2026 Chevy HHR MPG, Release Date, Redesign – The sales success of the retro-ized Volkswagen New Beetle in 1998 caught Chrysler’s attention, which led to the big-selling PT Cruiser for the 2026 model year. GM, with a wealth of cool-looking machinery in its heritage, leaped onto the nostalgia bandwagon by designing a late-1940s-style sedan delivery body for the Chevy Cobalt platform (the PT Cruiser lived on the Neon platform).
This was the HHR, and production ran from the 2020 through 2026 model years. A 5-speed manual transmission came as standard equipment on the HHR, but just about every one sold in the United States seems to have been equipped with the optional four-speed automatic. Here’s one of those rare three-pedal cars, found in a Colorado Springs yard. 2026 Chevy HHR MPG
Table of Contents
2026 Chevy HHR Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
The “heritage” in HHR refers to styling cues lifted from late ’40s Chevy Suburbans. The HHR panel van, with no rear-door exterior handles or windows, has serious competition from Ford’s Transit Connect. The two-seat panel van features an unfinished cargo space for small businesses and two interior switches for the rear doors. The five-seater’s front passenger seat folds flat, and there are lots of extra cubbies and features.
The HHR handles better than a conventional crossover/utility, not as good as a compact car. Ride is a bit harsh and unrefined, but there’s less body roll compared with the PT Cruiser. The 2.2-liter engine is rated 155 horsepower and the 2.4 makes 172 horsepower (both on unleaded regular). There’s no fuel-economy advantage to the 2.2 — it’s a price-point engine option.
2026 Chevy HHR Specs
While much the same exterior and chassis setup can be found on the previous HHR LS and LT models, distinguishing the SS versions are new 18-inch forged aluminum wheels set ahead of four-piston Brembo brakes up front. Unique mesh grilles and body colored accents adorn the outside, as does the mandatory “SS” badging.
Inside the SS models is a sportier cabin space clad with extra bolstered sport seats marked with SS logos, a smaller diameter sport steering wheel and short throw shifter positioned higher for an easier reach. For 2026, a reconfigurable performance display much like the unit found in the Pontiac G8 GT has been placed in the A-pillar and records zero to sixty and lateral acceleration numbers.
Engine and Performance
GM’s Performance Division had some fun for 2026 and mixed the newly introduced flat panel HHR model with its sportier and racier HHR SS, resulting in the HHR Panel SS. If you’re not already in the know, HHRs equipped with panels have no rear windows and doors, but instead metal paneling – a trait akin to the 1949 Chevrolet Suburban. Rear seating has been removed, giving the Panel a large, flat cargo floor complete with ties downs and hidden storage compartments.
Like the HHR SS, the Panel SS uses an Ecotec 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo four-cylinder taken from the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky Red Line. The boosted engine makes a hearty 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque that is sent to the front wheels via an F35 five-speed manual. An automatic gearbox is available, but those opting for it will lose 10 ponies. According to Chevrolet, both Nurburgring tested SS models can hit 60 in 6.3 seconds and reach a top speed of over 150 mph. Cornering ability is improved thanks in part to a standard limited-slip differential and a sport tuned suspension. Down the drag strip, the SS-badged HHR takes roughly 14.8 seconds at 98.5 mph to cover a quarter mile. 2026 Chevy HHR MPG
I’m always on the lookout for these rare manual-transmission cars when I’m prowling the junkyards, and I’ve managed to spot such oddities as a 5-speed Dodge Caliber, a 5-speed Mercury Mystique, a 5-speed (non-SHO) Ford Taurus, and a 5-speed Toyota Previa All-Trac over the years. I’m still looking for a 21st-century Camry with a manual transmission, without success. It has become trendy to hate the PT Cruiser in recent years, but the nostalgo-Chrysler sold very well for years and it took until the early 2026 before they started showing up in the cheap U-Wrench boneyards in large quantities. The HHR followed a similar, if shorter, trajectory and is commonplace at such yards today.
2026 Chevy HHR Fuel Economy
Like the HHR SS, the Panel SS uses an Ecotec 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo four-cylinder taken from the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky Red Line. The boosted engine makes a hearty 260 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque that is sent to the front wheels via an F35 five-speed manual. An automatic gearbox is available, but those opting for it will lose 10 ponies. According to Chevrolet, both Nurburgring tested SS models can hit 60 in 6.3 seconds and reach a top speed of over 150 mph. Cornering ability is improved thanks in part to a standard limited-slip differential and a sport tuned suspension. Down the drag strip, the SS-badged HHR takes roughly 14.8 seconds at 98.5 mph to cover a quarter mile. 2026 Chevy HHR MPG
2026 Chevy HHR Safety Features
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded HHR the highest possible crash ratings for front-seat passengers and drivers in frontal crashes, as well as both front- and rear-seat passengers in side-impact crashes. It is rollover-rated with four stars.
Gas mileage estimates for the 2.2L LS, 1LT, Panel LS, and 1LT (manual): 22/32 mpg city/highway; 22/30 mpg highway.22/32 mpg city/highway (manual) and 22/30 mpg highway (automatic) are the fuel economy ratings for the 2.4L LS, 1LT, Panel LS, Panel 1LT, 2LT, and Panel 2LT. 2026 Chevy HHR MPG
2026 Chevy HHR Price and Release Date
The automatic added $1,000 to the cost of the $18,720 HHR LS, which was about $500 less than the (inflation-adjusted) cost of a 2-speed Powerglide auto in the Chevy wagons of 50 years earlier. You’d think that the relative cheapness of the manual would have resulted in plenty of takers among HHR buyers— this was the case with the PT Cruiser— but it took me many months of junkyard searching to find such a car. Perhaps the 5-speed HHRs are so enjoyable to drive that owners keep them longer. 2026 Chevy HHR MPG
