New Chevrolet Aveo Loosed in UK

Combining sleek looks, sporty handling, key safety features, fuel economy and versatility, the new Aveo is a small car that makes no compromises.

Designed to expand on the success of the first-generation model, the new Aveo is a five-door hatchback that delivers excellent ride and handling characteristics in a sporty and sophisticated design.

Equally at home on the daily commute or a weekend drive to the countryside, the new Aveo is a compelling choice for young and young-at-heart, style-conscious drivers.

The new Aveo has a completely redesigned exterior and cabin, plus a newly developed chassis and body structure, as well as a range of upgraded fuel-efficient, low-emission engines.

The new Aveo has been engineered to make everyday driving in a small car a dynamic and enjoyable experience, while delivering great value for money. In order to ensure responsive handling, engineers developed an all-new chassis for the Aveo that is among the most rigid in its segment.

The Aveo’s sporty driving experience is integral to its appeal. It consists of an exceptionally rigid body-frame-integral structure, with the upper body and the frame engineered as a single unit, ensuring a more mass-efficient and stiffer structure. Advanced steels provide considerably greater tensile strength, which improves occupant safety.

A MacPherson strut front suspension with coil springs and anti-roll bar, and a torsion beam axle-mount compound link-type rear suspension, deliver a tempered, stable ride. The vehicle’s outstanding feedback to the driver is enhanced by electronic stability control (ESC) and an electric power-steering system (EPS), which is fitted to all models. This sophisticated support system includes a wear compensator to guarantee consistently precise steering as the vehicle ages.

The advanced body-frame-integral structure is also key to the vehicle’s advanced safety performance. In the event of an incident, the roof can support up to 4.2 times the car’s weight. A set of carefully tuned sensors is wired to six airbags, which are standard, as is a four-channel anti-lock braking system (ABS) with brake assist.

The driver can activate cruise control with speed limiter function. Once the set maximum speed is reached, the system triggers an audible alarm.

The Aveo also offers a quiet, relaxed driving experience. Refined noise-control measures have, in some instances, resulted in a damping performance that is 40 per cent greater than with previous materials and techniques.

Fuel efficiency, enjoyable driving and a small environmental footprint were the main criteria guiding the design of the Aveo’s engine line-up. The 1.4-litre petrol engine (100PS) gives the Aveo lively acceleration and an immediate feeling of performance during low-speed driving.

The petrol engine range also includes 1.2-litre units rated at 86PS plus a 1.3 VCDi diesel engine. The latter is the first VCDi diesel to appear in a small Chevrolet in Europe, and features common-rail fuel injection, stop/start technology and a variable-geometry turbocharger. It is available with two power outputs – 75 and 95PS – with the latter also offered in low-emission EcoDiesel form.

The petrol engines feature dual-overhead camshafts and variable valve timing; the cast-iron cylinder block is based on a hollow frame structure. The 1.2 and 1.4 have a cast-iron bedplate that provides a stiffer structure, resulting in quieter and smoother engine performance.

Fuel consumption and emissions are among the best in the sector with the 95PS 1.3-litre EcoDiesel capable of returning 78.4mpg on the combined cycle. CO2 emissions for the range start from just 95g/km for the 1.3-litre EcoDiesel.

The Aveo is the first Chevrolet small car with a six-speed automatic transmission. Available with the 100PS 1.4-litre petrol model, it offers smooth changes and is perfectly suited to urban driving.

The Aveo’s exterior design is characterised by a taut, two-box design with aggressive feature lines and short front and rear overhangs. A sharply forward-swept shoulder line extends from the upper rear body to the front wheelarches. It runs in parallel to the lower body side scallop, accentuating the car’s forward-moving feel.

Another distinctive Chevrolet feature are the rear door handles, which are almost invisible at the rear upper portion of the door behind the glass. Just as in the Chevrolet Spark, the result is a three-door-like appearance with five-door functionality. The front-door handles are black on entry models, and body colour-matched on LT and LTZ models.

The rear hatch glass is curved at the outboard edges to flow in unison with the vehicle’s rear quarters – a level of sophistication usually found in more premium segments. A colour-matched spoiler for enhanced aerodynamic performance runs along the top and sides of the rear window.

Similar to the layout of the headlamps, the hatchback’s tail lamps are exposed and consist of dual element reflector lamps framed by high-gloss black bezels and chrome rings.

The new Aveo offers generous storage space throughout the cabin. This includes an under-seat pull-out drawer and a storage compartment beneath the boot floor. The luggage capacity is 290 litres with the 60/40 rear seats up, and 653 litres with them folded. To further enhance the Aveo’s practicality, the front seats have an unusually large range of adjustment: 189mm forward, 54mm rearward, 28mm up and 37mm down.

The two-compartment upper glovebox has outlets for USB and auxiliary devices, enabling discreet connectivity of iPods, smart phones, and other electronic devices. A second, large glovebox features a lid that is damped for quiet and smooth operation.

Finally, large pockets on both sides of upper console provide easy-to-reach storage areas for mobile phones, CDs and other items.

Credits: wilswong