Road Test: Chevrolet Aveo 1.2 LS

Price as tested: €15,495

+ Decent dynamics, lengthy equipment list, sweet petrol engine
– Pricey for a budget brand, tyre noise, unremarkable styling
= A decent small car, but not outstanding



Would it surprise you to hear that Chevrolet is currently one of the fastest-growing brands in Europe? It just might do, so little publicity has the American brand had here in Ireland. We tend to still think of Chevys as being reconstituted Daewoos, mostly because a disinterested Irish importer wasn’t making much of a song and dance about any of the newer, more sophisticated Chevrolets that followed the subsuming of Daewoo into General Motors’ global affordable brand. But now, with a new importer (and arm of Chevrolet’s UK operation) it’s full steam ahead in Ireland for a brand that we still more readily associate with its big V8 American roots.

Well, put that image out of your head for a start, for this Aveo (a rival to the likes of the Kia Rio, Hyundai i20 and Skoda Fabia) is a very European-ised small hatchback with a dinky little 1.2-litre petrol engine. Or 73-cubic inches, if you prefer.

It’s built in Korea, in the old Daewoo factory that now churns out compact Chevrolets for the global market, and it’s actually based on the new small car platform that will also underpin the next-generation Opel Corsa. In fact, the Aveo feels very much like a Corsa; hardly surprising when the Opel side of the GM family shares so many interior and mechanical parts. It’s also worth pointing out that this new Aveo shares nothing with, and feels a world away from, the dreadfully cheap (and EuroNCAP 2-star rated) old-shape Aveo.

Climb aboard and you’re met with a decent cabin that has comfy seats, good space front and rear but which lacks the final sheen of quality that you’d get in a Fiesta or a Polo. Or for that matter, a Fabia or a Rio. The ‘motornike-inspired’ instrument pod atop the steering column, which houses warning lights, an analogue rev counter and a digital speedo, will likely divide opinion. It’s either really cheap looking or kind of funky, and to be honest, we can’t decide which just yet. The rest of the cabin is fine, but does feel a little lo-rent in its plastic choices, relative to the likes of the Rio.

Fire up the engine and the 1.2 petrol, which makes a healthy 85bhp, settles down to a smooth tickover, and when you rev it, it does so happily and smoothly. It’s a nice little engine this, with a flat spot in the power delivery below 2,000rpm, but which flings the Aveo along nicely if you keep it boiling above that mark. Engine refinement is actually excellent, so it’s all the bigger shame that the overriding interior noise is one of constant tyre roar and boom. Maybe it was just the roads we were driving on, but this seems to be an area the Aveo needs to improve on.

There’s nothing much wrong with the chassis though, which both rides and handles with excellent deportment. The ride in particular; firm, but well damped and sophisticated in feel, comes in for the highest praise, only occasionally getting caught out by a sharp ridge and letting a thump into the cabin, but the well-weighted, accurate steering must be given its dues too.

There is a bit of a serious issue when it comes to price though. This LS model, the cheapest Aveo currently available, lists at €15,495. Now, it does come with air conditioning, cruise control, stability control and traction control, but that does seem like a very high figure for a car purporting to come from a value brand. It may lack some (actually pretty much all) of the Chevy’s standard equipment, but a basic Skoda Fabia is a full €3,000 cheaper. Will the extra kit be enough to convince buyers that the extra cash up front is worth it?

For that matter, will Irish buyers, unfamiliar en masse with Chevrolet as a brand, come flocking to its dealers, in search of value. There’s  no doubt that that Aveo is a good enough car to deserve some attention, but the low-price-high-equipment-long-warranty playground is already a crowded one and Chevy will have its work cut out getting its message heard.

Facts & Figures

Chevrolet Aveo 1.2 LS
Price as tested: €15,495
Range price: €15,495 to €18,995
Capacity: 1,229cc
Power: 85bhp
Torque: 115Nm
Top speed: 172kmh
0-100kmh: 13.6secs
Economy: 4.7l/100km (60.1mpg)
CO2 emissions: 111g/km
Tax Band: A. €160 road tax
Euro NCAP rating: 5-star; 95% adult, 87% child, 54% pedestrian, 93% safety assist