Chevrolet Beat Review

DESIGN

Sharp design and styling is a part of the DNA of every new Chevy and that's obvious the second you look at the Beat. The front looks strangely larger than the rest of the car, thanks to the colossal, split Chevy grille, huge headlights, high bonnet and deep chin. From the side, the Beat looks very coupe-like with a sharply rising waistline and rear door handles that are housed where the quarter-glass generally is.

The massive, sharply cut wheel arches are balanced out by 14-inch wheels (the largest in class). However, fatter tyres would work wonders for the Beat's stance. The rear is quite distinctive too with the retro-looking twin circular rear lamp clusters and a split lower bumper. From any angle, the Beat is quite a stunner and its futuristic shape is sure to be a big draw.

Under the skin, the Beat is pretty conventional and uses a MacPherson strut suspension in the front and a twist beam axle at the rear, which is the general layout for compact front-wheel-drive hatches. While most other new small hatches have moved to electric power steering (EPS), the Beat's steering uses conventional hydraulic assistance, mainly to keep costs down.

CABIN

The strong design of the exteriors is carried over to the cabin as well and this, along with extraordinary interior quality, makes the Beat quite an exceptional place to be in. The switches and buttons operate with a chunky feel and the properly textured plastics are among the best we have seen in a small car.

Slip into the driver's seat and you are literally hugged by the liberal bolstering and soft cushioning. Lower back support is wonderful but sadly the short and sloping seat base offers little under-thigh support.

Front passengers are greeted by the terrific-looking twin, which swoops into a central V. The dashboard is as functional as it is stylish and the Beat's engineers have cleverly carved out storage space wherever possible. There's a surplus of cubbyholes and the small niche (for your mobile) just behind the steering wheel is a neat touch. Even the door pockets are large enough to take small bottles. The dashboard's cool blue lighting looks great but the Beat's party trick is the instrument pod which sits on the steering column.

ENGINE

The Beat comes with a fresh 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine which is a completely different unit from the UV-A's  1.2-litre engine. This twin-cam, four-valve-per-head motor is well specced but in the present company of 1.2 petrols doesn't really break any new ground. It develops 79bhp at a peaky 6200rpm and max torque comes at a high 4400rpm. While the power output is not quite as good as Japanese 1.2-litre motors, it is pretty good. But what blunts the Chevy's vital performance is its above-average weight.

At low revs the Beat is extremely refined and near-silent at idle. The baby Chevy has a energetic throttle response, which is useful in stop-and-go traffic but depress the throttle more than halfway and you instantly notice the lack of mid-range  punch.  It's not a particularly effortless motor but if you work it hard, it will deliver respectable performance. The dash to 100kph is dispatched in a smart 14.8 seconds and in-gear acceleration is more than adequate as well.

RIDE AND HANDLING

The Beat's suspension is tuned for comfort and the ride quality is exceptional for such a small car; it soaks up bumps with amazing ease. What adds to the sense of calm is the suspension that works unobtrusively and a stiff, well insulated chassis that filters out any unwanted sounds. It's only the really big potholes or deep ruts that crash through. The Beat's wide stance and relatively long wheelbase means greater stability at speed and grown-up driving manners. The big-car feel the Beat offers, especially on the highway, instills a lot of self-assurance in the driver.

But the Beat is no sporty hatch, the handling is unsurprising, safe and good, but it's not brilliant like a Maruti A-star. The hydraulic power steering is pleasantly weighted and fairly quick but it feels dead around the straight-ahead position and doesn't deliver the ultimate accuracy we would have liked.

FACT FILE  Wheelbase 2375 mm Fuel Petrol Installation Front, transverse Type 4cyls in-line, 1199 cc Power 79 bhp Torque 10.91 kgm