[mi2n]

"A worn out chevy and a beat up Martin is all I'll ever own"

Back in September 2010, the search for a small city hatch ended abruptly at a GM showroom :
The Buying experience

A car for daily office commute :
After doing the unthinkable(getting married) in August, we decided on getting a hatch for our daily office commute, a 60 km round trip. The gracefully aging 2003 Amby Diesel has been serving the family well and is a true workhorse doing over 100 kms a day serving all the 7 members of our family. A second car was necessitated because (i) Taking the Amby to office would make it inconvenient for other members (ii) Self driving the clumsy elephant in b2b Kolkata traffic will be strenuous to put it mildly and last but not the least (iii) AC, PS, refinement and smaller dimensions were the need of the hour.

The Contenders :
With a budget of INR 4.5 lacs OTR and a projected usage of over 1,500 kms/month, quite frankly the only choice was the Indica DLS. The Vista TDi had just been discontinued and the base Quadrajet was a good 50k over our budget. A visit to the nearest Tata dealer and the missus was quick to reject the V2 (to my utter dismay). It was at this juncture that the theories of diesel economy were shelved for good. I also confessed to myself about how the modern, smooth, refined and nifty petrol hatches always tickled my senses every time i got a chance to peruse one. However, to offset the loss of diesel economy marginally, we decided to trim our budget to INR 4 lacs OTR.
Subsequently, we shortlisted a few petrol hatches to be Test driven :
(i) The newly launched Alto K10 Vxi. It is nifty and it also ticks the FE box. However, its still too small and too basic. The interiors were a few notches down even from the Indica DLS and the VXi variant is not a VFM proposition at all.
(ii) Moved on to the A-Star Lxi. With substantial discounts on offer, the final quote almost matches the K10 Vxi. Is nifty and fuel efficient with modern interiors as well. The quirky front and posture, almost non-usable rear bench and poor view all around were the deal breakers.
(iii) Though initially weary about GM, the Chevy Beat had an undeniable road presence and was already proving itself to be a head turner. So, our next stop was the GM showroom, where we were greeted by an alien ro(auto)bot, grinning sarcastically, as if it already knew! A quick tour of a shiny black Beat LT and a short Test drive in a red Beat LS and GM had our money. This is the car we would like to be seen in, we both agreed. Actually, we were so overwhelmed by the ultra modern, perfectly contoured exterior and the equally alien looking blue backlit interiors and the radical instrument cluster alongwith the quality interiors, that we did not mind the few very evident short-comings, including a 12 kmpl mileage as conveyed by the sales staff (don't they usually exaggerate?). Canceled the plan of visiting the Hyundai showroom, reached home and trolled through GTO's review of the Beat once again. A Beat PS (Base model) was booked the very next day with assurance of delivery within the next seven days.
(iv) The i10 Era, though initially shortlisted, was not test driven.

Dealership & Delivery experience:
The Beat PS(base model) was finally booked in Cocktail Green color from India Automobiles (1960) Ltd. with a booking amount of INR 10,000. There are 3 GM dealers in my city. However, prior to switching loyalties to GM during their Opel venture, India Automobiles used to be a HM dealer with whom we had earlier dealings. The sales team were courteous, reasonably acquainted with the vehicle and guided us properly right from the tour and test drive upto finalizing all the paperwork. PDI was completed a couple of days later. The loan processing (SBI) was also taken care of by the dealership and the same went smoothly and on schedule. Finally the vehicle was delivered as promised on 1st October 2010.

The Deal :
Vehicle : Beat 1.2 PS (Green Cocktail Metallic)
Final OTR : INR 3,78,4xx
Dealer fitments (paid) : Satin Silver Roof Rails : INR 3,000/- & LHS ORVM : INR 1,750/-
Dealer fitments (freebies) : Mud flaps, Floor and dickey mats, Steering cover, Perfume, Chevy toy, Tissue box and 10 liters of fuel.

The base(PS) model was chosen as it satisfied our basic requirements. The LS did not have enough extras to command an INR 26,000 more (front power windows + 60:40 rear seat + LHS ORVM + Digital clock + Chrome grill lining) the LT, though being the true VFM variant, was out of our budget.


Aftermarket fitments :The following accessories were fitted:
(i) Alpine CDE100UB Head Unit - INR 6,000
(ii) JBL GT5 S369 rear 6x9 - INR 3,200
(iii) 4" Blaupunkt in dash - INR 1,400
(iv) Rear parcel Tray - Free
(v) V-Kool T35 tints - INR 4,800
(vi) Fog Lamps - INR 700
(vii) B-pillar vinyl treatment - INR 300
(viii) Door Sill Plates - INR 350
(ix) Door Visors - INR 850
(x) Autocop Central Locking(Key-less) - INR 2,300
(xI) Art leather seat covers - INR 2,000


The Ownership Experience:

As on date, i have managed to clock 15,xxx kms in approximately 10 months and just completed the scheduled 15000 km service. Here are my observations about the vehicle and the after sale support :

The Vehicle :
Graduating from the Ambassadors and the one odd pre-worshiped Qualis FS had for a short while, the first thing that struck me about the car was the surreal amount of refinement. No engine noise, no vibrations and nothing but the Tyre noise manages to penetrate the cabin.

1. Engine and drive-ability : Honestly, the 1.2L, 80bhp mill churns out more than what i require for my daily in-city commute. Given that it's not exactly a "Carl Lewis" out of the blocks, it is surprisingly maneuverable in city traffic conditions and will allow enough juice for the odd "rushed" overtaking (not recommended). The gear ratios and shifts, though not as short & nimble as that of the i10( the only other hatch I've driven enough to compare) does not call for any flak. The weak 2nd gear, which has been the subject of much a criticism, does not pose any issue for me and i am still sticking with the original ECU setting. It's always a quick in and out from the 2nd gear as the 3rd has a very wide range, the light clutch helps. The HPS unit is again, an absolute delight! (P.S. : this is my first vehicle equipped with Power Steering). The main hindrance of the otherwise plausible drive-ability is the visibility aspect or the lack of it. The high mounted dashboard coupled with low seating position, the thick pillars and small rear windows means that you'll basically have to drive the vehicle on estimations and approximations in rush hour traffic. This however, is a problem that wont last more than the first 1000 kilometers. The brakes are adequate and confidence inspiring. On the highways, i experienced mild steering vibration between speeds of 105 - 115 kmph, but the car can cruise calmly at 130 kmph.

2. Ride Quality & Comfort: This is one area where the Beat scores handsomely. The soft suspension translates to a compliant ride, which is much superior than the competition (the other cars we had tested). The front seats are cozy and offer adequate support, cannot complain about lack of height adjustment in a base model. The AC is an absolute chiller, after a few initial minutes at maximum blower speed( very noisy at full speeds) we have to turn it down to 1 (minimum), anything more and your fingers starts feeling the bites. The instrument clusters and buttons are perfectly placed for me, though would have liked to have a button instead of the slider for "fresh-air & recirculation" modes. Nothing much to interact with in the base version except the AC controls and wiper and light stalks, all of which feel sturdy and plush. I cant make out if the "head light leveler" actually works. Though i rarely get to occupy the rear bench, i feel its reasonably comfortable for short rides, the ride quality here is also exceptional. The two major drawbacks discussed extensively ( poor under thigh support & small rear window) have actually aided the comfort factor in my case. While the poor under thigh support translates to the feeling of more leg room, it also helps accommodating the third person a bit more acceptably. The "claustrophobic" rear similarly translates to more privacy and less amount of sunlight (read heat) entering the car. I've even gone to the extent of adding door-visors, making the rear openings even smaller.

3. Equipments & Build Quality: The base version of the Beat is, well, pretty basic. There's not much to be written about the equipment list. However, the quality or materials used and the assembly deserves a mention. The plastic parts look and feel pretty sturdy, panel gaps consistent and the vehicle seems to be put together rather well. The headlights are outright excellent, every lever and switch feel plush and comfortable to operate. Plastic quality is above par. The cabin is very well insulated. The ORVM housings are strong enough to entirely dislodge the rear door of a Wagon-R, and not the flimsy, "break on the smallest impact" type. The bumpers continue with their famed Daewoo legacy and has already withstood couple of hits with negligible deformities( only paint scrapes). The doors and plastic panels seems to be made to last and even after 15,000 kms torture over good and bad roads there is not a single rattle from the car. Going by the NVH levels the engine mounts and insulation also deserve full marks. The stock tyres leave a lot to be desired, apart from being skinny, its the only thing in the car that makes noise. With such a comfortable suspension setup, the tyres definitely play spoil sport. Moreover, i have had no less than 6 punctures including a damaged sidewall. Overall, the build quality is definitely a strong point of this car.

4. Fuel Efficiency: The vehicle is used mostly in the city confines during peak hours. The round-trip of approximately 60 kms daily takes 3 to 4 hours, in mildly congested to sometimes,chaotic traffic conditions. The best return i have managed so far is a 15.03 km/ltr back in January( in city and without AC), the average during the winter hovered around the 14.5 kmpl mark with negligible AC usage. On a very rare highway trip, the car covered 400kms using up just 21 liters of fuel returning an impressive figure of 19kmpl(without AC). During the summer and with 80-90% AC usage, the mileage has dropped to 12.73 kmpl. Measurement has been done on tankful to tankful basis using BP Regular petrol and the vehicle has been driven sedately. I find the mileage to be quite decent and in consonance with other 1.2L hatches.

5. Niggles and Rants : Apart from the one incident involving a coolant dump, it has been a niggle free ownership till date. At around 11k on the Odo, the car dumped all the coolant which subsequently evaporated in the hot engine bay. It was a rather scary moment to see steam/smoke bellow from the engine compartment. Thankfully, nothing was damaged and the chevy helpline proved useful, but even after thorough scrutiny the cause could not be identified. The fuel gauge has been faulty and non-reliable from the beginning but has not been changed yet. Chevy should have atleast managed to put a digital clock in the scoop at the center of the dashboard(even the Indica has one). The tyres are too noisy, but owing to the infrastructural developments going in and around the city (and the consequent nails and debris) , i'm having to refrain from upgrading to better rubber. Vehicle specific after-market accessories are hard to come by, but things are gradually improving. Most OEM accessories are absurdly priced.


The A.S.S. :

The encounters with Chevy A.S.S. :

1. 1st Service (India Automobiles(1960) Ltd) : For the 1,000 kilometer reassurance checkup/service, the vehicle was taken to the dealer's service center. The location was very convenient, being in the by-lane of the very road where my car stays parked for the day. The ambiance of the service center was rather disgusting, with no proper lounge/waiting room. The staff were either too arrogant or too oblivious. Tried to trick me into various add-on chargeable jobs.The team went entirely cold and unresponsive as soon as they realized that they would not be able to squeeze a single penny out. Documentations were amiss and the job card could only be obtained after exchanging verbal niceties. The car was retained for an entire day unnecessarily.

2. 2nd Service (Dulichand Motors) : At 5,000 kilometers, the car was taken to Dulichand Motors' service center. Dulichand, is by far the biggest and most reputed GM dealer in the city and after hearing lots of positives about their A.S.S. decided to try them out.The service center is not located conveniently for me and i had to take a leave for getting the service done at their workshop. I was immediately impressed by the establishment they had. Good facilities, waiting room/lounge with a glass wall facing the workshop. You can see your vehicle getting serviced from the customer lounge itself. The staff were courteous and knowledgeable but the same insistence for getting under-body/paint protection etc. persisted. Learnt about Chevy's 2 hours service promise which was rather well followed by the Service Center. Was able to get the car back and the documentations done within 2 hours. Exited the service center as a satisfied customer. I realized, that the nature of work carried out in these routine services were not very serious, hence i'm not in a position to vouch for the quality of work done at the service center. Albeit, the car was delivered in pristine cosmetic condition.

3. 3rd Service (Longia Motors) : As the Odo ticked past 10,000 kilometers, it was time for the 3rd service. Though satisfied with Dulichand, the inconvenient location made me look for other options. So, fixed an appointment with Longia Motors. Situated within a 15 minute drive from my office, Longia has been a GM service center since their Opel days. Though they do not sell cars, they have 2 workshops servicing GM vehicles. The workshop at Rashbehari is rather small compared to Dulichand's. However, the staff were strikingly friendly and confidence inspiring and the guidance provided sounded very reasonable. There is adequate facilities for the customers and most importantly, we were allowed to be with the vehicle, overseeing the service jobs carried out. Their, "dont fix it if it aint broken" attitude surprised me pleasantly. Though the Pollen filter was scheduled for a change at 10k kms, they assured me that it was still perfectly usable and does not need replacement. User specific instructions were perseveringly followed. Vehicle was ready and handed back in promised time.

4. Checkup (Longia Motors) : At 11,000 kms, the vehicle mis-behaved, dumping coolant. Called up Longia's 24x7 helpline and was advised to fill the empty coolant chamber with water. Assured by their technical staff, drove the car back home and the next day took it to the service center for diagnosis and repairs. The car was tested extensively for 2 days but the problem did not recur. An extensive list of checks carried out was provided in the job card which also indicated that the car was "normal". All fluids were topped up and the usual washing/shining was done. Car was returned in pristine condition with the assurance that it was perfectly road-worthy. Not a single penny was charged for the entire incident.

5. 4th Service (Longia Motors) : The car was due for a scheduled service again at 15,000 kms. Without any hesitations, booked a call with Longia Motors. This time i was a bit skeptical. This was the first paid service. Scheduled oil and filter changes were due. I was asking myself if i had made the right choice opting out of the 3 year CPC package. As i parked my car inside their workshop and handed over the keys to the staff, i heard the attending engineer directing his subordinates not to paste the usual(Longia Motors) sticker on my car. I was taken by surprise! 3 months back(during 10k service) i had conveyed to them how much i disliked these company/dealer stickers on my vehicle and how painful it is to remove them. They meticulously remembered by preferences? That is just amazing. Engine Oil and Oil filter was changed and alongwith the regular service drill the total bill came to INR 2,050, which sounded very reasonable. The pollen filter was still retained.
Overall, the experience with Chevy A.S.S. has been pleasurable till this juncture and the maintenance cost seems to be reasonable and at par(if not lower) with the competition.


To Summarize:

Likes :
1. Styling (both inside & out)
2. Ride, build quality and refinement
3. Thoughtfully designed interiors with lots of storage spots.
4. Chevy A.S.S.(specially Longia Motors)

Dislikes:
1. Poor all round visibility.
2. Poor OEM Tyres
3. Poor rear bench thigh support.(not for long drives but fine for short city runs).
4. Limited speaker setup options.( 4" in dash no provisions on door panels)
5. The versions below the LT feels a little bland and monotonous from the inside.


A special thanks to Team-BHP and all my fellow BHPians.

Cheers!

[adg_andy]

Congrats on your ride mithun!! Drive safe and hope that Poriborton helps in betterment of Kolkata roads sooner than later.Let us know the difference in ride when you change her shoes.

[Yamahead]

Dada do uprgade the tyres to Michelin after 25-30K kms and you will feel the difference.Regarding Chevy service, my dad has a U-VA and he rates Dulichand guys quite high.Then again he totally hated Jalan workshops of Maruti and had huge fights with them over unclean cars and shoddy workmanship( since he steadfastly refused to heed their advice on all unnecessary coatings like Wurth, 3M etc).Coming from a Maruti to Chevy, we feel Beat is a wonderful option and the only thing that prevented me from going for a Beat in Chennai is the fact that my wife refused to subject her classmates and friends to the "claustrophobic" rear seat.

Btw, pls tell me how is the sound quality of your set up since I am looking at almost the same setup for my car.

[mi2n]

Upgrading the rubber will depend on how soon the major road/metro rail/flyover projects are completed. I would rather have nails in my lousy Vectras than have my prized XM1s or Yokos get battered in these conditons.

Coming to the sound quality, firstly I'm no audiophile and i'm tuned in to FM most of the time. However, i find the Head Unit to be very capable. Crisp sound, clear vocals and looks and feels very sturdy. The only hindrance is the single pre-out. The front 4" Blaupunkts are definitely worth their money. The Rear 6X9 GT5s were good for the while they lasted. One of them has already died upon me and claiming warranty seems to be painstaking. Overall, the setup is only mediocre, but caters well for the audience oriented towards golden oldies and FM stations.
The audio setup is due for a planned upgrade as i intend to install a Double DIN HU (purely for aesthetics) and better rear speakers as a birthday gift for my car. Maximum budget for the both would be around 15k and I would prefer blue backlit HU with front USB/Aux-in. Suggestions are welcome.

[salbin]

Nicely written review. You have covered every points.

I have few queries:
Does the aftermarket fog lamp require separate wiring?
Do you have a separate switch for it?
I think the non LT variants does not come with the fog lamp switch in the stack?
Does the bumper needs to be removed for fixing the fogs?
How is the roof rails mounted? is it with adhesive or screwed from inside?
Are the door sills and visors are from GM?
Could you post the pic of the door sills?

Just wanted to get these mods done on my Spark LS @ home town. I think I am troubling you too much by asking questions.

[akhilesh]

Nicely written review. Beat is one of the most underrated hatchback in the country today.

[mi2n]

Does the aftermarket fog lamp require separate wiring? - YES, in my case directly connected to the battery.
Do you have a separate switch for it? - YES, there are provisions for additional switches in the dash beside the Headlamp leveler.
I think the non LT variants does not come with the fog lamp switch in the stack?- Correct
Does the bumper needs to be removed for fixing the fogs? -YES.
How is the roof rails mounted? is it with adhesive or screwed from inside?- 3M adhesive tapes is provided by GM.
Are the door sills and visors are from GM? - NO, aftermarket
Could you post the pic of the door sills? Will do shortly.

[mi2n]

Here are the pics of the Door Sills and Visors as requested:

Please pardon :
1. The crappy pics (from mobile cam)
2. The TRD vinyl on the windscreen. It was a compulsive buy as my forearms and thighs were getting burnt from the summer sun and my financial situation did not allow the VK70. This was the cheapest alternative with equal, if not better, effect.

[JayKavadi]

Very Well written review buddy. I'd like to add my two cents here. I was in the hatch market around a month ago and i tried all the usual suspects - the beat, the figo, the i10, polo, Swift. While the beat checked out on most parameters and also presented a tremendous VFM proposition, it lacked the "WOW" factor. Maybe its just my perception, but when i test drove the swift zxi, i was simply blown away. I'm no expert, but i found the engine incredibly smooth and the gearshift very very responsive. Having said that, the Beat is just too hard to ignore given the price tag it sports.

Have fun with your baby !

[petroheadd]

A well written review, how are the aftermarket fog lamps running on now. Can you please tell me where did you get them from. Also from where do you get your car serviced. Dulichand guys have messed up my last service but I am scared to try other places too.

[samarth.bhatia]

Hi,

Its wonderful to read about your Beat.
I see from your avatar that there's a black hood.

When possible, please do click some pics of that and put them up here.
It seems glossy, so I assume you've painted the bonnet.

Any more mods?

Thanks.

[AbhishekB86]

Hey mi2n,

That was comprehensive and adequate. Just like you, I haven't changed my tires either. I've done 23.5k as of now. I wanted to check with you if the JK's are still serving you well. Did you finally upgrade? If yes, did you get an exchange discount?

[mi2n]

Originally Posted by petroheadd

A well written review, how are the aftermarket fog lamps running on now. Can you please tell me where did you get them from. Also from where do you get your car serviced. Dulichand guys have messed up my last service but I am scared to try other places too.

Sorry for the delayed response. The fog lamps are holding out well. I got them fitted from Glix (Salt Lake). I service my vehicle at Longia Motors (Rashbehari more).


About the tyres, just got them rotated at 20k odd. No WB/WA work has been carried out yet. Wear and tear is pretty even and the tyres seem fit for a good 10k more atleast. One has a side wall puncture and as been retired to be the spare.

30k report under preparation!

[mi2n]

July 2012, and the Odometer ticked past 30,000 kms.


BHP-Warning : This report can be dull. The car is only a daily city runabout, ferrying myself and the missus to work and back, so no long crusades, lovely pictures, addictive narratives or family outings shall be found. The car plies within the congested city limits, so no write-ups about 4000+ revs or top speeds either.

Continuing with the journey :

Our chevy continues to be our trusted daily commute, now with a sense of reliability. It accompanies us through the light and dull moments and continuously manages to bring a smile to our face. It has been niggle free during this period and the regular upkeep hasn't burnt a hole in my pocket either. The build quality is a testimony to Chevy workmanship, not a single rattle yet, no sounds from the under-body parts, not squeaks from the suspension setup, no equipment malfunction. The battery is holding out fairly as well.
From the first day itself, i have not been too happy with the tyres, thus they do not receive much attention. They have only been rotated once at 20k kms, and that's it. However, being hard compound tyres, they are holding out rather well, I'm in a phase(at 30k) where i now get to enjoy the longevity of hard compound tyres. Softer tyres would have been near their EOL, the Vectras on the other hand, looks good enough for 10-15 thousand more atleast.

The fuel price effect :

Strangely, the most telling occurring during my ownership period has been the rapid escalation in prices of the elite fuel. From Rs.53 odd during purchase of the vehicle in October 2010, we have bought petrol for almost Rs.78/liter in 20 months. This means that our monthly budget has gone for a toss. To add to the insult, the missus' dwellings has been shifted even 6 kms further. Initially, I tried the low rev, quick up-shift, sedate driving method to better the Fuel efficiency. That took a serious toll on driving pleasure and the savings were nominal. Infact, on most occasions, I ended up lugging the engine. So, one fine morning, decided to give up on conserving fuel and enjoy driving a petrol car for as long as I could afford. Revved a bit more, up-shifted at 2.5-3k RPMs and the vehicle feels so much more different altogether. Lesson learnt, this chevy needs to be pushed hard to enjoy. Once, you have junked the FE addiction for good, you start to look forward to the "drive to work" in the mornings. The hit on the pocket? Zilch! Nil! The car has returned an average FE of 13.09 kmpl with 60% A.C. usage throughout. That is more or less the same as i used to get with conservative/boring driving.
The only way out here is to buy a per-worshiped diesel, but even that is too dear nowadays. A few thoughts of exchanging with a Diesel Beat did cross my mind, but those were vague and easily overwhelmed by my attachment with my chevy.

No mentionable accessories were added during this time, apart from an el-cheapo vinyl job on the hood but i do plan to get an audio upgrade and few cosmetic mods done in this month.

Let's get straight into the A.$.$ encounters, cost of service and repairs :


1. 5th Service (Longia Motors) : Just past 20,000 kilometers on the Odometer, the front brake pads gave up. A chiming noise from the front meant that the car was headed straight for the workshop. Like father like son (referring to Cruze's brake pad wear issue). After a scaring quote of INR 2000 for the brake pad replacement, the bill was settled at INR 700. That, alongwith the routine 20k service and brake bleeding charges the final bill was still southwards of INR 2k. One more satisfactory and effortless visit to the A.$.$.

2. 6th Service (Longia Motors) : It was 25,000 kilometers on the Odo, and i knew where I was headed. With due credit to Chevy, the car has been niggle free. Apart from a dip in AC cooling performance, nothing needed to be looked into. However, there could be no reason to justify skipping a scheduled service check. Instructed a long overdue pollen filter replacement. As this was supposed to be a low cost (labor + fluid top-ups only) service, I finally gave in to their long time(repetitive) request for a 3M Interior Enrichment treatment for a sum of INR 1k+taxes and what a rip-off that turned out to be! I would have been glad if they had not done anything and taken my money. Long story short, the roof moldings were a bit dirty, as the car is only a city runabout. Typically i use a brush and a vacuum cleaner to keep it clean, but had not managed to do the cleaning for a month and a half. To my utter disbelief, the "experts" in 3M shirts had applied some solution to the roof molding without brushing off the dust first! Now, i'm left with a perpetual grey roof molding. Nothing special was seemingly done to the other interior upholstery as well, even the pillar claddings were not cleaned. Anyway, lesson learnt, car cleaning and polishing is best done at home(by yourself), that way it's economical and very satisfying.

3. 7th Service (Longia Motors) : The 30,000 kilometer service was slated to be an important one. Lots of scheduled replacements, not a major overhaul, but still supposed to be the costliest service yet. The owner's guide provided all the information relating to parts/fluids/oils that needed periodical replacement. The car had no issues to report apart from an accidental damage(will be discussed below). Without much ado, headed to the trusted Longia Motors with a photocopy of the owner's manual(relevant pages only). Had a long meeting with my SA(now be-friended) regarding the nature of work to be carried out. I was given a very patient hearing followed by a detailed description and estimated cost breakup of individual jobs over coffee.
One odd thing that had struck me during the stint between 29,000kms onwards, was that the engine oil level had fallen drastically, even below the minimum mark and it had a weird color to it. As neither had happened between the 0-15,000 km stint, I suspected less amount of oil had been filled during the 15k service. Notified the SA about the same and got the already anticipated reply – "Sir, there may have been change in driving pattern/conditions". Did not pursue further, hoping that bringing up the topic itself would work as a deterrent for them to stay away from such Mal-practices(if any), atleast in my case.
Work was done as per schedule and some more. Paid INR 4500 in total including some voluntary replacements including wiper blades, couple of lamps, the pollen filter(was replaced without consent). Along with the carb, got the fuel tank cleaned as well. Car was returned in pristine condition the same day and now feels smooth as silk.
Overall, quite satisfied with both the quality as well as the reasonable cost of upkeep of my chevy.


4. The Accidental damage & repairs(Longia Motors):
On a fateful day in June 2012, i got caught up in between one of the notorious private bus showdowns. One of the errant buses hit my car resulting in damage to the rear left quarter panel. The rear door escaped with less than an inch long scratch(very light).
The car also had a big bad ding right below the LHS ORVM on the left front door, which happened almost a year ago, while an elderly lady suddenly decided to open the right rear door of her Wagon-R in slow moving traffic. I had been living with the dent for so long, but now, with the new damage, the missus ordered for a repair job.
So, during the 30k service, got the damage assessed at the workshop and got a quote of INR 3k per panel(inclusive of taxes) for the repair job. It was made clear that they could not claim insurance for the old damage (rust issues). Ran some quick calculations and promptly decided not to claim insurance. Why it did not make sense to claim insurance? Here goes :
(i) Cost of repairs(2 panels) : 3000 x 2 = 6000 (without insurance)
Insurance Coverage( 1 panel) = 3000
Processing Charges(claim) = 1000
Depreciation(on paint)(2 panels) = 400
Cost of repair(if claimed) = 4400 (with insurance)
The cost difference of Rs.1,600 can never justify losing out on the NCB which would complete 2 years this September, &

(ii) The car is our daily runabout, a single day without the car means lots of hassles and adjustments. Not claiming insurance would result in the car being delivered quickly.

Finally gave the car for repairs. The light scratch on the rear door was too small for a Rs.3,000/- repair job. A decent polishing job at home would take care of it. Therefore, only the front left door and the rear left quarter-panel was ordered to be repaired. I was promised delivery in 3 days which was good enough. Claiming insurance would have increased that to a week!


The inevitable goof-up: I had been having a dream run with Chevy A.$.$. and with all sorts of horror stories( at A.$.$.) doing the rounds, i knew, reality will catch up with me sooner or later. While the S.A. and most other staff at Longia are very friendly, honest and helpful, the person entrusted to deal with accidental repair cases seemed to be quite indifferent and rowdy. While i was being taken to him by my friendly S.A., he was seen having a rough altercation with another customer in an outrageous tone. Very apprehensively i approached him and surprisingly, he started with me in the same tone. Me, well, being myself, walked right out and asked the S.A. if there is anyone else i could talk to, as that chap doesn't seem worth interacting with. Few minutes of wait, and that same chap, came up and relatively calmly walked me to my car and started blabbering about the benefits of claiming insurance even after repeatedly being told that I was not interested in making the claim. He even tried revising his original quote(almost doubling it) as a persuasive measure. Finally, after a stern and resolute "take it or leave it" offer to the S.A., my car was taken in for repairs at the original quote.

As you sow, so you reap :Three long days pass, and i call up my S.A. in the morning to know the status. I was pleasantly informed that the car has been repaired and was undergoing some sort of tests which were supposedly mandatory after body jobs. Once the tests get over, the regular cleaning job will be done and the car will be ready for delivery by 2 P.M. I follow up with a call at around 1 P.M. Informing them that I would pick up the car at 4 P.M. I was assured, that the vehicle was all ready for delivery.
3:45P.M., I get a call from Longia, and lo behold, it is that same smarty repair job guy, now toned down and so very submissive. And he purrs the dreadful words – "sir, there has been a mistake. I had made an error in the job card and instead of the front left door, the rear left door has been repaired. Please let us keep the car for one more day and please pay Rs.3000 more so that we can also repair the front left door". Now that was a shocker! I was being asked to pay Rs.3,000 for mending a tiny hairline scratch, which was repaired by mistake at the A.$.$. I tell him that I'm on my way to the workshop and will only discuss with the seniors. He tries to dissuade me by telling me that the car was in their other workshop, still being worked upon. Without paying heed I walked right into the workshop and my car was there alright. As soon as i entered he comes rushing to me, pleading that the amount would be deducted from his salary and the likes, tried a lot of tricks, blasted me with more lies and other rubbish. But I would have none of it and walked up straight to the workshop manager's chamber along with my trusted S.A.

The speedy and amicable redressal : Not surprisingly, the workshop manager had been kept in the dark. When told about the incident, he acknowledged the mistake and apologized like a true professional. Without wasting any time, he straightaway asked me how I wished the matter to be resolved! I tell him, that I would pay only for the rear quarter panel(Rs.3,000) and leave, I do not want the left front door to be repaired. He explained to me how problematic it would be for him to revise an already generated bill and offered me to get the front door repaired free of cost . Now this was a fair offer. They were ready to make amends and i should give them the opportunity. The car is delivered next day as promised with all the three panels spotlessly repaired( for the price of two) and gleaming. They were also kind enough to do touch up jobs on the front and rear bumpers. At the end of the day, as a 9GAG er would say : "Faith in Longia Motors, Restored!"

This chevy has been a faithful companion for the 30,000 kilometers, and hopefully it will remain good for many more.

The customary pictures follows:

[Daewood]

Your car looks cool with that black shading job on the bonnet.

Originally Posted by mi2n

Revved a bit more, up-shifted at 2.5-3k RPMs and the vehicle feels so much more different altogether. Lesson learnt, this chevy needs to be pushed hard to enjoy.

In roads with less traffic, it's pure pleasure to drive this car in 3rd gear.
It pulls effortlessly till 4k RPM covering speeds from 20kmph to 70kmph.