2009 Chevrolet Aveo

Quick Take:

Fuel Economy--10/14.9 km/l (city/highway), 1.4 I-4 Petrol 9.8 / 14.6 km/l (city/highway), 1.6L I-4 Petrol

Available Engines--1.4L In-line 4, 93 bhp, Petrol 1.6L In-line 4, 101 bhp, Petrol

Available Transmissions--Five-speed Manual Transmission (MT)

Highlights:

* Handsome looks. * Airbags. * Anti-lock Braking System.

Pros

* High levels of comfort. * Refined powertrain. * Premium build quality.

Cons

* Dash height hampers front-view.

Overview

The Aveo is GM India's entry-level sedan under the Chevrolet brand. It is a handsome car that is well equipped with premium levels of comfort and refined powertrains. Competitively priced to take on the Ford Fiesta and the premium Honda City, the Aveo offers smart and bold styling. It has terrific road presence and the option of two engines.

Powertrain & Performance

Powering the Aveo is a choice of 1.4L and 1.6L engines; both Double Overhead Camshaft (DOHC) with Variable Geometry Induction System (VGIS), which optimises air intake to ensure consistency in power and torque delivery. The 1.6L engine produces 101 bhp and 147 Nm of torque; while the 1.4L outputs 93 bhp and 127 Nm of torque. Both engines are combined to a 5-speed manual gearbox.

The gearbox tends to be notchy (one that doesn't operate smoothly). The engines are tuned to deliver better fuel efficiency that averages out at around 11/13 kmpl (city/highway). There is little difference between the two engines; the 1.4L also provides adequate low-end power and decent acceleration. McPherson Strut suspension with gas-filled shock absorbers features in the front and torsion beams in the rear. High ground clearance of 181 mm results in some body lean; there is some oversteer while cornering. Ride comfort is impressive, especially on bumpy roads; tuned suspension flattens out the bumps in the road.

Build & Styling

The Aveo sedan features the signature Chevy "bow-tie" riding on a large, chrome grille. The 'V' of the hood rises from the front bumper in a widening spread as it folds into the edge of the windscreen. Alloy wheels, 14" tires, flared wheel arches, an arching roofline and jeweled projector type headlights and taillights emphasise the sporty, bold stance of the car. Standard exterior features include power windows, power door locks, folding rear-seat, central locking, rear spoiler, remote boot/fuel-lid, adjustable rear-view mirrors, child safety locks and rear defogger. The 1.4L variant comes without the spoiler and alloys.

Build quality is impeccable; interiors are plush with tan colored seats, faux-wood trim, brushed aluminium and chrome accents topped by a dark textured dash. The cabin is airy; seats are well bolstered and supportive with a comfortable driving position. There is plenty of headroom and legroom in the rear; seats are comfortable and recline back to accommodate the slanting roof. Standard interior features include tiltable steering, keyless entry, cup holders, power steering, AM/FM radio, CD player and air conditioning.

The 1.4L variant delivers a spirited performance, comes loaded with comforts and is as appealing as its bigger sibling, the 1.6L. ABS, dual front airbags, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob are part of option pack.

The Chevrolet Aveo has been some time coming. Those who have lived in Bangalore must be all too familiar with the chess board style grey small car that was being tested everywhere; well the smaller version didn't make it here. The saloon though, did.

DESIGN AND STYLING:

The design and styling of the Indian Chevrolet Aveo is based on the Daewoo Kalos,the same cars. This one has undergone major treatments at the hands of ace stylist Giorgietto Giugiaro, and the statement it makes is quite a big one. It shows off like much bigger cars. The fiesta included. The lines are big, the chrome deep set grille, the big V on the bonnet, flared wheel arches and 14" tyres, all make for a nice statement. you will also notice that this car has no antenna, well it has one but it is a sticker printed onto the rear windshield! Looks like GM wants to pull a clever one on Honda! The most impressive thing about current GM cars seem to be the profile, like the Optra, the Vectra and so on; the Aveo is no exception, the profile is amongst the most pleasing I have come across thanks to the sloping roof and a well integrated C pillar. The Genes seem lost in translation. We are unable to see how it even remotely matches with that small car we saw in Bangalore some time ago.

Step inside and you will be surprised at the quality. Its refreshingly good, you will find wood inserts, dashes of grey here and there. An excellent 2 din system integrated extremely well into the dash. The seats made of fabric that looks like tan, and ergonomically very pleasing. The fiesta has these headrests which need to be adjusted every time anybody needs to sit in the rear seat, quite irritating actually, so GM seems to have put in some work in designing a seat that has no adjustable head rest, bit low on flexibility but comfortable nonetheless. The Driver seat is adjustable for height in the higher models, and so is the steering. Finding a nice driving position on this Chevrolet is no sweat, but the car is not for the sportingly inclined driver; a point I will be driving home in some more time. The Air conditioning on this car is top notch and one thing is especially noticed was the noise insulation; it almost cuts out the rest of the world as soon as you push all those windows up. The mirrors fold both ways, could come in handy if you are bit poor at reversing perhaps, I really couldn't find a better use for it. Internal electric adjust is available in the top end model; but electric retract still isn't.

Engine and transmission

We came away very impressed from the display area, pleased to no end about the looks and feel of what we had seen. Then after being led to the test car, we slowly led our way out of the showroom. There is much spoken about the all encompassing VGIS system, how it makes the engine that much cleverer and so on. Before I comment, this is a 1399cc 16 valve 4 cylinder in-line engine, with mpfi; that pumps 94ps of power and 128Nm of torque, I knew that before I drove it and I know very well 90 horses when I see them. So, I floored it; the revs never built up, so I switched off the air conditioner and there was some respite. The engine took a while before it decided to go fast, but finally it did. I really wished it hadn't; the engine feels too coarse when revved, it seems more than happy to keep purring in the range of 2000 and 3000rpm, not beyond. Don't mistake me, this isn't a bad engine; it actually is a very good number but it isn't meant to be revved, it likes to cruise just the way most American cars do. The VGIS system which stands for Variable Geometry Intake System makes clever variations to the intake manifold length and geometry to make sure that the engine has optimum intake and exhaust back-pressure, this makes the Aveo torquey, very torquey. It is able to garner revs very easily thanks to the oodles of torque available low down. The gearbox is a 5 speed manual, with one reverse gear. The gearbox we found was of slightly long throw, but the gear ratios have been designed to give ease of drivability both during city runs and on the highway. Unfortunately, carsinindia.com currently doesn't hold enough prominence to borrow the cars for high speed testing but the engine seems capable to reaching up to 180kph without much fuss. The major flaw of this gearbox though is in the way it shifts, sometimes the changes are rather notchy, something GM could really work on to make this car that much more desirable.

RIDE AND HANDLING: The chevy is a very comfortable car as I have mentioned before and don't let that engine and transmission bother you if you happen to consider having a chauffer to ferry you around town. This is a car not to drive, but one to be driven in I suppose; perhaps that's what GM intends to make out of this car, because the ride is excellent. Thanks mainly to the raised suspension that has good amount of travel to absorb most of the bumps that the Indian roads throw at the car. The suspension doesn't lose its composure most of the time, except at very low speeds which should be considered very acceptable. I happen to think that the ride of the Aveo is best in its class, one very comfortable sedan for the punishing Indian roads. The handling is once again the lower end of the sinusoidal wave perhaps, or perhaps the repercussion of the very comfortable ride. The Aveo steering is very light and steering at high speeds could be a nervous experience at best. The high ground clearance also plays truant when it comes to absorbing bumps at high speeds, but on an open stretch of road, you will love flooring this car, thanks mainly to the comfort it offers.

VERDICT: The handling is once again the lower end of the sinusoidal wave perhaps, or perhaps the repercussion of the very comfortable ride. The Aveo steering is very light and steering at high speeds could be a nervous experience at best. The high ground clearance also plays truant when it comes to absorbing bumps at high speeds, but on an open stretch of road, you will love flooring this car, thanks mainly to the comfort it offers.