Hi * ,
Took a test drive of the new Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 today and came back
with a wide grin !!
Styling :
The Aveo is definitely not going to turn heads when it comes to the
styling front.The trademark Chevrolet Grille contributes its part quite
well in enhancing the look of the car.The car looks neatly proportioned
and the would be rakish and elegant in side profile.The rear end looks
similar to the Ford Fiesta and the car appears to be longer than the
Ford.The Front bumper of the car is cluttered with oddly placed fog lamps
and air scoops with the Chevvy Badge the only bit to appeal.
Build Quality :
The Build quality of the car is excellent and indeed well executed.The
paint finish is well carried out and the panel gaps are bare
minimum.The Car feels sturdy with a built to last feel.Build is never going to be
an issue with GM’s cars !! Does that sound too optimistic ??
Interiors :
The Interior is crafted well with much attention to detailing.The
dashboard is long and no complaints with respect to the driving position.The
seats slide back well to accomodate my leg comfortably.The clutch, brake
and accelerator pedals are well placed but there is no dead pedal
present.The speedo console is smartly styled with an Odo equipped with twin
trip meters.The Dashboard arrangement & interior setup would very well
make one reminisce the Ford Fiesta.The front seats are supportive and
surprisingly the rear had ample leg room coupled with abundant seating
space to transport 5 adults in comfort.Overall, the interior is great
for a car in its segment.
My only complaint here is that ....getting in and out of the car was
quite a tedious task(being a six footer I think there are only few cars
to match my Tata Indica which is a breeze to get in and out)
The Music System (Factory Fitted...not sure of the make) is well placed
and looked pleasant ...well actually great.Should have been cool at
night ..!!Didn’t listen to the sytem though to check out the audio quality
...but then my intention was to check out the engine and not other
acoustics !!
The AC was a blast and it cooled the cabin well in a couple of minutes
!!
Ride , Engine Performance & Drivetrain :
And now the matter beneath the bonnet ...!! The Aveo is powered by the
1.4Litre /1.6 Litre Petrol Engines.For those uninformed, the 1.6Litre
VGIS Engine is the same one doing duty in the Optra.I don’t know much
abt the 1.6Litre engine and I drove the 1.4 Litre Aveo ( LS Model).
I started the car and the car shuddered to life with a mild purr
note.There was the seat belt light in the speedo cluster warning me to wear
the seat belt.Step down the gas and the car pulls readily all the way
till you decide to upshift.Yes, I mean it...the torque spead is generous
and the car keeps pulling even at obscenely high RPMs though the car
lacks poke at very low RPMs.The Car is not refined and keeps emitting a
’hum’ sound all the time and begs not be revved freely.But That didn’t
occlude me in revving the car to its limits.The car is fun to be driven
at high RPM Band inspite of it being coarse at such RPMs.The Pull from
the car would never fail to excite you and would bring out the
boy-racer in you.I would have appreciated the Aveo’s engine had it been more
refined.But the ultimate truth is that, you don’t get all the goodies in
a single car package ....!!
In an attempt to explore more, I took the car to the beach road where I
floored the car and heard the wheel spin initially and the car gathered
momentum at a prodigious rate.At no point of time did the car feel
insecure or out of grip.The Car is strong and sturdy(Thinking of the Octy,
dear..??).It Sticks to its line no matter you ride it over bumps or
potholes.This character of the car impressed me.This feel was missing in
the Ford Fiesta and many other cars in this segment(especially the new
Honda City which is notorious for its poor handling characteristics).The
Steering is well weighted & precise and doesn’t feel as feather light
as the Honda City.The best part is, that the steering gives a feel of
the road to the driver(again a sore point with the new Honda City).The
ride is on the firmer side as it takes the road imperfections quite
eagerly and doesn’t bottom out.To consolidate its quite an agile handler
with good ride characteristics with a great sttering to play with.Just
point the car to the desired direction and enjoy the chore ...!! Though
the General’s Horses are pretty coarse they pull well !!
Upon enquiry abt the suspension setup I was surprises to find out that
the car was equipped with gas charged suspension.That probably would
have been the reason behind the well damped ride and handling of the
car.Well Done ...GM..!! The Boot had good space to swallow the luggages!!
The car is claimed to return 12 plus Kmpl under city driving conditions
but it has to be ridden to believe it ..!!
And yes, last but not the least... the pricing !! The Base 1.4 Litre
Engined no frills Version costs around 5.8lakhs while the top end 1.6
Litre LT Version would cost close to 8lakhs.
Final Impression :
Overall, I would list the following points on this car :
1.Great Car with good ride and Handling capabilites.
2.Good Straight line stability.
3.Great Interiors and AC
4.FE yet to be ascertained by owners ??
5.Not a super smooth engine ...but generous power to revel in !!
6.Good Brand Image which would command you respect(unlike other C
segmenters like Hyundai, Maruti etc)
7.Agree with Rani Mukherjee in totality ...LOL !!