Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

da.maulik · 26th February 2010, 22:53

I dont have words to thank you sir, I started with a thought to buy some second hand car just as a spare cuz I m already having a Maruti Zen. I started from the cheapest 2nd hand car & Fiat Palio came 1st almost in 55000. Then some relatives suggested to get a fresh & new 1. I was still wanting to get a better 2nd hand car. For almost 5 weeks I searched for a good second hand & then turned to some Sedan.

one fine night, as usual I was finding used cars & read some reviews on this site & got to know that so many better hatchbacks r coming on the way. Seen an Ad of Chevrolet beat on a magazine. Then set my mind to buy a new 1. But which 1????
Maruti always comes 1st in thoughts cuz we are already having 1. A decent n very loyal Zen.

So, I set my mind on maruti Wagon R, New Fiat Palio, Hyundai I10, SWIFT, Chevrolet Spark, Maruti Ritz & BEAT. Because I m 6'2" with a heavy body, I always insisted to get a heighted 1 & a specious 1 to drive. I dint care about rear sitting. After reading alot of articles, reviews & comparisions, slowly slowly I turned to choose 1 in Wagon R(budget,resale & ease of use), Swift(style,fun & tours), & Beat(Freshness, experiment, style, FE,design, VFM & risk).

At this stage I was really confused as usual & dint find a way till I read GTO, a very elaborated review with pics, helped me to meet Chevy ppl & I tempted me for TD. I did the TD & fell in love with the BEAT.

I booked it instantly but ther was some price diff. & some rigid rules of chevy ppl turned my mind once again to Maruti. But finally after a lot of discussions & love for beat made me compromise to their conditoins & herez the Beat BLACK with me.

I know its a long & a bit boring story, but I wanted to share it for my satisfaction & excitement. I ll keep posting my views & driving experience at intervals if ppl here wont mind. THanx alot.

auto-one · 27th February 2010, 10:37

Congrats,da.maulik, on your purchase.

Nice car, nice colour indeed!!
I would appreciate if you could post the reasons that made you go for the BEAT . Also please do post more pics of your car.

da.maulik · 27th February 2010, 14:52

Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : SMS / Slang is STRICTLY prohibited on this community. We would much appreciate your using full & proper English in posts, for the benefit of other forum users.

Please view our board rules carefully before proceeding any further.

oxyzen · 27th February 2010, 17:12

Hello Everyone
I finally got my beat ls (Cocktail green) delivered. Thanks to the reviews of team-bhp which has greatly assisted in my decision. This is mainly for my dad who will be chauffer driven. He might also sit behind the wheels sometimes.
However none of us are willing to to hand over the new car to the driver.
After driving for 500 KM waiting to go for the 1st service which they said is a check up.

STYLING- (5/5)
It might be purely subjective. But i loved it both interiors and out. So did my friends. However parents did not find it that great. My grandmother hated it. Maybe its a car for the younger generation.
I'll say the only hatch that looks better from the outside than the beat is the PUNTO.
1) Front looks aggressive and extremely stylish.
2) Side view is also great. Has a kinda 2 door feeling.
3) Rear is also different but not as appealing as the other parts. The should have put the tail lamps that the concept version carried.
4) Get spoilt for colour choices.

INTERIORS- (4/5)
1) Quality of plastics is much better than maruti.
2) LT looks much better than LS & PS.
3) Speedometer & Digital tacho display is excellent. Although I would love to have an analog tacho.
4) Nice icy-blue lights on the instrument pannel.
5) Awkward power window position buttons.
6) Claustrophobic rear due to high window and door handle position.
7) Rear visibility isn't that great. (A trend for all the modern hatchbacks)
8) High Dashboard restricts front visibility for short drivers.

SPACE- (3/5)
1) With 4 people traveling there should not be any problem with space. But rear seat is not enough to accomodate 3.
2) However leg space is good.
3) Rear seats lack thigh support. Might not be good idea for long trips.
4) Lots of storage space all around.Bottles,coins,parking tickets can be easily kept.
5) Small boot.

PERFORMANCE- (3/5)
I have still not crossed 3000 RPM maybe thats why I have rated 2/5 in performance.
1) The car rolls well in 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear with the foot off the pedal.
2) Press the throttle and You feel the lack of punch at least till 2.5K rpm. (Waiting to complete the running in period and then test the ultimate performance.)
3) There is a bit of lag in the acceleration. Mainly at low speeds. (As already pointed out by vprodigy)

4) Performs better in 4th and 5th gears due to low gear ratios. Which means it is good for cities not so good for highways. Had the gearing in 5th was taller I would hardly be able to put it in 5th at city. However in highways the engine has to rev more for the same desired speed.
5) I have already cranked the running engine once thanks to ZERO NVH at idle.
6) Still waiting to see what happens at higher RPMs.
7) No power loss even with AC on.
8) No vibrations at the gear lever, steering. (Good work GM)
8) Lets come to the most important point for indian cutomers. FE. I am getting 17 KMpl. With AC on for about 30% time. Highway driving is only about 25%. This is however expected to improve after the running in. But I can assure you that once wou rev the engine hard you might get poor results.

HANDLING- (2/5)
1) I already own a ZEN.(not estillo). So when I say awful handling it means poor handling WRT ZEN. This car is definately not a handler. But its better than I10, Indica, WagonR, Estillo, Santro.
2) There is a huge amount od body roll at corners.
3) It also understeers. The car cries desparately for wider tyres.
4) Nose dives during hard braking.

RIDE- (4/5)
1) Handles the speed breakers really well.
2) Ride is better than the competetion.

BUILD QUALITY- (4/5)
1) The body feels strong. Should not be prone to rattles like the Swift.
2) Compact engine bay.
3) Body gap, level differences well maintained.

VALUE FOR MONEY- (6/5)
Do I need to clarify you get more than what you pay. It competes with Swift, Ritz, I10, Punto. But priced like A-star, wagonR, Santro, I10(IRDE).
Way to go GM.

Will keep you posted. Will have some photographs as well.

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Post Edited. Smilie usage is restricted to two per post on Team-BHP. Please refrain from using excessive smilies.

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rajivn · 27th February 2010, 18:07

Fantastic Initial Reports from new owners vprodigy, da.maulik and oxyzen

I am most impressed with FE figures. I think its fantastic. Most cases, FE figures will go up after initial run in for 1st service.

- Anyways mileage of 16 - 17 is fantastic and this one highlight can bring in more buyers for Beat.
- Only deal breaker I see is rear can accomodate only 2 comfortably.
- Definitely a better buy compared to A-star, i10, Estilo, Wagon-R and Santro.

da.maulik · 27th February 2010, 21:18

Well, I wrote a little & confusing one, so the moderators deleted mine

. But thats alright. I don't mind. Oxyzen, can we all make a thread for Beat Owners?
I m really eager to see the Cocktail green. The ad of Beat & all the Posters & all stuff are in Green. The Most happening colour. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by oxyzen

Hello Everyone
I finally got my beat ls (Cocktail green) delivered. Thanks to the reviews of team-bhp which has greatly assisted in my decision. This is mainly for my dad who will be chauffer driven. He might also sit behind the wheels sometimes.
================
Will keep you posted. Will have some photographs as well.

redlaw · 27th February 2010, 23:32

Hi

I just joined the team. Firstly, I would like to thank GTO for his wonderful review. Congratulations to all Beat owners and to those who booked one. I am waiting since a long time to share what I have related to Chevy Beat. I booked a Green Beat LT variant on Feb 5th at KUN Automobiles (Newly opened Kondapur Branch) Hyderabad . Its been 3 weeks and am still waiting on it.

I have not seen a green Beat photo in the forum so far. So I thought I would upload few pics I have taken during my TDs. I'll write a detailed post on my TD and showroom experiences later.

This is the TD vehicle.

erohit · 28th February 2010, 07:03

I am wondering is it BEAT excitement or people writing skills? vprodigy, da.maulik and oxyzen have written such a nice & detailed initial report on their dream beauty 'BEAT'. After reading it I am so tempted to go and buy one for myself. I am sure you guys are in sales field and are doing really great

Anyway congrats to all the BEAT owners. I am sure this car will never let you down. Great going GM.

da.maulik · 28th February 2010, 10:53

Hope, you will get it soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by redlaw

Hi

I just joined the team. Firstly, I would like to thank GTO for his wonderful review. Congratulations to all Beat owners and to those who booked one. I am waiting since a long time to share what I have related to Chevy Beat. I booked a Green Beat LT variant on Feb 5th at KUN Automobiles (Newly opened Kondapur Branch) Hyderabad . Its been 3 weeks and am still waiting on it.

I have not seen a green Beat photo in the forum so far. So I thought I would upload few pics I have taken during my TDs. I'll write a detailed post on my TD and showroom experiences later.

This is the TD vehicle.

quadmaniac · 28th February 2010, 11:56

Congrats to all BEAT owners!

Guys, have you tried out playing from the USB port on your BEAT? If so, from where did you get that mini-USB to USB converter that is required for the BEAT?

redlaw · 28th February 2010, 12:48

Hi Quadmaniac,

Try to get one from ebay.com (ebay.in doesn't have the right one). I am planning to buy one from there.

USB B 5pin Male -> USB A Female
USB A Female to Mini USB B 5 Pin Male Adapter Converter - eBay (item 320436482796 end time Mar-14-10 18:18:42 PDT)
USB A Female to Mini USB B 5 Pin Male Adapter Converter - eBay (item 180419512116 end time Mar-12-10 18:02:48 PST)

It takes a month to get the delivery as they send in normal post.
But any Beat owners, if they find it in local market please post the details.

vprodigy · 28th February 2010, 13:09

heres the treat to eyes

vprodigy · 28th February 2010, 13:15

here's the last one. others please post pics of your beat, any other colors

redlaw · 28th February 2010, 14:12

Nice pictures vProdigy, Black Beat is looking very cool.
I saw all colors except Linen Beige so far.

deeptrip · 28th February 2010, 14:12

Just received my Cocktail Green Beat LT after 38 days. It looks fabulous, a real head turner.
Good noise filtering in the cabin. I am 6' tall so haven't found a right combination of seat and steering adjustment yet. A little uncomfortable there. Rest, I vouch for every word that has been said for Beat in this thread.
I got a car cover, cigarette lighter,key chain, mud flaps and mats from the dealer.
I purchased Chevy leatherite seat covers and chevy door sills.

I could not find any beat accessories on website, but the dealer said they have received a few accessories. I don't know what's the deal with that.

26th February 2010, 22:53	#481
da.maulik BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bhuj Posts: 30 Thanked: 7 Times	Thanks alot GTO, I got my BEAT LT with the help of your review. I dont have words to thank you sir, I started with a thought to buy some second hand car just as a spare cuz I m already having a Maruti Zen. I started from the cheapest 2nd hand car & Fiat Palio came 1st almost in 55000. Then some relatives suggested to get a fresh & new 1. I was still wanting to get a better 2nd hand car. For almost 5 weeks I searched for a good second hand & then turned to some Sedan. one fine night, as usual I was finding used cars & read some reviews on this site & got to know that so many better hatchbacks r coming on the way. Seen an Ad of Chevrolet beat on a magazine. Then set my mind to buy a new 1. But which 1???? Maruti always comes 1st in thoughts cuz we are already having 1. A decent n very loyal Zen. So, I set my mind on maruti Wagon R, New Fiat Palio, Hyundai I10, SWIFT, Chevrolet Spark, Maruti Ritz & BEAT. Because I m 6'2" with a heavy body, I always insisted to get a heighted 1 & a specious 1 to drive. I dint care about rear sitting. After reading alot of articles, reviews & comparisions, slowly slowly I turned to choose 1 in Wagon R(budget,resale & ease of use), Swift(style,fun & tours), & Beat(Freshness, experiment, style, FE,design, VFM & risk). At this stage I was really confused as usual & dint find a way till I read GTO, a very elaborated review with pics, helped me to meet Chevy ppl & I tempted me for TD. I did the TD & fell in love with the BEAT. I booked it instantly but ther was some price diff. & some rigid rules of chevy ppl turned my mind once again to Maruti. But finally after a lot of discussions & love for beat made me compromise to their conditoins & herez the Beat BLACK with me. I know its a long & a bit boring story, but I wanted to share it for my satisfaction & excitement. I ll keep posting my views & driving experience at intervals if ppl here wont mind. THanx alot. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

27th February 2010, 10:37	#482
auto-one BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 237 Thanked: 13 Times	Congrats,da.maulik, on your purchase. Nice car, nice colour indeed!! I would appreciate if you could post the reasons that made you go for the BEAT . Also please do post more pics of your car.
	() Thanks

27th February 2010, 14:52	#483
da.maulik BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Bhuj Posts: 30 Thanked: 7 Times	THanx Post Deleted by the Team-BHP Support : SMS / Slang is STRICTLY prohibited on this community. We would much appreciate your using full & proper English in posts, for the benefit of other forum users. Please view our board rules carefully before proceeding any further. Last edited by GTO : 27th February 2010 at 19:26. Reason: See Mod Note in Post
	() Thanks

27th February 2010, 17:12	#484
oxyzen Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 1,050 Thanked: 394 Times	Hello Everyone I finally got my beat ls (Cocktail green) delivered. Thanks to the reviews of team-bhp which has greatly assisted in my decision. This is mainly for my dad who will be chauffer driven. He might also sit behind the wheels sometimes. However none of us are willing to to hand over the new car to the driver. After driving for 500 KM waiting to go for the 1st service which they said is a check up. STYLING- (5/5) It might be purely subjective. But i loved it both interiors and out. So did my friends. However parents did not find it that great. My grandmother hated it. Maybe its a car for the younger generation. I'll say the only hatch that looks better from the outside than the beat is the PUNTO. 1) Front looks aggressive and extremely stylish. 2) Side view is also great. Has a kinda 2 door feeling. 3) Rear is also different but not as appealing as the other parts. The should have put the tail lamps that the concept version carried. 4) Get spoilt for colour choices. INTERIORS- (4/5) 1) Quality of plastics is much better than maruti. 2) LT looks much better than LS & PS. 3) Speedometer & Digital tacho display is excellent. Although I would love to have an analog tacho. 4) Nice icy-blue lights on the instrument pannel. 5) Awkward power window position buttons. 6) Claustrophobic rear due to high window and door handle position. 7) Rear visibility isn't that great. (A trend for all the modern hatchbacks) 8) High Dashboard restricts front visibility for short drivers. SPACE- (3/5) 1) With 4 people traveling there should not be any problem with space. But rear seat is not enough to accomodate 3. 2) However leg space is good. 3) Rear seats lack thigh support. Might not be good idea for long trips. 4) Lots of storage space all around.Bottles,coins,parking tickets can be easily kept. 5) Small boot. PERFORMANCE- (3/5) I have still not crossed 3000 RPM maybe thats why I have rated 2/5 in performance. 1) The car rolls well in 1st, 2nd, 3rd gear with the foot off the pedal. 2) Press the throttle and You feel the lack of punch at least till 2.5K rpm. (Waiting to complete the running in period and then test the ultimate performance.) 3) There is a bit of lag in the acceleration. Mainly at low speeds. (As already pointed out by vprodigy) 4) Performs better in 4th and 5th gears due to low gear ratios. Which means it is good for cities not so good for highways. Had the gearing in 5th was taller I would hardly be able to put it in 5th at city. However in highways the engine has to rev more for the same desired speed. 5) I have already cranked the running engine once thanks to ZERO NVH at idle. 6) Still waiting to see what happens at higher RPMs. 7) No power loss even with AC on. 8) No vibrations at the gear lever, steering. (Good work GM) 8) Lets come to the most important point for indian cutomers. FE. I am getting 17 KMpl. With AC on for about 30% time. Highway driving is only about 25%. This is however expected to improve after the running in. But I can assure you that once wou rev the engine hard you might get poor results. HANDLING- (2/5) 1) I already own a ZEN.(not estillo). So when I say awful handling it means poor handling WRT ZEN. This car is definately not a handler. But its better than I10, Indica, WagonR, Estillo, Santro. 2) There is a huge amount od body roll at corners. 3) It also understeers. The car cries desparately for wider tyres. 4) Nose dives during hard braking. RIDE- (4/5) 1) Handles the speed breakers really well. 2) Ride is better than the competetion. BUILD QUALITY- (4/5) 1) The body feels strong. Should not be prone to rattles like the Swift. 2) Compact engine bay. 3) Body gap, level differences well maintained. VALUE FOR MONEY- (6/5) Do I need to clarify you get more than what you pay. It competes with Swift, Ritz, I10, Punto. But priced like A-star, wagonR, Santro, I10(IRDE). Way to go GM. Will keep you posted. Will have some photographs as well. Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Post Edited. Smilie usage is restricted to two per post on Team-BHP. Please refrain from using excessive smilies. We advise you to read the Announcements and Board Rules section before proceeding any further. Last edited by Dippy : 3rd March 2010 at 16:30. Reason: See note at the end of your post.
	() Thanks

27th February 2010, 18:07	#485
rajivn BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 332 Thanked: 33 Times	Fantastic Initial Reports from new owners vprodigy, da.maulik and oxyzen I am most impressed with FE figures. I think its fantastic. Most cases, FE figures will go up after initial run in for 1st service. - Anyways mileage of 16 - 17 is fantastic and this one highlight can bring in more buyers for Beat. - Only deal breaker I see is rear can accomodate only 2 comfortably. - Definitely a better buy compared to A-star, i10, Estilo, Wagon-R and Santro.
	() Thanks

27th February 2010, 23:32	#487
redlaw BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 31 Thanked: 0 Times	I booked a Green Beat LT Hi I just joined the team. Firstly, I would like to thank GTO for his wonderful review. Congratulations to all Beat owners and to those who booked one. I am waiting since a long time to share what I have related to Chevy Beat. I booked a Green Beat LT variant on Feb 5th at KUN Automobiles (Newly opened Kondapur Branch) Hyderabad . Its been 3 weeks and am still waiting on it. I have not seen a green Beat photo in the forum so far. So I thought I would upload few pics I have taken during my TDs. I'll write a detailed post on my TD and showroom experiences later. This is the TD vehicle. Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 07:03	#488
erohit BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: London Posts: 116 Thanked: 31 Times	I am wondering is it BEAT excitement or people writing skills? vprodigy, da.maulik and oxyzen have written such a nice & detailed initial report on their dream beauty 'BEAT'. After reading it I am so tempted to go and buy one for myself. I am sure you guys are in sales field and are doing really great Anyway congrats to all the BEAT owners. I am sure this car will never let you down. Great going GM.
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 11:56	#490
quadmaniac BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 430 Thanked: 119 Times	Congrats to all BEAT owners! Guys, have you tried out playing from the USB port on your BEAT? If so, from where did you get that mini-USB to USB converter that is required for the BEAT?
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 12:48	#491
redlaw BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 31 Thanked: 0 Times	Haven't tried, but this is what is needed for USB in Beat Hi Quadmaniac, Try to get one from ebay.com (ebay.in doesn't have the right one). I am planning to buy one from there. USB B 5pin Male -> USB A Female USB A Female to Mini USB B 5 Pin Male Adapter Converter - eBay (item 320436482796 end time Mar-14-10 18:18:42 PDT) USB A Female to Mini USB B 5 Pin Male Adapter Converter - eBay (item 180419512116 end time Mar-12-10 18:02:48 PST) It takes a month to get the delivery as they send in normal post. But any Beat owners, if they find it in local market please post the details.
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 13:09	#492
vprodigy BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Delhi Posts: 113 Thanked: 0 Times	beat black LT heres the treat to eyes Attached Thumbnails Last edited by vprodigy : 28th February 2010 at 13:11.
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 13:15	#493
vprodigy BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Delhi Posts: 113 Thanked: 0 Times	the black beauty here's the last one. others please post pics of your beat, any other colors Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 14:12	#494
redlaw BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 31 Thanked: 0 Times	BEAT Colors Nice pictures vProdigy, Black Beat is looking very cool. I saw all colors except Linen Beige so far.
	() Thanks

28th February 2010, 14:12	#495
deeptrip Newbie Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Faridabad Posts: 22 Thanked: 0 Times	Just received my Cocktail Green Beat LT after 38 days. It looks fabulous, a real head turner. Good noise filtering in the cabin. I am 6' tall so haven't found a right combination of seat and steering adjustment yet. A little uncomfortable there. Rest, I vouch for every word that has been said for Beat in this thread. I got a car cover, cigarette lighter,key chain, mud flaps and mats from the dealer. I purchased Chevy leatherite seat covers and chevy door sills. I could not find any beat accessories on website, but the dealer said they have received a few accessories. I don't know what's the deal with that.
	() Thanks