[AirWind]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Frankly I asked this question on space comparo a couple of times on this forum and people who have TD'ed these cars [including GTO] came back and answered that space in Beat is in the same league as Ritz / Swift. The car "looks" cramped because of dark interiors and also the rear door design.

I have been driving a Swift for the past 5 yrs, after my TD of Beat, I can say for sure, space is at a premium both front and rear vis-a-vis Swift or Ritz. Moreover the road view for the driver is better in Swift or Ritz compared to Beat. The interiors are funky but so is that of the Ritz (Swift pales in comparison)

[fangface]

Originally Posted by AirWind

I have been driving a Swift for the past 5 yrs, after my TD of Beat, I can say for sure, space is at a premium both front and rear vis-a-vis Swift or Ritz. Moreover the road view for the driver is better in Swift or Ritz compared to Beat. The interiors are funky but so is that of the Ritz (Swift pales in comparison)

I would have to disagree with your assessment of the rear space. The Swift and Ritz are pretty cramped in the back seat as far as leg room is concerned. The Beat is more spacious in the back. But with storage space, i guess the Ritz is a pretty nifty car with lots of space to store stuff.

Road view is something that needs getting used to, but you probably feel that way because of the high set dashboard compared to the marutis.

[Urban_Nomad]

I cannot wait for August to get over and then compare sales of Figo vs Beat. IMO, GM has goofed up (a bit) as far as pricing is concerned and it will inevitabely push people towards the Figo, which always was a well rounded VFM product (which will only look all the more VFM now).

Place your bets ladies & gentlemen. I say come 1st Sep 2011, Figo outsells the Beat 2 : 1.5

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

Place your bets ladies & gentlemen. I say come 1st Sep 2011, Figo outsells the Beat 2 : 1.5

Doubt this, if the excitement of Chevy sales guys are to go with, Beat will outsell the Figo which is selling ~5000 units a month.

Have already heard that the waiting period is around 6 months with a dealer in Kerala.

Edit:: The July sales show Beat @ 5240 against Figo @ 5273. Assuming this was majorly due to the diesel launch dispatches [TD cars & demo cars?], the coming months should prove the data clearly. My vote is for Beat though.

[Mr.Beat]

Originally Posted by Urban_Nomad

I cannot wait for August to get over and then compare sales of Figo vs Beat. IMO, GM has goofed up (a bit) as far as pricing is concerned and it will inevitabely push people towards the Figo, which always was a well rounded VFM product (which will only look all the more VFM now).

Place your bets ladies & gentlemen. I say come 1st Sep 2011, Figo outsells the Beat 2 : 1.5

GM might have goofed up with the pricing of the LT(O) variant a little. Even then, i believe Beat:Figo will be close to 1:1. More sales of Beat have always been because of a very VFM LT variant. Both cars are very different and appeal to very different consumers. Mileage of 24 Kmpl is a big plus for the Beat

[AvonA7]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Have already heard that the waiting period is around 6 months with a dealer in Kerala.

Edit:: The July sales show Beat @ 5240 against Figo @ 5273. Assuming this was majorly due to the diesel launch dispatches [TD cars & demo cars?], the coming months should prove the data clearly. My vote is for Beat though.

Did a test drive for ~04 Kms within city limits, congested city roads. So, cannot comment much about the car. However, TD experience was quite good, easy manoeuvrability, not much sound/vibration noticed, decent music system, gear shift could have been better. 3 years/01 lacs kms warranty standard, 03 yrs free maintenance package to be bought separately - 15k INR, synthetic oil.

IMO, a very good city car, hhmmm probably priced 25K more.

Feature wise its good, ACC is pretty good, rear seat is for 02 people, max. 2.5, 3 will be a bit uncomfortable, boot --> very small, but 60:40 etc options probably make up for it.

One of the Chevy dealer @Pune, Beat Diesel, LT --> delivery within 15 days (verbal confirmation), 25K booking amount, full refund on cancellation.

Not sure about future sales nos. w.r.t. Figo, however, as per Team-BHP reviews, Beat Petrol as of now doesn't have many issues reported. Yes, I do remember a serious incident of broken axle (if I remember correctly).

However, for Figo, there is an ongoing thread mentioning about some serious issues with car stalling. Please... No offence to Figo, these informations are quoted from Team-BHP reviews only.

[oxyzen]

Originally Posted by AvonA7

Not sure about future sales nos. w.r.t. Figo, however, as per Team-BHP reviews, Beat Petrol as of now doesn't have many issues reported. Yes, I do remember a serious incident of broken axle (if I remember correctly).

Although a year is too early to comment, but I have not faced any issues so far. Quality is top notch (considering the price you pay). and Chevy is not really known for niggles.

[fangface]

got my Beat LT (o) on saturday, its been a bit of an adventure so far! Sad to report that already had my first scrape with a 2 wheeler :(

Wanted to point out to everyone that the car DOES have a Glow Plug indicator on the central console display, but you will only see it the first time you cold start it, after that with a warm engine it does not come on at all. The other indicator lamp on the central console is the 'water in fuel' lamp that comes on and goes off every time the car starts.

Have driven ~300km so far already.. its been good. Smooth running, comfy, will post more in a detailed post later!

[myavu]

Originally Posted by fangface

got my Beat LT (o) on saturday, its been a bit of an adventure so far! Sad to report that already had my first scrape with a 2 wheeler :(

Congratulation and welcome to Beat family (though with a different heart).

Post some nice pics inside out and pen down a detailed review after clocking some decent kms with her.

Cheers!

Vinu

[darksoul]

Originally Posted by fangface

got my Beat LT (o) on saturday, its been a bit of an adventure so far! Sad to report that already had my first scrape with a 2 wheeler :(

Awesome, H! Please post pics and an start an initial ownership thread. Would like to know more about the car's highway manners.

[salbin]

Originally Posted by fangface

got my Beat LT (o) on saturday, its been a bit of an adventure so far! Sad to report that already had my first scrape with a 2 wheeler :(

Congratulations on becoming the first TBHPian to own a Beat Diesel.
Sorry to hear about the scratch. It hurts everyone especially when the car is new.
Please put a detailed review with pics - that will be the first Beat D ownership review thread.

[dish]

Test drove Beat Diesel. Good ride quality and well controlled noise for a 3 cylinder diesel. Back seat is claustrophobic. Found Ritz diesel a better overall package in comparison to Beat diesel. went ahead and booked a Ritz VDI ABS

[fangface]

Originally Posted by salbin

Congratulations on becoming the first TBHPian to own a Beat Diesel.
Sorry to hear about the scratch. It hurts everyone especially when the car is new.
Please put a detailed review with pics - that will be the first Beat D ownership review thread.

@myavu, darksoul, salbin - Thank you!

Will put up an initial ownership thread soon with pics (not very great pics though!)

Steering and responsiveness in congested bangalore traffic is great! This car is a major improvement over my Alto LXI. Have been driving it with the AC on for 95% of the time so far, by my rough calculations my mileage is ~17kmpl range with being stuck in bumper to bumper traffic with a lot of 1st and 2nd gear running and the AC on. Will refuel in the next couple of days and get an exact idea of the initial FE numbers.

Other initial notes -

• Climate control works well, the auto mode has a tendency to stick to outside air more than recirculation mode, i tend to keep turning on the recirculation more often.
• Steering is a delight to use in tight spots, effortless to park and maneuver.
• My tyres seem to have been overinflated on delivery, slightly bouncy ride but the gas filled shocks give a comfy ride. Will get the tyre pressure checked again. The standard recommended pressure is 34 psi for front and back.
• Music system works well, no complaints. A bit short on bass but clear at loud volumes. Controls are intuitive and convenient to use.
• Highway performance was good, drove it b/w mysore and bangalore. Hits the 90-100kmph mark without too much fuss and at approx 3k RPM. Engine does not seem strained at those speeds and can cruise in that range.
• Side mirrors have good range of visibility. Rear view mirror and rear view is below average for me, but the side mirrors compensate for that. I am now relying more on my side mirrors for parking and reversing.
• Rear leg space is good! Had 4 people in the car at all times and no complaints from the rear passengers.
• Regarding claustrophobic interiors - Subjective, has been talked to death. I have a white car and i actually like the grey interiors as a contrast to that. Not a problem for me.

More to come later as i use it more!

[psbali]

Took a TD of Beat D yesterday. The car is really good. Had never driven such a small car before so it felt really puny driving it around

Car Handles Well. Picks up really well. I hold a strong bias against EPS and absolutely hate them. But it felt good while driving Beat D. Got the the feeling of remaining in control. What was shocking that the car picked up in the 3rd gear on 500 rpm . This car will be really great for the ladies.

The showroom is on the highway so had to use the left bi-lane to get back to the showroom and the lane wasnt smooth at all. there were enough spots to test the suspension and I would say that it is indeed really good. Softly tuned but dosent hamper the handling in anyway.

The engine really struggles post 3000 rpm no doubt about that but it is not a matter of concern as it will act as a speed limiter. The engine sound is like music to my years but wont be for the majority of users.

As far as vibrations go. I kept my palm on the bonnet and asked the exec to revv the engine. There was controlled vibration on the bonnet but no vibration was felt on A-pillar and onward. Tried the same with interiors and even there I couldnt feel any sort of vibrations. The ACC reaches a min temp of 16' cel .

Though I had the impression that Beat- D got really good interiors sadly for me I wasnt impressed. But at 5.65 lacs what else can you expect. I may go for it in case Swift VDI crosses 6 lacs mark.

[NikhilReddy]

Though I have not test driven Chevrolet Beat Diesel, I am very sure this car is going to set a new bench mark in small car Diesel segment. This will be a favorite car and somewhat aspirational car for the younger generation. It has great features, cool looks to get right attention, nice road dynamics, decent build quality, Exceptional fuel economy and very well priced. Boot space is a compromise most of the buyers in this segment live with. We are far more creative in managing car space then buyers in other markets. Most of the buyers in this segment own cars thru installments and the overall package will look very attractive = installments + running cost + maintenance + resale [only time will determine this]

I strongly believe Chevy should come-up with creative and aggressive marketing strategy if they want to make this car a winner. Chevy always had decent products to offer but they never made it big. Beat Diesel launch is very well timed considering limited diesel options in small car segment and raising petrol prices pulling customers away from petrol cars. Hope Chevy gets the numbers they are aiming for.