Cavalier

1982 – 2024

The Cavalier was a compact car built from 1982 to 2005 on the J-body platform, sold as a coupe, sedan, wagon, and convertible. It was one of Chevrolet's best-selling small cars for years.

Explore the lineage

44years

4generations

9trims

87–148hp range

Lineage Trims Owners

The Lineage

4 generations · tap any to explore

2 trims1st gen (J-body)

1982–1987

Flagship 123 hp

1 trim2nd gen (J-body)

1988–1994

Flagship 138 hp

5 trims3rd gen (J-body)

1995–2005

Flagship 148 hp

1 trim4th gen (China)

2016–2024

Flagship 108 hp

The Story

Why the Cavalier matters

In the United States the Cavalier was Chevrolet's front-drive J-car compact, introduced for the 1982 model year. In June 2003 it was reported that the Cobalt was expected to replace it as the 2005 model. The name came back in China as an unrelated car: a compact sedan on the platform of the first-generation Cruze, shown at the Chengdu show on September 2, 2016, with a 1.5 L engine and a price of 79,900 to 109,900 yuan.