WE all know one. He’s an honest, run-ofthe- mill hard working guy. He’s not a superstar, in management or marketing, and has no major ambition in life other than to work hard and provide for his family. He shops at regular stores and drinks beer – local beer, not some imported brew with an exorbitant price tag. You know who we’re talking about, right? You have an uncle, or a mate, just like that. He’s just a solid guy but never stands out in a crowd, and people never speak poorly of him. Well, if that guy were a car, he’d be a Chev Aveo. In fact, those guys probably drive Chev Aveos…
According to General Motors, over 16 500 Aveo hatchbacks have been sold in SA. Such is the success of the Aveo range that GM probably owes Chev’s continued survival in SA to these little cars. A corporation cannot survive on Luminas and Captivas alone, you know.
This Aveo hatchback is an allnew model that is sourced from GM’s DAT facility in South Korea. So the styling, as can be seen, is very much in line with Eastern trends. The front end adopts a single-frame grille, mimicking Audi, and the Chevy “bow-tie” logo has been placed between the upper and lower mesh sections, making it look like something of an afterthought. That the badge collected water behind it, during incessant rains in the Cape, reinforces that impression. Bold, clear-lens headlamps look upmarket.
In profile the new model does not look dissimilar to its predecessor. Small, false air intakes on the front wings are an attempt at looking sporty, but the looks would not suffer if they were not there. Short overhangs, particularly at the rear, help create a visually compact package. The base-spec L model on test here rides on steel wheels covered with five-spoke plastic trims. Unfortunately, a base white paint finish does give the Aveo a rental car persona.
The base Aveo requires one to insert the key into the door as there is no central locking. Once inside you will have no misgivings that this is an entry-level car. There are swathes of hard black plastic everywhere. Only different finishes break the monotony. But light grey upholstery on the seats and a light roof-lining colour do help to lift the interior ambience somewhat. Facing the driver is a very neat instrument cluster. Simple white on black circular dials provide details of engine revs, speed, coolant temperature and fuel level.
All Aveos come standard with air-conditioning, and the rotary controls for the ventilation system feel like high quality items and operate with precision. Returning to the budget car character, though, is an interior mirror that does not even feature a dipping function! Manual winders for all windows and the absence of any form of audio system underline this fact even further. The steering wheel is adjustable for rake. Inside the steering wheel boss is this model’s only airbag. Front and rear passengers have to rely solely on the pretensioning safety belts should matters go awry.
There are drinkholders for front and rear seat passengers. A netted pouch, for cellphones or wallets, can be found on the inner edge of the front seatbacks. Chevrolet boasts that the Aveo has the largest in-class interior dimensions. The tape measure may say so, but the larger members of out test team were not able to find comfortable driving positions. Limited fore/aft adjustment on the driver’s seat means that if you are on the lanky side you will have to adopt a sit-upand- beg driving style. There is, however, plenty of headroom, despite the lack of height adjustment on the front seats. Rear accommodation is adequate but the seat feels firmly padded, which could prove uncomfortable over longer distances.
The luggage area features a high-ish loading lip. The boot managed to hold 192 dm3 of our ISO standard measuring blocks, which is about on par for this class of car. With the split-folding rear seats stowed, the volume is extended to a few cubes short of 1 000 dm3.
One of the major changes in the new model is under the bonnet. It is a new engine, which displaces 1 598 cm3, a full 100 cm3 more than the previous model. The increase in swept volume has resulted in a 25 per cent power increase to 77 kW, and, at 145 N.m, an extra 17 N.m of torque. The extra power arrives at 5 800 r/min, with peak torque achieved at 3 600 r/min. Drive is fed to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.
Pulling away is easy enough, thanks to a light clutch action. The clutch “bites” slightly high in the pedal travel, which should suit novice drivers. Without prior knowledge, one would be hardpressed to realise that the throttle is electronically actuated. On the move the gearshift action feels rubbery and a tad vague, but no more so than most of the Aveo’s major competitors.
In terms of power delivery, the new engine feels similar to the old. Higher power and torque outputs mean that you’re travelling a fair few km/h quicker though. Breathing through four valves per cylinder, the engine develops good mid-range shove and can hit the 6 500 r/min limiter with ease, but the urge does taper off in the higher reaches of the rev range. Against the clock, the little Chev managed to reach 100 km/h from standstill in a commendable 11,56 seconds. At full chat we man aged a true top speed of 179 km/h, just short of Chevrolet’s claim. Its sprinting abilities may be laudable, but stopping is far less impressive. Despite the ABS modulated brake system – discs in front, drums at the rear – the Aveo managed an average stopping time of 3,28 seconds, which earned it a poor rating on our scale.
In terms of ride and handling the Aveo impressed us. It has a long- travel suspension that helps maintain a comfortable ride. The MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension arrangement is tuned to deliver safe and predictable handing. The ultimate limits are higher than some of us expected: not that it is “hot hatch exciting”, it’s just benign with more grip than anticipated.
The steering is much improved over that of its forerunner. It isn’t more talkative or a better wheel design, just that the new car is less prone to wandering. An Aveo in our care for a 20 000 km test needed constant correction to keep in a straight line, almost independently of prevailing weather conditions, and those who had experienced both models commented favourably on the new model’s stability.