It couldn't stay away forever. After a brief disappearance last year, the sports-performance SS coupe and sedan trims return to the lineup for the 2009 Chevrolet Cobalt. Their return is powered by a direct injection 2.0-liter turbo Ecotec inline-four engine under the hood, an engine those trims share with the Pontiac Solstice. Matched with a 5-speed manual, the powertrain delivers 260 hp and 260 ft-lbs of torque, with 0-60 times under 6 seconds. The SS coupe will be offered first, with the sedan to follow in mid-year 2009.

Other than a few styling tweaks, the rest of the lineup remains about the same. Offered as both a sedan and a coupe, the LS and LT trims feature a 2.2-liter, 155-hp inline four (up 7 hp from last year), available with either a 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. The front-wheel-drive 2009 Cobalt decks out its base LS with full power features, a CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, remote entry, and Bluetooth. The safety profile earns average to good marks, with 15-inch wheels, a tire monitor, automatic headlights, halogen lamps, and dual front-side and side curtain airbags for the front row. Moving to the LT1 and LT2 adds wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls and larger 16-inch wheels, as well as 4-wheel ABS and traction control.

The sporty SS trims demand a rear spoiler and special SS seat stitching. Performance-wise, they also feature larger 18-inch wheels with performance tires, larger 4-wheel disc brakes, foglights, leather trim, and an upgraded sound system. Most of these features are available as options on the other trims. Both sedan and coupe seat four in two rows, though rear legroom in the coupe and access to the backseat is challenging. Rear seats split-fold 60/40 and feature an armrest that doubles as a trunk pass-through. The Cobalt continues to perform well in terms of fuel economy, with the 2.2 inline four getting 24/36 mpg and the turbo inline four averaging 22/30 mpg.