Aveo UVA - Lovin' it. And a bit of the i10 too.

[ChevyTeddy]

When we decided to upgrade from our ten-year old m-800, we shortlisted three vehicles - the i10, the Getz and the UVA. Anticipating your next question, here's why I did not opt for the

• Swift
  Heard a lot of feedback about lack of space in the back (a huge factor in my decision-making!) and issues such as loose parts, inexplicable sounds, and of course, the fact that you see (too) many swifts (IMO) around... the lack of space was something I found true in my friend's Lxi, and though he told me he was having no other problems so far, I was not willing to take the chance.
• Santro Xing
  Good vehicle, and if it had been a couple of years ago, I would have settled for it. Now, uh-huh.
• Fiat Palio
  Never even a serious contender. I was looking for FE, and this little beauty (that I admit) was at the bottom of that pile.
• WagonR
  You can't be serious!
• Indica
  I would prefer the WagonR! You can argue that it has decent FE (I've heard that claim disputed many times) and is spacious, but the engine and the TATA-Taxi tag - my Dad said no, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

Now, where the i10, Getz and UVA score are novelty, proven roadworthiness and FE, respectively. My grandfather has a Getz, so I just needed to try out the i10 and UVA, and then make the decision.

(Mods, I am including my TD of the i10 here. If you feel it should be moved to a separate thread, do let me know) The folks from Hilton arrived at around 11 in the morning, with a silver-colored i10. I drove for about a couple of km's in heavy, bumper-to-bumper traffic, then picked up my grandfather and turned towards the NH bypass. The AC was on all the while, at about 60-70% speed, and the cooling, compared to my 800, was excellent. I found the engine to be slightly louder than expected, and the seats were too stiff on a vehicle that is supposed to reflect the actual conditions.

Strangely enough, while it was the Magna edition, it had the tachometer. The odo and speedo had been disconnected, and the angle of tilting that could be adjusted was - in my opinion, at least - not as much as I had expected. The central-console gear-stick was a novel concept, but it did not influence me either way - in fact, I do remember thinking that I could not squeeze anything just in front of the dash.

The pickup was decent, but the vehicle stalled a couple of times when I tried to pull it from third. Not good. In the city, you might need a bit more flexibility on the gear you use. The fourth is where the vehicle pulls ahead, while the fifth gear was moderate.

Another strange thing was that when we made the return trip, I found the steering harder than it had been. Was it my imagination, or had I missed it on the way out? I don't know, but it was a strike against the i10.
i10 Pros: Size - compact; neat pickup; novelty value; looks; feels solid
i10 Cons: Overpriced Santro; gear issues? steering? Stiff seats

Now on to my eventual choice. The UVA.

The folks over at Deedi were quite helpful. I gave them a call, asking them if I could prepone the TD by a day, and he was at my house about ten minutes later, with an Icy Blue UVA. I realized one thing at that time - a car looks far bigger outside a showroom than it does inside it. For a couple of seconds, I thought he had made a mistake and brought over the sedan ('course, the headlights are different, but this was my first impression) and then just took a walk around the vehicle. Yup, it said AVEO UVA LS.

I took the same route I had with the i10, picking up my gramps along the way - and he fell in love with the vehicle at first glance. He got in and then did a double take at the sight of the twin box on the dashboard. The dash itself is one of the biggest I have ever seen, and it made me realize how cramped (!) the 800's had been.

The meters, as most of you know already, are placed inside cylindrical frames behind the steering wheel. At the same time, I had no problems reading the values. The odo and speedo were connected, and the tripmeter showed close to 2K kms. The guy who was with me told me that this was the only vehicle they took for TD's (I caught sight of the same car at different points across the city on various days, and none of the other UVA I caught sight of, in the meantime, had anybody from the dealership in them - so I guess he was being honest.) If you want to choose a color by looking at the car, you need to go to the yard.

I had no problem running down to 20km/hr in the fourth and fifth gears, and then accelerating from almost a complete stop with the third gear. At no point, despite the AC, did the vehicle stall. Plus point.

Speaking of the AC, it's pretty good. At 2/4 speed, it cools the front area instantly - and a few minutes later, the whole car is cooled. There is an appreciable lag when the a/c is on, however.

The steering was comfortable, and more ergonomic than the one on the Getz. With the seat pushed back - and mind you, this guy about 80 kgs, 5'8" was sitting right behind me - at his insistence, I found it quite soothing. Single-handed steering was a breeze, and when you have it tilted low enough, you can rest your hand on your legs and steer with your fingers.

Since I prefer to gradually build up my momentum - instead of flooring the accelerator and leaving rubber in my wake - the UVA's acceleration suited me just fine. You might need a bit more gas on the fifth up a slope, but if you downshift to fourth, a light touch on the pedal is all that is needed to keep you around the 70Kph limit.

One thing I found - and really liked about the UVA - was the fact that I could coast around an entire parking lot on the second or third without touching the accelerator. The sales guy himself told me about it, but I did not believe him until I tried it out myself. In fact, I even managed to take it up a four-metre ramp without the slightest throttle. Cool.

Of course, the UVA's longer, which means you need to pay more attention than you would while parking a Santro or an 800/WR. The power steering is quite easy on your arms, however.

I'll just clear up a few more issues people raised about the UVA.

• Poor rear visibility
  Not quite true. I use the inside mirror (I am used to it) more than the OSRVM's, and unless I have three tall people blocking my view, I don't have any need to expand my 'wings.'
• Gear
  The TD vehicle had a really good gear system, not much different from the i10, requiring a slightly longer throw than the i10. Since there is enough leg-space in front to stretch your legs, I doubt if you will keep clashing with your passenger's knee (unless she happens to be Preity Zinta
• Revving
  I have had no problems overtaking people when I want to. As long as I don't want to overtake somebody going over 120...
• The other REV - reversing
  Suffice to say that sometimes, slotting the reverse is harder than getting a fair deal from Steve Bucknor (couldn't resist - just finished watching him win the 2nd Test for Australia )
• Engine Noise
  Well, nobody has claimed it as an issue per se - but I suppose one could complain that unless you blow the horn, the driver in front of you is not going to hear you coming up. There is practically zero vibration in neutral, and very little knocking. If the vehicle is running, there is no reason you can't enjoy your ICE with as little distubance as possible.

I have the feeling I have left something out above, and I will add it on when I remember it.

After that, I dropped the Getz. I kept banging my knee on the steering wheel (at its highest tilt) everytime I got into the Getz, while I had ample space to clear in the UVA. Mileage is supposedly higher for the UVA, and the service and offers made me choose UVA over Getz.

Between the i10 and UVA, the question finally boiled down to the pricing. The i10 gets on-road at 4.45 L, while the UVA sells at 4.83 L. The dealer - and I heard that it was actually GM's policy - offered free insurance (13 K) and an MP3 player (~7K) , bringing down the net investment to 4.63L. Value for Money decided the issue.

Accessories such as leather covers, remote key, mud flaps (!) mats and anti-rust coating came to about 10K. Since I had an xPlod system on my 800 and retained it, the dealer offered me a rear spoiler in lieu of the system. He has also promised me a fog-lamp kit, but so far, nothing has been done about it. I will be going in for the first service this week, so hopefully I should have it by the end of this week.

The acoustics are superb, to say the least.

Is there anything else I have left out? I don't think so, but of course, comments, feedback and questions are welcome.

[Elito11]

Hello ChevyTeddy!

Good, detailed report with logical reasons to why you chose the U-VA. Personally i like the U-VA. It a great small car with almost very little wrong with it...except the GM badge and Most peoples unfound fear of buying anything other then a Maruti!

Finally congrats! Keep updating as you clock miles in ur new car!

Elito

[BUSA]

Good choice with the UVA. That car has much much better quality and space then the Swift, sadly GM didnot mark it well and overpriced it alot.

i10 Cons: Overpriced Santro; gear issues? steering? Stiff seats

The i10 is not a overpriced Santro but a new model, with something different.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by BUSA

The i10 is not a overpriced Santro but a new model, with something different.

Santro/WagonR and all feel a generation old compared to the i10 interiors.

[Ram_NP]

Good, report with detail explanation. I feel GM has overpiced the car.

Despite getting the excise benifit for 1200CC engine, it seems same has not been passed to the customers.

[PatchyBoy]

Enjoy your car.

Good Luck.

Rajan

[ChevyTeddy]

True, even I had a tough time wondering - and convincing - about GM's commitment. The increasing number of UVAs on the road, though, gives me strength.

Spoke to the sales rep today, he has committed to the fog lamp kit at my first service, as well as the Chevy clock. I am also thinking of getting an antenna installed.

Adding a couple of pix

[skmami]

congratulations on your new car.

Thanks for posting the pictures. I was wondering what those little black dots on the back bumper. Does it have the backup sensors ?

[ChevyTeddy]

Yup, those little black dots are the sensors. When you are trying to back into an enclosed space, the siren can drive you wild.

[arunnn]

Hello ChevyTeddy!

I agree with your points.
I too have the problem with reverse gear ( and 2nd ). What abt the FE of your UVA. I am getting around 12-13 in City and 15 on Highways.

Regards,
Arun

[ChevyTeddy]

Originally Posted by arunnn

Hello ChevyTeddy!

I agree with your points.
I too have the problem with reverse gear ( and 2nd ). What abt the FE of your UVA. I am getting around 12-13 in City and 15 on Highways.

Regards,
Arun

Before getting its first service, I would say about 12-13 kmpl, at a 70-30 city-highway ratio, with the a/c on most of the time. Average speed would be around the 65 mark.

And on a side note, I tried to under-drive (I assume that is the correct term - please confirm) it in the fifth gear. I went down to 10kmph... and then gradually accelerated back to 60 without any stalling or knocking. And no, I did not even touch the clutch. Not that I had trouble with my ole 800, but this kind of a range is amazing.

[kavu75]

Is this (under-drive) good for the engine?
Experts, please correct me if i am wrong.

[gemithomas]

Any updates. One of my friends are looking for the U-Va and i had a done a TD. Loved it. but they said NO OFFERS. Thats keeping us away for the time being. PLease give some updates and service and F.E and any issues while using. I felt the gear is placed way back and you hit your elbow on the seat every tome you change the gear. Overall "One-Derfull" car.!! Really liked it. The only drawback was the notchy gear and absense of rear wiper/defogger in the mid varient. i THink they should have provided atleast a wiper.

OT: Where are you. in tvm?

[snaronikar]

Good write up and comparision of other cars. Thats a pretty decent FE. Do update us on the service of the dealership (When you give it).

[Lalvaz]

Great review Chevy Teddy. Took a TD of the UVA recently. Loved the refinement levels of this car. Very silent and fairly responsive engine. And the space is really good. Sure you will have a great time with this lovely car.