer only in coupe and sedan trunk styles , losing its wagon variant . as well the mid - reach RS , though it continued to also declare oneself aconvertible .
Z24s once again came in coupe and translatable form . That get out the wagon – which now come in only one unnamed trim level , though its list of standard equipment mimicked the RS telephone line .
Base locomotive engine was again a 2.2 - liter four , but it gained 10 horsepower , now rat at 120 . A five - hurrying manual was standard on most models , but some RS rendering fall standard with the available three - stop number robotlike .
Standard on Z24s and optional on RSs was a 3.1 - liter V-6 , still putting out 140 horsepower . It could again be mated to either a five - speed manual of arms or the three - speed automatonlike .
Cavalier never did adopt air bags in this generation , trust or else on door - mounted guard belt that could be left buckled to mechanically deploy when the threshold were opened . It did have anti - lock brakes , however – as standard equipment – something most other little cars offered only as an expensive choice if at all .
1994 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1995 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1995ChevroletCavalier , after 13 years in the same basic form , offered up a redesign . Though the baseenginecarried over from before , just about everything else was new .
Foremost among the changes was a sleek unexampled body wrap around a revised interior sporting standard dualair bags . Wheelbase was stretched nearly three inches to 104.1 , allowing for more rear pegleg room , while overall length was cut by a duo of inches .
Coupe and sedan soundbox style debut in the nightfall , followed by a convertible in the spring . But the station wagon did n’t return as cut-rate sale had n’t warrant a replacing .
At first , the only versions pop the question were a base coupe and sedan along with a fancier LS sedan , but both an LS transformable and Z24 coupe stoop in the give . All carried four - cylinder railway locomotive , as the premature 3.1 - liter V-6 was supplant by a revised 2.3 - l double - smash - Cam River Quad 4 , which made its debut in the Z24 .
antecedently declare oneself by Chevrolet only in the jazzy version of theBerettacoupe , the Quad 4 had seen heavy revisions to cut vibration and supply a more utilitarian power bend . Standard in the Z24 and optional on LSs , it was rated at 150 - H.P. , while the returning 2.2 - cubic decimeter four that was standard in fundament and LS models produced 120 horsepower .
Both engines came standard with a five - stop number manual transmission , but the 2.2 sire an optional three - stop number automatic while the Quad 4 offer a four - fastness automatic .
Though still no nonsuch of refinement , the Modern Cavalier bested the old in every direction . The drive was quieter , the interior roomier , the styling more modern , and the duple strain bags bring it on par with others in the division .
Anti - lock brakes remained standard , still a rareness in the subcompact class . price start out at just over $ 10,000 for a base coupe , and though that represent a rise of better than 10 percent over the old VL coupe , the new Cavalier was a lot more car .
1995 Chevrolet Cavalier Facts
1996 Chevrolet Cavalier
The 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier gain a revised double - overhead - camengine , uncommitted traction control , and daytime running Christ Within for this model yr . The mid-1995 debut of the Z24 re-introduce GM ’s Quad 4 engine to Chevrolet , which had previously been used in the clean versions of theBeretta . It did n’t last long , however , at least not under that name .
A new version called the Twin Cam took its property for 1996 , with a bit more displacement ( 2.4 liters versus 2.3 ) but the same 150horsepower . The Twin Cam could be geminate with either a five - speedmanual transmissionor four - speedautomatic .
All other Cavaliers came standard with a 120 - horsepower 2.2 - liter four ; that included a basal coupe , LS convertible , and al-Qa’ida and LS sedans . Base manikin came standard with a five - speed manual , offering a three - speed automatic as an option .
LS models come standard with a four - speed automatic , though the convertible security could also get a five - speed manual of arms if the Twin Cam locomotive engine was order . A new traction controller system was included with the four - upper automatic , and both engines had new 5 - year/100,000 - stat mi coolant and 100,000 - mile spark spark plug .
An anti - theft organisation was newly standard on all models , as were daytime running lights . A outback keyless entry organization was a new option for all Cavaliers except the basis sedan chair .
