[gupta_chd]

Originally Posted by GTO

• Horribly undertyred (155 mm width). An upgrade is a must

Can this also lead to void of guarantee? How to escape that?

[SPARKled]

With a new 800cc mill to do service on the Spark, looks like that the Spark will go the Alto VX route and will no longer come with the 1.0 litre engine in the near future. Looks like the next version of the Beat will be a stripped down version with a 1.0 litre engine to take on the IRDe I10, Santro, A-star and the likes powerd by 1.0 engines.

[vijaythacker]

Superb review GTO.Its a bold move by GM India and this car's design is surely for love and take it or hate and leave it thing for buyers.Rear doors handles are a unique thing to see.After ceeing premium hatchbacks in our market now, its good to see that manufacturers do look into giving quality products with better plastics and build.Although its shorter in space compared to say ritz or swift,i10.Hope they price it correctly to give some good competetion to rivals.Blue looked cool.

[DCEite]

The huge dash reminds me somewhat of the Jazz.
The rear bench and small window indicate that this was primarliy a 2 door hatchback, much like hte A-Star. However the legroom atleast from the pics looks better than the A-Star.

[wildon]

Superb review. Do you have the pics of folded down seats? for getting a view of extended boot. Is it flat bed ? Any pic of the releasing hooks of the back seats?

[HammerHead]

I had a chance to get into a base variant of Chevy beat a month back and IMO its big enough to accommodate 4 people. I felt the rear seat is short on under thigh support. Rear space is better than A-Star and it does look similar to Ritz in more than one angle, however IMHO overall it looks better then Ritz/A-star. The base variant has front power windows and sports the same digital console which is mounted on the steering column!

Somewhere here on TBHP I read GTO mentioning that Beat is based on Ritz platform?? and in some Auto magazines (I guess Overdrive) its mentioned that GM is working on a 1 Ltr 3-Cylinder diesel engine which they are trying to derive from Fiats 1.3 MJD by chopping off one cylinder! I had asked this to a person who actually is working on 1Ltr diesel engine R&D division and he told me that they are working on a all new 1Ltr diesel engine. He did confirm that its a 3-Cylinder one.

Also on some Auto show (I dont remember the name) on Saturday the lady who reviewed Beat said that the "Engine noise is too much for a Petrol car" and said that she though its a "Diesel engine"!!. Is this true?

[recshenoy]

very nice review GTO. off course it looks very punny with stock tires. with recommended tire upgrade, FE will definitely drop.

I did not like that sport bike like interior feel though. Any day i like the analog meters over flashy digital ones.




Too many cars in 1.2L segment. Are there any more cars planned for this 1.2L segment?

Ford Fiego,VW Polo maybe?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by gupta_chd

Can this also lead to void of guarantee? How to escape that?

Ah, that's the topic for an entirely different discussion. Please search (we've discussed it earlier).

Originally Posted by SPARKled

With a new 800cc mill to do service on the Spark

The 800cc engine will help the Spark to:

- compete at a lower price point
- become more fuel efficient
- differentiate even more vis a vis the Beat
- gain higher volumes

Originally Posted by vijaythacker

its good to see that manufacturers do look into giving quality products with better plastics and build.

Truly. The Beat does NOT feel like a cheap built to a cost car at all. Actually, even the Sparks built is pretty decent for the price. I think Koreans are managing the value equation well. Another example is the i10 : It's the lightest of the group (100 kilos lighter than the Beat, and 150 than the Ritz) still feels like the best in quality.

Originally Posted by DCEite

the legroom atleast from the pics looks better than the A-Star.

Is too. Legroom is a match for the i10.

Originally Posted by wildon

Do you have the pics of folded down seats?

Unfortunately not. But hey, hold on for a bit. Either I will source it out, or our ownership review threads will cover the same

Originally Posted by HammerHead

I had a chance to get into a base variant of Chevy beat a month back and IMO its big enough to accommodate 4 people. I felt the rear seat is short on under thigh support.

Your observations are absolutely in line with mine!

it does look similar to Ritz in more than one angle, however IMHO overall it looks better then Ritz/A-star.

I actually like the front of the Ritz. Its the rear that I have a problem with.

Somewhere here on TBHP I read GTO mentioning that Beat is based on Ritz platform??

Umm, nope wasn't me.

Originally Posted by recshenoy

with recommended tire upgrade, FE will definitely drop.

Precisely the reason for those 155 patch tyres.

Too many cars in 1.2L segment. Are there any more cars planned for this 1.2L segment?

The Figo and Polo, both will sport a 1.2 liter petrol variant for sure. And then, you have the class topper - The Swift - which is soon to benefit from that awesome Ritz 1.2.

[Dippy]

Thats a very detailed review GTO. GM seems to be carrying on with the trend of getting us cute hatches. It is nice to see that many styling cues have been carried forward from the Beat Concept which built sometime last year. I really liked the new age instrument cluster on the Beat, a refreshing change from what you see in any other car. I feel this most funky looking cluster in any Indian car along with the Civic. A redline would have definitely added colour to the smart looking tacho.

Its unfortunate that there is no height adjust even the top variant. It becomes very difficult for short drivers like me to look over the dash. I've had problems with old gen Indicas previously.

Even if the diesel is a year away, GM should definitely look to introduce the AT version of the Beat soon. The i10 AT is selling surprisingly well having the double advantage of being compact and an AT. A Beat with an autobox should give it some competition. Right now the i10 is the only small AT hatch available in the market ( I dont think the Wagon R AT is made any more, it anyways had a pathetic three speed box)

It will be interesting to see how GM prices the Beat against its own stablemate the Spark.

[suman]

GTO, comprehensive review as always. Hope the pricing is as good as the looks!

32 psi & puny tyres, well, they ain't making no bones about what they're aiming for, are they

Loved that blue color & the ORVMs folding the other way is definitely inspired by reality & "Made for India"!

[StarVegabond]

GM's compact car Beat to be priced at Rs 4-5 lakh
By Shweta Bhanot

General Motors India will launch its new compact small car, Chevrolet Beat, at the forthcoming Auto Expo in New Delhi in January. Currently, it has Spark and Aveo U-VA in the small car segment. The company has no plans to stop the sale of any existing models, but will repackage U-VA in the coming days and launch a low-end version of Captiva next year.

Powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine, the Beat is expected to be priced in the Rs 4-5 lakh bracket. The company also plans to launch a diesel variant of the car next year. Beat is sold in other markets as the new Spark. To make the car suitable for Indian conditions, the suspensions and powertrain of the Korean model have been changed. The car is pitted against the Maruti Swift, Ritz and Hyundai i10 in the market.

"We made a mistake with the pricing of Spark in the market. But Beat will be priced competitively and the price will speak for the product," said Karl Slym, president, General Motors India. He added that GM's Talegaon plant in Maharashtra will primarily cater to the production of Beat, while the currently produced Spark from the plant will be shifted to the company's plant at Halol, Gujarat.

Further, Slym expects the company to touch the two-lakh unit mark by 2012 from 70,000 units this year. The company sees growth coming from its new launches, including the soon-to-be-launched Beat and the light commercial vehicles and passenger cars it plans to get from its Chinese JV, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC).

"GM has of late gone overboard with offers on its products. The company should now re-think its pricing strategy and let the buyer bargain for a good deal," said an auto expert based in Chennai.

On the possibility of getting other GM brands to India, Slym said, "We plan to focus on the Chevrolet brand in the market. We have no time to think about other brands. However, the Cadillac brand has recognition in the Indian market."

In November, the company sold 7,118 units against 4,307 units in the same period last year. The November 2009 sales comprise 4,202 units of Chevrolet Spark, 1,264 units of Chevrolet Tavera, 524 units of Aveo U-Va, 412 units of Aveo, 518 units of Chevrolet Cruze, 114 units of Chevrolet Optra and 84 units of Chevrolet Captiva.

[tj123]

Good review GTO.
Going through the review I felt that there 3 impeding factors which can bog down the sales of this car
1. Cramped rear seats -4 adult seat instead of the usual 5
2. Comparatively smaller boots, even a Santro has a bigger boot.
3. GM brand its self does not exudes confidence in general.

Things which I liked
1. Good external styling & well finished dashboard.
2. Looks well built & solid.

Pricing should be compelling to attract potential customers from Maruti & Hyundai.

[Mr.Bangalore]

GTO that is a detailed and excelent review.

can i know if immobiliser is available in Beat?

[rohan_iitr]

Excellent review but disappointing car.

I would like to congratulate GM on creating their version of Maruti's A-star and carrying forward the same design mistakes:

- Low seat (with no height adjustment) and high dashboard affecting forward visibility for short drivers
- Poor rear visibility because of the small rear windshield
- Cramped Speedometer console
- Small rear windows, no quarter glass, low roof and dark interiors creating claustrophobic effect for the rear seat passengers
- Small boot (though not in the same league as A-star)
- Cramped rear seat, meant for 2 passengers only
- Bold styling, generally not accepted outside the metro cities

A-star is the only car I can see Beat compete with. Sales figure will speak for itself.

Just like A-star, Beat seems to be good to have as a second car in the family, but not as your only car.

Rohan,
Bangalore

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by GTO

Truly. The Beat does NOT feel like a cheap built to a cost car at all. Actually, even the Sparks built is pretty decent for the price. I think Koreans are managing the value equation well. Another example is the i10 : It's the lightest of the group (100 kilos lighter than the Beat, and 150 than the Ritz) still feels like the best in quality.

As far as I know, the i10 Kappa 1.2 weighs in at more than 950 kgs. Not much off Beat I suppose.