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Old 7th December 2009, 19:20   #16
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Excellent review, reminds me of RITZ from front.

Any indications on price or lauch details? I guess the 2010 Autoexpo is going to be a game changer for small cars.
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:30   #17
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Good review...but I think I still prefer my Spark for its open and airy feel inside and the cute looks. Now, if the new engine was to power it, what a car it would be! Instead, I read that GM will offer it with a smaller 800 cc three pot.
One Spark USP is the feeling of big inside - spacious airy feel and mature ride - for the small outside. Has that been maintained in the Beat?

Last edited by Sawyer : 7th December 2009 at 19:49.
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:32   #18
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Amazing review again GTO, The rear door handle may surprise a lot of people while other might spend minutes searching for it.

Any clue about the Pricing?
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:35   #19
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Nice review, GTO. Is ABS available in the top variant as an option?

The front end styling does look rather aggressive. Complete opposite of the cute-sy smiley Spark. I wonder if that kind of styling will work in that segment. I find that neutral styling such as the i10's works the best. But the styling is definitely a differentiator. And I also bet that GM is going to shout out aloud from the roof tops about its ARAI topping fuel efficiency.

I am not a fan of the claustrophobic back seat. It turned me off big time in the Swift and it looks even worse in the Beat.

Any predictions on the monthly sales numbers?

Last edited by Gilead : 7th December 2009 at 19:40.
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:38   #20
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Excellent report GTO and a first !! I have not seen any reviews of the Beat yet. In fact I thought they would launch with a big bang in the Auto expo.

I think it's a possible medium seller. Not in the i10 / Swift category BUT will surely cause a small flutter in the highly competetive hatch segment.

The Boot Space is so Dissapointing !

No Dead pedal - another mistake.

Absolutlely fresh and stunning looking interiors / dash/ speedo.

Rear Handles look strange. Should have been glass in the 3rd quarter.

A white or a black Beat would look really hot with 175 tyres upsize and tints !
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:42   #21
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Great stuff GTO, these reviews are so comprehensive. The car looks pretty decent, I can picture it in white with some neat alloys and tints

The boot space really is bad though. Lack of seat height adjustment is also a disappointment.

btw, no video this time?
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:44   #22
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Please tell me this car has ABS???

What else is missing in terms of features compared to i10/Ritz apart from Keyless entry and steering mounted audio controls?
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:48   #23
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Of course the top-end has ABS! Will reply to the rest of the comments in a bit.
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:53   #24
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Superb Review GTO. The Beat styling will take some time adjust. Otherwise it is good. As GTO said, a diesel engine is missing at launch. And automatic.
Good thing is GM is offering Airbags as option. GM should offer Automatic in Cruze as well as Beat. Pricing will be a key factor.
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Old 7th December 2009, 19:59   #25
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Excellent review. I somehow find team-bhp reviews better than Autocar. I think, the sections like 'Small Yet Sgnificant things', 'Other Points' make a great difference.
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Old 7th December 2009, 20:00   #26
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Amazing review as always! Thanks a lot!
I love the Beat! It's 'concept' car looks make it one of the sexiest hatches in the country. Very contemporary design both in and out. I think there will be many buyers who'll just go for this car because it was feature in Transformers 2!
The dashboard has a neat design and the instrument cluster is again very 'concept' like. The bike like tacho looks great. The plastic quality seems to be pretty good as compared to the rest of the competition.
The rear does seem to be claustrophobic with that rear door handle placed instead of the quarter window. It does look nice from the outside but the passengers at the back might not like that 'blacked' quarter window. Also, the tires beg for an upgrade. Ride quality will surely improve with fatter rubber.

P.S: Isn't the Chevy Beat designed by our very own D.C? I remmember reading it somewhere long time back when this car was in concept stage.
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Old 7th December 2009, 20:02   #27
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Fantastic review there. As usual even the smallest bit has been covered.

Need to see how this car fares against the established i10 and others.
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Old 7th December 2009, 20:08   #28
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As always, nice review GTO. This should churn up pretty good numbers as a nice city ride. Plonk in a diesel and it could do wonders. It does look quite funky and will be a hit among youngsters.

how is ground clearance and rear viiew especially with the small rear glass.
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Old 7th December 2009, 20:10   #29
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Great review there GTO, good to see the acknowledgement of all those car makers for team bhp

Just saw the review yesterday by Siddarth on NDTV profit and was waiting for your detailed report. Ofcourse there was no mention of boot there. Otherwise, I somehow don't like the rear door handles, and if you are seated inside, I feel like it also blocks the light in. Otherwise, the car really looks good, both from the front and the back. Otherwise, need to see how this one performs in the market.

Cheers,
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Old 7th December 2009, 20:30   #30
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Thanks for the compliments, team.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar View Post
I was under the impression that this is a 2 door hatchback
You aren't the first one, I can tell you that!

Quote:
Originally Posted by TOR View Post
styling is such a breath of fresh air!
Key point again is "differentiation".

Quote:
access to the chubby hole in the front of the gear console would be difficult if the two bottle holders are indeed holding bottles.
Good observation.

Quote:
is there a means to decrease the brightness on the info display?
Nope.

Quote:
shiny trim might not be 'children friendly'!
It is a finger print magnet for sure. But looks real swell.

Quote:
Originally Posted by iceman7 View Post
How do you think this will be priced. OTR in Mumbai for the top model at 5 - 5.5l?
I'd say it will be priced a notch below the i10.

Quote:
Originally Posted by mmmjgm View Post
OT : Where in Rajasthan were the photos taken ?
How'd you guess it was Rajasthan? The pictures were shot in Jaipur.

Quote:
Originally Posted by hpzone View Post
Excellent review, reminds me of RITZ from front.
Now that you mention it, from some angles, it does remind me of the Ritz.

Quote:
I guess the 2010 Autoexpo is going to be a game changer for small cars.
Took the words right out of my mouth. Chevy Beat, VW Polo, Ford Figo (just after the expo)....its going to be absolute mayhem in the small car segment!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sawyer View Post
I read that GM will offer it with a smaller 800 cc three pot.
I've heard the same too. Will take the Spark to a lower price point, make it more fuel efficient and thus, higher volumes.

Quote:
Has that been maintained in the Beat?
Not the airy feel, but sure has decent ride quality.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gilead View Post
And I also bet that GM is going to shout out aloud from the roof tops about its ARAI topping fuel efficiency.
They already are

Quote:
Any predictions on the monthly sales numbers?
Hold it cowboy! Lets have the price on hand first.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vkochar View Post
A white or a black Beat would look really hot with 175 tyres upsize and tints !
Don't know about black, as one of the highlights of the design (the rear door handles) would get lost in a dark colour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by anekho View Post
btw, no video this time?
Not this time, but we'll make up.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vid6639 View Post
What else is missing in terms of features compared to i10/Ritz apart from Keyless entry and steering mounted audio controls?
Features I don't see on the Beat : Keyless entry, steering mounted controls, multi-info display (that obvious empty spot makes you miss one), drivers seat height adjustment, electric mirrors.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarvodaya View Post
GM should offer Automatic in Cruze as well as Beat. Pricing will be a key factor.
Suggestion made directly to the team in charge.

Quote:
Originally Posted by theragingbull View Post
The plastic quality seems to be pretty good as compared to the rest of the competition.
Yes, the car doesn't feel like it was built to a cost. You don't get that "cheap' feeling from the Beat.

Quote:
Originally Posted by grules View Post
how is ground clearance and rear viiew especially with the small rear glass.
As mentioned in the review, the small rear windscreen + backseat headrests lead to restricted rearward view.

Last edited by GTO : 7th December 2009 at 20:36.
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