Chevrolet Aveo

The re-vamped Chevrolet Aveo gets a cool new shape and a beefed-up bodyshell

What's New
Slovenia, in the heart of winter, might not be the first place that springs to mind if you're thinking of somewhere to launch a new car, but for Chevrolet, the tiny nation along the Adriatic sea represents how important the whole of Eastern Europe is to the brand. As in Singapore, a large proportion of buyers focus on entry-level affordable marques and Chevrolet, as General Motor's global volume brand, is well-poised to take advantage of this.

The new version, while based on the current model, is a big improvement both in terms of styling and the quality of the interior.

Chevrolet has made structural changes to the body to beef up chassis strength, as well as to liberate more room. Increases have been made in every dimension, and the boot is 20 litres larger than the outgoing model. Externally, the Aveo gets a bold new face, notably marked by a large, heavily chromed grille with mesh inserts, neatly styled air intakes along the lower lip of the bumper, as well as attractively integrated fog lamps, if you go for that option.

The designers have also added a pronounced shoulder line along the side that visually connects the front and rear lamp clusters, as well as hefty pull-type door handles that come colour coded to the body. The new Aveo is further set apart from its Korean roots thanks to very contemporary rear end styling.The interior gets better plastics and more attractive surface detailing and trim.

How it Performs
A 1.2-litre engine is also available but the 1.4 is the version that's most likely to make it here in March and you should be able to choose between a five-speed manual gearbox or a four-speed automatic.

The manual has a nice, light clutch but a rather vague shift action. Still, it shouldn't pose much of a problem in heavy traffic. The automatic is smooth and quite responsive, and will quite likely be the preferred choice.

The most impressive thing about the Aveo's dynamic characteristics is the way it soaks up road imperfections with big car aplomb. The steering is responsive and quite precise, allowing you to take advantage of the not inconsiderable levels of available grip. The cars we tested were shod with winter tyres, which makes a direct comparison with how they'd perform on local roads a little difficult, but keen drivers won't be terribly disappointed with the way the Aveo goes.

How it Stacks Up
The Aveo competes with the likes of the Hyundai Verna and the Kia Rio. Hyundai and Kia have both made big strides in terms of build quality and styling, and these two models in particular, run the Aveo very close in terms of contemporary aesthetics.

Chevrolet has always had an advantage in terms of branding, thanks to the iconic name, but the Koreans aren't short on badge cachet either, and support and loyalty for these marques can only grow. Luckily, the new Aveo does represent a commendable effort from Chevrolet, particularly as there's plenty about the car that's good enough to not require the halo effect from the Chevrolet name.

Technical Specifications

MODEL Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 ENGINE Engine: 1,399cc 16V in-line 4 Max Power: 94bhp at 6,200rpm Max Torque: 130Nm at 3,400rpm TRANSMISSION 4-speed automatic TOP SPEED 170 kmh 0-100km/h 11.9s