7:55 am, August 19, 2011
Is Chevrolet’s killer five-year deal and new hatchback a winning combination for dealers? JAMES BAGGOTT finds out
WHAT IS IT?
The replacement for the Kalos and a B segment rival for the likes of Britain’s best-selling car, the Ford Fiesta. Can it compete with that? Probably not, but as a competitor to the likes of the Hyundai i20 and Suzuki Swift it’s got more of a chance. How much of a chance is hard to gauge just yet as prices won’t be announced until July. Expect it to cost less than £10k and come packed with kit.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
A choice of two petrol units and a diesel. There’s a 1.2 and 1.4-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre diesel. We tried the 1.4 in manual and automatic guise. The latter is best avoided, but the manual is far better. With 95bhp and 130Nm of torque the 1.4-litre unit is a little wheezy, hitting 60mph in 12.1s and on to a top speed of 110mph. Emissions are 139g/km and it’ll return 39mpg.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
As usual, pretty packed with extras. There are three trim levels – LS, LT, LTZ – but at the time of our test the exact spec had yet to be decided. However, expect the base model to come with USB input, air con, remote locking and a decent stereo. Bluetooth will be added to the LT and LTZ as well as a likely host of other extras. Chevrolet doesn’t really do options so expect the top-of-the-range model to get pretty much everything.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
Well, it’s not our cup of tea, but as long as the price is right buyers won’t really care. This car is aimed at older, price-conscious buyers who aren’t hunting for the thrill of driving. They’ll be more attracted to the excellent Five Year Promise care package. That said, it handles pretty well, soaks up the bumps and the steering is well weighted. The engine does sound strained at anything above a leisurely pace though, and it lacks real grunt.
WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK OF IT?
Autocar liked the car’s bold styling and thought a ‘lack of driver involvement wouldn’t worry owners’, but said a used Fiesta would be a better buy. What Car? believed it was a ‘very credible supermini’ but added it ‘won’t worry the best in class’.
WHAT DO WE THINK OF IT?
It’s an average car being pitched into a very competitive sector. A tempting price tag and bundled care package may win it buyers, but with some compelling rivals from Korea and some accomplished rivals from more premium marques it’s unlikely to be the biggest seller. It’s certainly more interesting to look at, but sadly we don’t think that’s quite enough.
