Chevy Aveo First Drive from Fifth Gear. Part I.

Here's Fifth Gear Chevrolet Aveo First Drive by Andy Pringle.
What is it?

The Aveo may not be a familiar name to us Brits, but the car that now carries that name is not totally new. You see, what has happened here is that Chevrolet is now doing a Vauxhall and giving its cars the same name right across Europe. So, just as we now drive a Corsa and not a Nova, so in the future we'll drive an Aveo rather than a Kalos.

Yes, that's right, for all the company's talk of a 'new car', the Aveo is basically a heavily facelifted Chevrolet Kalos - and that started life in the UK as a Daewoo. So, the Aveo isn't strictly a new car at all.

On the other hand, there are certainly plenty of new bits, not least of which is the new nose, which is our first sight of the new global look for the company's cars, with a horizontally split grille. Beyond that, there's also a new engine - the 84bhp 1.2-litre petrol unit - that promises more power and better economy than the old 1.2. Perhaps most significantly, though, the Aveo is the first modern Chevy to be built in Europe, at a plant in Warsaw, Poland.

At launch, there will be a choice of just two petrol engines, a 101bhp 1.4 joining the new 1.2, and Chevrolet is expected to offer three trim levels, the basic S, followed by the LS and LT, the last of which is available only with an automatic gearbox.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but the company estimates the range will cost from about £7500 to £11,000 when the first cars reach UK showrooms in May. For the first month, only five-door models will be on sale, but they'll be joined in the following month by the three-door version that was unveiled at the Geneva Show earlier this year.
Chevy Aveo First Drive from Fifth Gear. Part II.
Chevy Aveo First Drive from Fifth Gear. Part III.