Chevrolet has always tried to establish itself in our Indian car markets as a successful small car manufacturer like Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai. But, all their attempts here have failed badly as they never had a car in their product portfolio which could establish them in the hatchback segment. However, with the arrival of Beat, things changed a bit for Chevrolet as Indians showed interest in the new hatchback and the car became quite popular amongst youngsters due to its dynamic styling. Let’s check in detail what differentiated this car from other hatchbacks in the market.
The Chevrolet Beat is available with two different engines; one each of petrol and diesel. It has a 1.2L, 4 cylinder, DOHC engine with a power output of 80.5bhp at 6200rpm. This engine was specially developed for Beat and it was completely different from the previous 1.2L unit seen in Chevrolet Aveo U-VA.The utmost torque production of this engine is of 108Nm which comes at 4400rpm.
The Chevrolet Beat diesel is equipped with a three cylinder 1.0LXSD diesel engine. This is the smaller version of the Fiat Multijet engine which is powering majority of the hatchbacks in India. This engine generates a power of 59bhp at 4000rpm with a maximum torque output of 150Nm available at 1750rpm. Both versions of Chevrolet Beat are equipped with a 5-speed manual gearbox.
The funky interior styling of Beat makes it look sporty and attractive. Its first in class digital tachometer and trendy instrument console makes it feel much premium than its class. When it comes to space though, there is not much to talk about. The rear legroom, knee room and headroom make it one of the most uncomfortable cars in its segment.
The top models of Chevrolet Beat Petrol and diesel comes equipped with premium features like Automatic climate control, power windows, ORVM’s with integrated side indicators, dual front airbags, ABS, alloy wheels, rear washer, wiper, defogger, remote locking and 2-Din audio player with four speakers.
Chevrolet Beat reviews suggest that the ride and handling of the car is quite acceptable in city traffic as you can easily park and handle this car in bumper to bumper traffic but as soon as you hit highways, its soft suspension, small tyres and light steering disappoints you. The car runs out of breath around corners and the scary feeling instantly stops you from playing this car.
Till now, Beat is doing quite fine in our market thanks to its aggressive pricing. Chevrolet Beat price frame ranges from INR 3.94 lakhs to INR 6 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi). But with rising competition, Chevrolet has to bring some changes to this car to keep it fresh and to do so; they are ready with the mid-cycle facelift of Beat which will be displayed at the Auto Expo 2014, next month.
Chevrolet Beat is a snazzy hatchback that arrives with heavily build formation. Chevrolet Beat review from the users report that the car is loaded with robust safety features and it does ensemble perfect for city drive.
