Chevy’s heart-beat : Beat based new car

September 10, 2008
Filed under Cars Previews

Chevy’s heart-beat : Beat based new car

Deep inside, every manufacturer worldwide knows that volumes can only come from small cars. After acquiring Daewoo, GM gave the Matiz a makeover and reintroduced it as the Spark in India. However, they had to come up with a replacement fast.

What you see on the page is perhaps the first look at the face of GM’s new small car, inspired from the Beat concept showed last year. This all-new small car is expected to slot in above the Spark and go head to head with Hyundai’s i10.

The new small car sports an aggressive design and that is especially visible from the high bonnet line and huge headlamps which take up most of the fenders. In tune with other new Chevys, this one too gets a two-tier grille, which sits higher up. The bonnet too features prominent lines and looks like a clamp-on design. The front bumper is one large unit which houses an air dam and inserts for fog lamps. However, instead of plastic surrounds, the bumper gets a tapered effect only. The flared wheel arches give it a chunky side profile and the large doors make ingress/ egress comfortable. The front windows get a small quarter panel glass to offer better visibility. At the rear, expect a large triangular tail lamp along with roof spoiler for sportiness. The number plates recess will also be housed on the tail gate.

GM’s new baby will be spacious inside considering the company is following a pattern of pushing the wheels to the farthest corners, reducing overhangs. Unlike the current trend, it won’t get a centrally mounted instrument binnacle, but pod shaped ones in front of the driver.

The Beat is due to enter production later next year, and in India it will be produced from GM’s new plant at Talegaon, near Pune. Built with an investment in the region of $300 million, it will have an initial annual production capacity of 140,000 vehicles, doubling GM’s total capacity in India to over 220,000 units.

Powered comes through the second generation S-Tec 1.2-litre engine. This new engine features a 16-valve DOHC valve train and also variable intake geometry. But the most important factor for GM’s success remains the price. Since it slots into the i10 segment, expect it to sport a competitive price in the region of Rs 4 to 5 lakh.