Cover Story Chevrolet Aveo

The Aveo comes with several engine options in other markets but for India, GM has decided to launch it with a 1.4-litre 94bhp petrol engine which should give the car a performance edge over both the Swift and Getz. This 16-valve, twin-cam motor started life as Opel’s late 1980s Family One engine but over the years, the 1399cc unit has been thoroughly reworked, getting a stiffer block, reshaped combustion chambers and a new crankshaft. The Aveo saloon, expected a couple of months after the Aveo hatch, comes with a 1.6 motor and it is possible that, at that stage, the hatch too would be offered with the larger engine.
Step into the Aveo’s cabin and the first impression you get is how spacious and airy it is. The generous glass area and windscreen base, which falls far forward, makes you feel the car is larger than the exterior dimensions suggest. The seats are nice and high and the s

teering adjusts for rake, so it’s fairly easy to get comfortable.

The heavy A-pillar obscures the driver’s view when cornering but otherwise visibility is superb. The dashboard is smooth and uncluttered and has a useful recess to hold things. Like the Corsa that the Aveo will replace, there’s a multi-information display unit mounted in an independent pod above the centre console. There’s lots of useful storage space — two gloveboxes, several cupholders, large door pockets and front headrest-mounted hooks from which to hang shopping bags. Prod and poke the hard plastics and it’s obvious they don’t have the quality feel of the Swift but they are a step ahead of the Getz. The switches have nice positive clicks and most controls are logically laid out. However, the rotary air-con controls are set too low and located just below them are the cupholders, which slide out of the dashboard. Park a pair of large Cokes in the circular slots and it is difficult to access the controls. Other quirks include electric adjustment for the far side mirror but manual control for the driver’s side. There is a half-hearted attempt to make the interiors look funky with semi-circular fabric inserts in the door pads. This works quite well and breaks the otherwise monotonous plastic expanse of the doors and fits in with the circular theme of the cockpit, which has round air vents and door handles.
Passenger space is the Aveo’s trump card, thanks to its upright stance and long wheelbase. In the front, accommodation for six-footers is good thanks to the car’s tall profile. Those in the back can stretch their legs and tuck their feet under the high- mounted front seats. The rear seats are wide and supportive and there is sufficient room for three average-sized adults. There’s not much to choose from between the two Korean- made rivals — the Aveo edges out the Getz with more width but the Hyundai has marginally better headroom. The Swift feels a class smaller and simply can’t compete in this space race.

Boot space as well is better than the Swift and in a similar league to the Getz, but like most hatchbacks is best for a large bag and a couple of smaller soft ones. The international model comes with a versatile 60:40 split for the rear seats. However, the Indian version could have a simple fixed bench, which tilts forward.
It was impossible to judge the Aveo’s driving characteristics on the well-paved streets of Singapore, but what’s obvious is that this is a car that rides better than it handles. It soaked up whatever bumps we could find rather well and the long wheelbase gives the Aveo a sense of stability you associate only with larger cars. In any case, the damping characteristics will be completely modified for Indian roads and judging by how good a job GM India has done on the Optra, the Aveo promises to be the best-riding car in its class. The steering is quite light and doesn’t offer much feedback and the Aveo doesn’t dart into corners as eagerly as the sportier Swift. But at sedate speeds and in traffic the Aveo is a breeze to drive. The effortless steering makes parking a doddle, and it’s easy to judge the extremes of the car thanks to the high seat and good all-round visibility.
The 1.4-litre engine is pretty refined at low revs but press beyond 4000rpm and it takes on a rough edge but not to the point where it becomes intrusively coarse. Low-end torque wasn’t impressive and the Aveo needed a bootful of revs to make urgent progress but again, it’s likely that the engine will be recalibrated and gear ratios modified to give the necessary low-end grunt for Indian conditions. With its well-planted feel and decent top-end performance, the Aveo would make a good cruiser, especially with large 14-inch wheels and tyres (185/60-R14s) to soak up bumps.