An Aveo 1.4 Review

arup10 · 14th August 2007, 15:57

Initial Impression - 100 kms driven

Exterior:

The colour of my car is Cashmere and it looks pretty handsome in this shade. Have seen quite a few Aveos in the colour lately. The build quality is
good and the doors being resaonably heavy close with a resounding thud. Overall the car looks and feel quite solid.

Interiors:

I must say that the interior of the car is indeed one of the best in the class, if not the best. The quality of the plastics used is very good when compared to the other cars in its segment (Ikon, Logan, SX4) that I considered before buying. The dual tone interiors (black and beige) give the car a classy look. The new speedometer/tachometer cluster looks fantastic at night with a combination of green backlight and glowing red dials.
Space is generous with enough room to stretch your legs in the front as well as at the back. I would say, its similar to the Honda City, maybe an inch less.

Performance (Engine, Gearbox, Brakes, AC, Suspension):

Engine - The engine feels very silet when turned on and unlike the 1.6 logan that i tested sometime back, there is no vibration felt through the gear stick. The engine feels very smooth as the car gains momentum and the smoothness is retained as you move to higher gears. It definitely feels smoother than the Zen and Baleno.
Since the car is new, I have not pushed it beyond 2500 rpm in any gear and have only reached to 80-85 kms/hr on the DND Flyway.
The torque is very good and the car has no problem going at 35-40 kms in the 4th gear. The engine pulls well and is quite eager to respond the accelerator.
But the car does feel a litle sluggish below 1800 rpm in the 2nd gear with the AC on, however, once the needle moves above 2000 rpm, the engine feels eager to move ahead. I have read that this is a VGIS characteristic but I am a tad disappointed with this behaviour. Will report this when I take it for the 1st checkup after 1000 kms.

Gearbox - The new gearbox is much better that the previous one. The shift quality is much improved with the movements being direct. The earlier shifts were vague and notchy. So, I feel GM has done a reasonably good job with the gear box which was much needed.

Brakes- I feel that there is slight vibrations when I try to decelerate from a reletively high speed. I am not sure if its a problem with all aveos or its just the case with my car. Otherwise brakes are quite effective. I guess the 185/60 Bridgestone Turanza also support the brakes pretty well.

Air conditioning - is up to the mark and one can feel the chill very soon. I would say that the effectiveness of the AC can be compared to my baleno which is saying quite a lot.

Suspension - The suspension does a very good job of soaking the uneven roads and potholes of the city. The gas filled shockers are more silent than my friends Fiesta. Overall, they perform up to my expectations.

Fuel Efficiency:

Haven’t calculated the mileage yet. Got it filled (auto cut) yesterday, so will report about her drinking habits soon.

Overall:

I am very happy with the car. Will post more updates and I dive it more.

Arup

benbsb29 · 14th August 2007, 16:01

Arup, good that your enjoying the car. Do post some pics of the car too. That would help make the review more complete,

jkdas · 14th August 2007, 16:29

Just saw one with the same color as yours. Aveo does looks great inside /outside. If only the engine/gearshift problam was sorted earlier by GM it could have done better sales.

Does it also come with Hankook tyres as the one I saw has those on it.

kumar25rs · 14th August 2007, 16:36

Hey arup
That was quite comprehensive and congrats on your new car buddy.Aveo is better VFM compared to other cars in this segment.Do post some pictures.Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences

--Kumar--

arup10 · 14th August 2007, 17:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkdas

Just saw one with the same color as yours. Aveo does looks great inside /outside. If only the engine/gearshift problem was sorted earlier by GM it could have done better sales.

Does it also come with Hankook tyres as the one I saw has those on it.

I Agree.

AFAIK the initial lot of Aveos had Goodyear footware but now all Aveos I suppose come with Turanza.

arup10 · 14th August 2007, 17:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Arup, good that your enjoying the car. Do post some pics of the car too. That would help make the review more complete,

Quote:

Originally Posted by kumar25rs

Hey arup
That was quite comprehensive and congrats on your new car buddy.Aveo is better VFM compared to other cars in this segment.Do post some pictures.Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences

--Kumar--

Thanks, did not get time to take snaps, holiday coming up so I'll post pics soon.

nirmalts · 14th August 2007, 22:19

Nice review Arup.

The sluggishness below 1800 rpm is due to VGIS and I dont think you would manage to fix it during service. I got used to it now and doesn't appear a problem to me anymore.

One additional change in the new Aveo is the rear seat arm rest with cup holders.

I am getting FE of 11 in city and 16.8 on highway.

Nirmal

Nirmal

arup10 · 15th August 2007, 20:46

Will post more soon.

kamy450 · 16th August 2007, 12:44

Arup superb pics and dashing looks good choice mate. Enjoy your car and lets know where ever u need our suggestions

arup10 · 16th August 2007, 12:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamy450

Arup superb pics and dashing looks good choice mate. Enjoy your car and lets know where ever u need our suggestions

Thanks Kamy, would appreciate if you could comment on my take on the Brakes of the car. Did/does you car have the same issue?

kamy450 · 16th August 2007, 13:03

yeah initially i faced a bit problem in barkes but later on say after 10 days when i covered 1000 kms i felt its gone and same was toldto me by Service centre folks

arup10 · 16th August 2007, 13:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamy450

yeah initially i faced a bit problem in barkes but later on say after 10 days when i covered 1000 kms i felt its gone and same was toldto me by Service centre folks

Okay, i hope mine gets okay too. I have also seen that when the car is on a slope (downhill) the brakes kind of make a screeching noise when I gradually release them.

abhilashvk · 16th August 2007, 13:15

Congats Dude ! I love the looks of Aveo.

Is this the new one with improved interiors that GM launched last week. I was made to understand that Chevy has improved on the plastics, Gear box and better NVH insulation.

Also initial 1.4 s never had the chrome strip at the rear, only 1.6 had -
(rear garnish sort). was it an extra fitment?

kamy450 · 16th August 2007, 13:16

ok then u gotta see your Service station and let them know on this, Probably disk alignment issue.

akash_m · 16th August 2007, 13:17

Hey Arup, Beautiful car! Does the teddy placed inside the car come as freebie with Chevy cars? I have seen it in many Aveos and Optras. Pl clarify..

14th August 2007, 15:57	#1
arup10 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 85 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	An Aveo 1.4 Review Initial Impression - 100 kms driven Exterior: The colour of my car is Cashmere and it looks pretty handsome in this shade. Have seen quite a few Aveos in the colour lately. The build quality is good and the doors being resaonably heavy close with a resounding thud. Overall the car looks and feel quite solid. Interiors: I must say that the interior of the car is indeed one of the best in the class, if not the best. The quality of the plastics used is very good when compared to the other cars in its segment (Ikon, Logan, SX4) that I considered before buying. The dual tone interiors (black and beige) give the car a classy look. The new speedometer/tachometer cluster looks fantastic at night with a combination of green backlight and glowing red dials. Space is generous with enough room to stretch your legs in the front as well as at the back. I would say, its similar to the Honda City, maybe an inch less. Performance (Engine, Gearbox, Brakes, AC, Suspension): Engine - The engine feels very silet when turned on and unlike the 1.6 logan that i tested sometime back, there is no vibration felt through the gear stick. The engine feels very smooth as the car gains momentum and the smoothness is retained as you move to higher gears. It definitely feels smoother than the Zen and Baleno. Since the car is new, I have not pushed it beyond 2500 rpm in any gear and have only reached to 80-85 kms/hr on the DND Flyway. The torque is very good and the car has no problem going at 35-40 kms in the 4th gear. The engine pulls well and is quite eager to respond the accelerator. But the car does feel a litle sluggish below 1800 rpm in the 2nd gear with the AC on, however, once the needle moves above 2000 rpm, the engine feels eager to move ahead. I have read that this is a VGIS characteristic but I am a tad disappointed with this behaviour. Will report this when I take it for the 1st checkup after 1000 kms. Gearbox - The new gearbox is much better that the previous one. The shift quality is much improved with the movements being direct. The earlier shifts were vague and notchy. So, I feel GM has done a reasonably good job with the gear box which was much needed. Brakes- I feel that there is slight vibrations when I try to decelerate from a reletively high speed. I am not sure if its a problem with all aveos or its just the case with my car. Otherwise brakes are quite effective. I guess the 185/60 Bridgestone Turanza also support the brakes pretty well. Air conditioning - is up to the mark and one can feel the chill very soon. I would say that the effectiveness of the AC can be compared to my baleno which is saying quite a lot. Suspension - The suspension does a very good job of soaking the uneven roads and potholes of the city. The gas filled shockers are more silent than my friends Fiesta. Overall, they perform up to my expectations. Fuel Efficiency: Haven’t calculated the mileage yet. Got it filled (auto cut) yesterday, so will report about her drinking habits soon. Overall: I am very happy with the car. Will post more updates and I dive it more. Arup
	() Thanks

14th August 2007, 16:01	#2
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,969 Thanked: 13,231 Times View My Garage	Arup, good that your enjoying the car. Do post some pics of the car too. That would help make the review more complete,
	() Thanks

14th August 2007, 16:29	#3
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	Just saw one with the same color as yours. Aveo does looks great inside /outside. If only the engine/gearshift problam was sorted earlier by GM it could have done better sales. Does it also come with Hankook tyres as the one I saw has those on it.
	() Thanks

14th August 2007, 16:36	#4
kumar25rs Newbie Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London Posts: 12 Thanked: 7 Times	Hey arup That was quite comprehensive and congrats on your new car buddy.Aveo is better VFM compared to other cars in this segment.Do post some pictures.Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences --Kumar--
	() Thanks

14th August 2007, 22:19	#7
nirmalts BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Stuttgart, Germ Posts: 252 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	Nice review Arup. The sluggishness below 1800 rpm is due to VGIS and I dont think you would manage to fix it during service. I got used to it now and doesn't appear a problem to me anymore. One additional change in the new Aveo is the rear seat arm rest with cup holders. I am getting FE of 11 in city and 16.8 on highway. Nirmal Nirmal
	() Thanks

15th August 2007, 20:46	#8
arup10 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 85 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Pictures Will post more soon.
	() Thanks

16th August 2007, 12:44	#9
kamy450 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 244 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Arup superb pics and dashing looks good choice mate. Enjoy your car and lets know where ever u need our suggestions
	() Thanks

16th August 2007, 13:03	#11
kamy450 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 244 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	yeah initially i faced a bit problem in barkes but later on say after 10 days when i covered 1000 kms i felt its gone and same was toldto me by Service centre folks
	() Thanks

16th August 2007, 13:15	#13
abhilashvk BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore/Calic Posts: 367 Thanked: 32 Times View My Garage	Congats Dude ! I love the looks of Aveo. Is this the new one with improved interiors that GM launched last week. I was made to understand that Chevy has improved on the plastics, Gear box and better NVH insulation. Also initial 1.4 s never had the chrome strip at the rear, only 1.6 had - (rear garnish sort). was it an extra fitment?
	() Thanks

16th August 2007, 13:16	#14
kamy450 BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 244 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	ok then u gotta see your Service station and let them know on this, Probably disk alignment issue.
	() Thanks

16th August 2007, 13:17	#15
akash_m BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noida Posts: 257 Thanked: 101 Times	Teddy? Hey Arup, Beautiful car! Does the teddy placed inside the car come as freebie with Chevy cars? I have seen it in many Aveos and Optras. Pl clarify..
	() Thanks