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WEEKEND ROADTEST: Chevrolet Aveo 1.2S
publication date: Jun 12, 2009
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author/source: Robin Roberts
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Small is beautiful for car makers and dealers today.
If you don't have a city car in your range you are
losing money as rivals with small cars welcome potential buyers with open arms
and cheques from the Government under the current scrappage scheme. All the pressure is mounting to think about emissions,
running costs and fuel economy.
We know that GM went bust because its US models were dinosaurs but that's far from
true in Europe where its small and family car
ranges have been doing vey well, particularly after it picked up Daewoo a few
years ago and set about re-engineering and rebadging them.
The Kalos gave way to the Aveo, the Ford Fiesta sized
super-mini, which is available only in four versions with three 1.2 and a sole
1.4 litre model in three trim levels and two body-styles covered by around
£2,000. It is a small but select series.
With the entry level 1.2S 3dr tested you get power
steering, central locking, four front airbags and cd player but sadly there is
no ESP, alarm or sunroof available. Air conditioning is an extra £400, a little more than
optional metallic paint.
The powertrain is perfectly capable of giving fair
performance around town but it can be hard work to hurry along and adding
passengers produces a much slower response and hits fuel economy as well.
The gearchange is easy and positive and the engine
delivers very willingly and smoothly but it can become noisy at high
revolutions.
Acceleration is modest, even more so with a passenger
aboard, and it struggles to maintain motorway speed in the face of headwinds or
gradients but with only a driver inside and modest performance required it
easily delivers and is not very noisy.
You can hit the 50mpg mark with ease and without
effort if you keep to modest revs.
| The major and minor controls are all well weighted and
placed, operate with good feel and the instruments are very simple but not
particularly well marked.
Heating and ventilation is a bit basic unless you
order the air conditioning system and its struggles on warm days to cool the
cabin. There's only powered front windows and no sunroof.
The oddments room is very modest, with small
compartments out of which items fell easily and regularly on test. The split
back seat increases capacity from 220 to 980 litres and it's easy to access
behind the third door and a low cill. | 
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Having three doors means it is not the most practical
car for families with a need to belt-up little ones in the rear, and the access
demands some bending and twisting from adults, but once inside the room is
surprisingly good. For those infront the head and legroom is good and seat
adjustment is reasonable.
Visibility is good all round for parking so I am not
sure you need to spend money on reversing sensors but brighter lights would
have been useful on some dark roads. Wipers were adequate.
Noise levels are generally low apart from a busy
engine note when pressed and some constant banging from the suspension over
poorer surfaces.
The ride can be jiggly at times, even bumpy over
really bad potholes, but it did not wallow or pitch and the handling was
decidedly safe and let the driver know what it was about to do.
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Essentially, the Chevrolet Aveo is an unchallenging,
simple car which holds the promise of strong residuals thanks to its long
warranty and low running costs over the same period of time. I would probably
go for the five-door as a family favourite.
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Fact file:
| Chevrolet Aveo
1.2S 3dr | | Price:
| £7,765 | Insurance
group:
| Four | Powertrain:
| 84ps 1206cc 4cyl, 5sp | Maximum
speed:
| 106mph | 0-60mph:
| 12.8sec | Fuel
consumption:
| 51mpg | Emissions/
BIK:
| 132gkm/
15pc | Running
cost:
| 24.5ppm | Retained
value:
| 40pc | Warranty:
| 3yrs/ 60K, 5yrs
paint, 6yrs rust | | | |
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