Chevrolet Aveo Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Chevrolet Aveo range
Prices: £8,145-£10,095 – on the road
Insurance Group: 4
Emissions: 132-140g/km
Performance: [1.4] 0-60mph 11.9s Max Speed 109mph
Fuel Consumption: [1.4] 47.9mpg
Safety: twin front airbags, ABS
Dimensions: [5dr] length/width/height 3920/1680/1505mm

CHEV HA’PENNY

Our Rating: 7.3 / 10

Chevrolet is developing a reputation for some very good, very inexpensive cars. The Aveo doesn’t set too many new benchmarks but nevertheless puts in a very solid performance. Andy Enright reports

By most accepted measures, the Chevrolet Aveo is not a remarkable car. It is, however, an important one in opening up new markets for the American giant. Solidly built and attractively styled, it’s a decent car, albeit one that inherits a good deal of its engineering from its Kalos predecessor.

The bait and switch tactic is an established manufacturer ruse for getting journalists behind the wheels of their less exciting models and is alive and well in 2008. Invited to drive the latest Corvette at Circuit Paul Ricard, those who signed up actually found themselves spending considerably more seat time behind the wheel of the rather more upstanding Chevrolet Aveo. Normally this would prove somewhat annoying, but it didn’t take too long to figure out that the Aveo was by far the more important car. Here’s why. Although the Corvette is an aspirational halo model, the Aveo earns the corn that allows GM to go racing Corvettes in FIA GT events around the world. It sells massively in Eastern Europe and looks set to improve its performance further west. Put simply, it’s the most important model that Chevrolet makes and one that we couldn’t ignore for the sake of a few tyre smoking laps at Paul Ricard.

After driving 430bhp worth of ‘Vette, it would be easy to find 84bhp worth of Chevrolet Aveo rather underwhelming. The 1.2-litre version sampled first is the entry-level model and these normally act as a decent barometer of a car’s basic worth. If you’ve ever driven a Chevrolet Kalos, there won’t be too many surprises here. The driving position is very similar, the handling and ride feel much the same and the steering is still rather light. While this means that it’s not the most tactile car to bully along a Provencal hill route, it means it’s great in the city. The 1.2-litre will get to 60mph in 12.8 seconds and run on to a top speed of 106 mph. If this isn’t enough, go for the 1.4-litre lump with 100bhp. This is usefully quicker, topping out at 109mph and hitting 60 in 11 9 seconds.

The 1.4-litre is a notably more complex engine, with four valves per cylinder and DCVP (Double Continuous Variable Cam Phase) that helps to boost torque at lower revs and power at higher engine speeds. Visibility out of the Aveo is very good, although larger drivers may find that the das

As makeovers go, the Aveo is one of the cleverest we’ve seen. In profile it doesn’t look too much different to the Kalos, the five-door car’s rather odd drooping swage line being instantly familiar. Move round to the front and the impression is utterly different. The Kalos’ rather unhappy looking face has been replaced with something a whole lot bolder. The upswept headlamps and enormous double grille are punctuated by a serious Chevy cross logo. It’s got about twice as much attitude as any other small car you could care to mention. The three-door model is even smarter, with the flanks being sculpted to incorporate pronounced flared rear wheel arches. At the back, there’s one of the neatest rear lights clusters around.

The interior lacks the self-assurance of the exterior and, rather inevitably in this corner of the market, feels somewhat built down to a price. The same can be said of the Aveo’s key rivals though and Chevrolet has specified and trimmed the interior wisely, giving it a sensible equipment count, fairly decent materials and as much space and versatility as the design constraints allow. It’s not the biggest car in its sector, but the compact torsion beam rear suspension means that there’s plenty of useable room in the back.

With two engines and three and five door body styles to choose from, Aveo customers also benefit from a decent level of standard kit. "Plenty of car and equipment for a fair price" is part of Chevrolet’s corporate philosophy and the entry-level Aveo adheres to that maxim with driver and passenger airbags, an MP3-compatible CD stereo and wipers with intermittent facility. Plusher trim levels add tinted glass and electric front windows. Options include 15-inch aluminium wheels, leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob, an onboard computer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and automatic climate control.

The Aveo’s biggest markets to date have been Spain and the Ukraine, followed by Russia. Italy is in fourth place, fol