Chevrolet Aveo first drive

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Friday, 27 January 2012 12:00

“2012 is the year you will see Chevrolet sales in the UK take off,” said managing director Mark Terry at the media launch of the all new Aveo supermini sized five door hatchbacks.

He added, “I want to see 20,000 Chevrolet sales in the UK in 2012 with the new Aveo accounting for around 25 per cent of them. The Spark city car and the Cruze five door medium sector models should also claim a similar percentage share of our overall sales but that depends on what the overall UK market buying trend is.”

Terry continued, “We are going to buck the trend in the market, we are going to have a great year with great vehicles, a great brand at great prices. We are just going to drive forward.”

“Currently 65 to 70 per cent of our UK sales are to retail customers but with new models arriving and with more involvement from us in the fleet sector which includes business user-chooser, Motability and daily rental customers. In time our brand in the UK will have a 50/50 split between retail and the fleet sector.”

With more sales comes the need for more UK dealers and currently their dealer network stands at 92 outlets but this will increase to 110 in the near future. Their five main open points to appoint new dealers are London North West, Stockport, Woking or Aldershot, Slough and Milton Keynes.

Chevrolet is General Motors’ largest global brand with annual sales of more than four million vehicles in more than 140 countries. In Europe last year Chevrolet sold a record 517,800 vehicles, an increase of 8.5 per cent over 2010.

In the UK the sales performance was not as positive. Following a record year of 18,353 sales in 2009 boosted by the Scrappage Scheme, sales dropped in 2010 to 13,678 and in 2011 they fell again to 12,524 registrations.

Mark Terry said the fall in sales was caused by numerous factors for a right hand drive market including the delayed delivery of Euro 5 engines, the run out of old models, the late arrival of replacement ones and the Tsunami in Japan caused a shortage of electrical components for our South Korean manufacturing plants. “We have just experienced five months of no supply for the new Aveo. All these situations added up to a fall in sales but given the circumstances we have experienced I consider 2011 was successful for us.”

“2012 will be even better because we have the new Aveo now followed the Cruze Station Wagon, the Volt electric car - and demand already looks to be outstripping supply, and we will also see the arrival of the new Camaro, Chevrolet’s legendary flagship model.”

The new Aveo five door supermini hatchback costs from £9,995 to £13,615. There are five engine options; 1.2-litre 86PS and 1.4-litre 100PS petrol units and three 1.3-litre turbodiesel engines. The Eco version produces 95PS but with CO2 emissions at a tax busting low 95g/km. The other two units produce 75PS and also 95PS of power but the emissions are 99g/km and 108g/km respectively. Trim and equipment levels are LS, LT and LTZ. The single best selling model is expected to be the 1.2 petrol LT priced at £10,995.

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The wait is over the new Aveo five door supermini sized hatchback from Chevrolet has arrived. The General Motors Chevrolet brand completed the run-out of the old Aveo models early and with a slight delay on the all-new one arriving due to the shortage of Japanese sourced electronic components for the South Korean factory, Aveo’s have been missing from the UK line-up for five months.

Priced from £9,995 to £13,615 the new Aveo comes with the option of 1.2/1.4-litre, 86/100PS petrol engines, a 1.3-litre, 75PS turbodiesel unit with CO2 emissions of 99g/km, an Eco 95PS version with 95g/km of CO2 and another 95PS unit emitting 108g/km There are three trim and equipment levels, depending on the engine chosen, and these are LS, LT and LTZ.

Currently, due to the economic state of the new car market, there is no clear indication of which engine will be the most popular. Advance orders show them to be level. However the single best selling version looks as though it will be the 1.2-litre petrol 86PS in LT specification and priced at £10,995. Older couples are showing more interest in the 1.4-litre 100PS version in the top LTZ specification and this engine has the option of an automatic transmission. High mileage retail customers and business users will opt for the 95PS diesel engine with the Eco specification giving 95g/km making it road tax free, London Congestion charge free and with company car tax at 13 per cent for all three diesel versions. However company car users should not overlook the petrol engines because the 1.2-litre unit is rated at 10 per cent BIK tax and the 1.4-litre unit 15 per cent.

The usual problematic choice between petrol and diesel in small cars is the comparison in purchase price versus running costs. For instance the likely best selling 1.2-litre 86PS LT model costs £10,995, the best selling diesel 1.3-litre Eco 95PS with LT spec costs £12,795 which is £1,800 more. Each has their advantage, but £1,800 is a lot of money to claw back in taxes and slightly better fuel economy by buying the diesel model over the popular 1.2 petrol unit.

In the end it will be down to personal preference and circumstances. For me the diesel unit proved its worth by just being nicer and more responsive to drive and 67.3mpg during my test drive impressed me as well. The official Combined Cycle fuel consumption figure is 78.4mpg. Over the same route the test drive in the 1.2-litre petrol model retuned 45.6mpg versus the 60.9mpg official figure and the 1.4-litre petrol unit recorded a real-life 41.8mpg against the official 53.3mpg. Insurance costs vary little between models with most being Groups 5, 6 or 7 but the 95PS diesel unit is 9E in Eco form and 10E with the LTZ specification – still very competitive.

The Aveo builds on Chevrolet’s reputation for delivering great value for money. However, it’s more than the keen pricing that will make it appeal to customers. Today’s financially constrained customers look for value for money but if they are going to buy in most cases they want something that looks good as well and to impress the neighbours so they are becoming more choosey.

The kerb appeal of the Aveo will not disappoint because it is different from other feline eyed, rounded shape superminis that dominate this sector. The Aveo has twin headlights either side of a scaled down Chevy grille. There is a sculptured wedge-shaped side profile providing a sharper look than most of the moulded styling now commonplace in this segment. This is a five door hatchback but the rear side doors have handles discreetly placed in the window surround so in fact it looks more like a sporty three door hatchback.

The wheel in each corner design ensures maximum use of the interior space and two adults and two grown-up children would cope with the room on offer. Although the prices are competitive the cabin uses relatively good quality materials and they look durable. Even in basic trim, the Aveo gets features such as air-conditioning, cruise control, remote locking, a rear spoiler, CD-stereo radio, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors and electric front windows.

The mid-range and best selling LT level of specification adds more features such as 15-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel audio controls, a four-way adjustable driver’s seat, sunglasses holder, a Driver Information Centre, Bluetooth phone compatibility with music streaming and a chrome gear knob surround.

The top specification LTZ variant has features that older owners will happily pay more for and these include a leather steering wheel, front fog lamps, six speakers, rear parking sensors and automatic headlamps.

All Aveos are backed by a five-year warranty for further peace of mind.

Both new petrol engines are free revving and responsive providing they are kept in their optimum powerband. Both run out of steam climbing steep hills but cruise without stress on most roads and they are neat and nimble around town. I think the 1.2-litre 86PS unit is the best choice out of the two, it’s cheaper, more economical and virtually as fast as the 1.4-litre 100PS engine. The clear best choice engine for me is the 1.3-litre 95PS Eco 95g/km model. Yes it costs more to buy but it gives more in return. It is no ball of fire but it is more responsive and flexible to drive, impressively quiet except when really pushed and very frugal on fuel. A simple pay more get more message from me. The Aveo doesn’t beat the driving dynamics of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa or the Renault Clio but it has price and specification on its side and its distinctive looks will appeal as well.

Today it is a buyer’s market full of retail and fleet/business customers downsizing to save money, reduce running costs and pay as little in taxes as possible. There is lots of choice out there and prices are keen but the Chevrolet Aveo fits the criteria for today’s new car purchasers who need to understand that modern mainstream Chevrolet models are not American gas guzzlers.

MILESTONES. Chevrolet Aveo 5-Door Supermini Hatchback. 1.2-litre petrol LT (Expected best selling model). Price: £10,995. Engine/transmission: 1.2-litre, four-cylinder, petrol, 86PS (85bhp), 115Nm (85 lb ft) of torque at 4,000rpm, 5-speed manual. Performance: 107mph, 0-62mph 13.6 seconds, 60.9mpg (45.6mpg actual), CO2 111g/km, VED road tax £0 First Year rate then £30 per annum, BIK company car tax 10%. Insurance group: 5E. Dimensions/capacities: L 4,039mm, W 1,735mm, H 1,517mm, boot/load space 290 to 653-litres. For: Value for money with good specification, low running costs, distinctive styling, comfortable. 1.3-litre Eco diesel version is my choice. Against: Jittery ride over poorer road surfaces, some body lean during cornering, lack of feedback through the steering. Miles Better News Agency

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