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Old 28th June 2011, 20:01   #1891
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by sajjt View Post
Moroco Blue has reported some issues like discolouring and developing marks on creases.
Attachment 568391
Attachment 568392
chevrolet beat - Page 6 - India Travel Forum, BCMTouring
I guess this could be one of the reason behind this.
IMHO the main reason may be lack of demand for Morrocan Blue.
From the picture, it looks like hard water stains. I had similar experience on my old Santro. The guy who is washing the car does not wipe off the water completely. If it is hard water, then such marks gets formed after the water dries from the small grooves/joints like this pic. It is basically calcium carbonates and magnesium carbonates deposited over the clear coat.
After getting Beat, I have started to do the washing myself. I ensure the grooves and gaps are wiped completely after the wash. Now no issues.
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Old 28th June 2011, 20:29   #1892
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
Hi,

How long you have been owning the BEAT? if it's more than a year can you or some other BHPians post a long term review?
Close to a year now, and yes a detailed, very elaborate and unbiased review is in the making. Will try to publish it within a week. As soon as it is done, will post the link on this thread
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Old 29th June 2011, 09:26   #1893
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by Mr.Beat View Post
I have been using Beat for almost a year now, just wanted to ask if you are looking for any specific things or questions? What are you looking forward in the long term review?


What I am looking forward? Ans: An unbiased review about BEAT's performance, maintenance, FE, comfort, ride quality, in short everything about the car.

I am planning to buy a car, i have shortlisted the following cars;

Monthly 600 to 1000 Kms ( 60% on highway)
Family of 3 (me, my wife and a 10 month old son)

BEAT Petrol (wife choice)
BEAT Diesel
Spark Petrol
I 10

My wife is so impressed with BEAT's looks, before fianlising on BEAT, i just want to know its unbiased review from fellow BHPians, as i don't want to trust the Sales executives. I have been postponing the vehicle purchase, by citing BEAT diesel launch, as my wife is forcing hard to book it soon.

Hope, i can expect a review soon.
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Old 29th June 2011, 11:43   #1894
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post

BEAT Petrol (wife choice)
BEAT Diesel
Spark Petrol
I 10
Even my requirements were very similar to yours when i wanted to buy a car. Since you say your highway usage is more, do have a TD of A-star also. IMHO it's a better highway car than Beat. A real FTD car, but i too was forced to buy Beat because of wifey.
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Old 29th June 2011, 12:12   #1895
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

Originally Posted by Joy
Guys, anybody faced with this kind of problem. I was out of station for around 30 days, during which my car was not started. Yesterday, I returned and due to some prior engagement I could not check the car. Today evening, when I went with my son to get a spin on my car, my car is totally off (by off, I mean no electrical connections). Nothing including my central locking is not working. Can anybody help me out? Please, it's urgent (what to do?).


Quote:
Originally Posted by BobbyAlexander View Post
I know this is a little late but this happened to my brand new Beat. Drove it couple of times but it was mostly in the garage. Tried turning it on after 3 days and it was completely dead. Called the service guy and he came all the way from the Kalyan nagar service center. Jump started it using his service car. Didnt charge me anything though. He said I might have left a light on or something.
Strange.
Well in Joy's case, there are more possibilities. There is a simple rule for this, just remove the battery terminal if you are on a planned vacation, this will not drain out the battery power. After your vacation, just connect the battery cable and off you go. When our car was not used for 3 months, we did the same and once we came back and connected it, there were no issues at all. The first time, it was left as it is and the battery had drained out after our return. So I am sure that removing the battery terminal will definitely work out.

But Bobby in your case, it might be what the technician had told you, by mistake you might have switched on any of the lights, may be your interior lights too.. If there are no issues after that jump start till now, then that's definitely true. Atleast you will not get problems with battery this early, 0.1% chances of battery being faulty in a new car.
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Old 29th June 2011, 19:24   #1896
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
What I am looking forward? Ans: An unbiased review about BEAT's performance, maintenance, FE, comfort, ride quality, in short everything about the car.

I am planning to buy a car, i have shortlisted the following cars;

Monthly 600 to 1000 Kms ( 60% on highway)
Family of 3 (me, my wife and a 10 month old son)

BEAT Petrol (wife choice)
BEAT Diesel
Spark Petrol
I 10

My wife is so impressed with BEAT's looks, before fianlising on BEAT, i just want to know its unbiased review from fellow BHPians, as i don't want to trust the Sales executives. I have been postponing the vehicle purchase, by citing BEAT diesel launch, as my wife is forcing hard to book it soon.

Hope, i can expect a review soon.
I have a Beat LT 14 months old with 10k on odometer.
Here are my observation:-
Performance wise i10 is better than both Beat and Spark,
Maintenance wise Beat and Spark are better than i10 (because of 3 year free service and warranty)
Though FE depends on various factors; still FE of all three cars are comparable, FE difference being in the range of 1-2 kmpl. My Beat returns 14-16 kmpl in city and 18-22 on highways without AC,
Interior space of Beat and i10 are almost equal; better than Spark. Beat offers better rear leg room, but seats lacks underthigh support, while the seats of i10 offers adequate underthigh support.
Boot space of i 10 is much better than Beat and Spark,
All round visibilty of i 10 and Spark is better than Beat.
Cabin of i10 and Spark are more airy than Beat.
Ride quality and handling of Beat is much better than Spark and i 10.
IMHO take test drive of all three vehicles and go for the one which suits more to your personal needs.
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Old 30th June 2011, 11:06   #1897
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
BEAT Petrol (wife choice)
BEAT Diesel
Spark Petrol
I 10
Performance- I10>>Beat=Spark
Handling- Spark > Beat = I10
Ride- Beat>>I10=Spark
Interior part quality- I10>Beat>>Spark
Space- Beat=I10 > Spark
Looks - Beat>I10>Spark (Personal)
VFM- Beat>Spark>>I10


The major problem with Beat is short drivers find the visibility very poor. Do take a test drive before you finalize. IMO I10 is a much better car. It is the fastest of the all 1.2L hatch. It has got excellent fit & Finish. But also it as around 70K more expensive than a similar specked Beat. So unless you are on a budget i10 is a better choice.

Spark is also a great car but I am not a fan of centrally mounted Speedo. Plus it is pretty old and dated.

The major advantage of Beat is its Ride, Funky looks and extremely VFM price tag.
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Old 30th June 2011, 11:40   #1898
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by oxyzen View Post
The major problem with Beat is short drivers find the visibility very poor.
It's a myth which is propagated by our experience of riding in olden day cars like Amby, M800, etc. No modern car including tallboy Santro allows you to have 100% road visibility. All it takes is just a couple of days to get accustomed to the reduced visibility. My wife is just 5'3" and she has no problem in driving our Beat.

Quote:
IMO I10 is a much better car. It is the fastest of the all 1.2L hatch.
What's the use of all that speed when you can't take a confident turn at decent speeds, because of that 'toy steering'.
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Old 30th June 2011, 11:50   #1899
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by oxyzen View Post
Performance- I10>>Beat=Spark
Handling- Spark > Beat = I10
Ride- Beat>>I10=Spark
Interior part quality- I10>Beat>>Spark
Space- Beat=I10 > Spark
Looks - Beat>I10>Spark (Personal)
VFM- Beat>Spark>>I10


The major problem with Beat is short drivers find the visibility very poor. Do take a test drive before you finalize. IMO I10 is a much better car. It is the fastest of the all 1.2L hatch. It has got excellent fit & Finish. But also it as around 70K more expensive than a similar specked Beat. So unless you are on a budget i10 is a better choice.

Spark is also a great car but I am not a fan of centrally mounted Speedo. Plus it is pretty old and dated.

The major advantage of Beat is its Ride, Funky looks and extremely VFM price tag.

I am 5'11 and i also TDed BEAT, lookwise or handlingwise i have no problem with BEAT, but I had some constraints with right side visibility especially during blind curve, as the post is thicker. My main concern is wat about the mileage and maintenance, if BEAT doesnt have any problem with mileage and maintenance, i am perfectly ok with this vehicle, even after a discount of 40K, i10 magna kappa 1.2 costs around 4.65 OTR and BEAT costs only 4.3 OTR (LS variant) and these SE's are bugging me like anything
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Old 30th June 2011, 11:52   #1900
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by Topolino View Post
I have a Beat LT 14 months old with 10k on odometer.
Here are my observation:-
Performance wise i10 is better than both Beat and Spark,
Maintenance wise Beat and Spark are better than i10 (because of 3 year free service and warranty)
Though FE depends on various factors; still FE of all three cars are comparable, FE difference being in the range of 1-2 kmpl. My Beat returns 14-16 kmpl in city and 18-22 on highways without AC,
Interior space of Beat and i10 are almost equal; better than Spark. Beat offers better rear leg room, but seats lacks underthigh support, while the seats of i10 offers adequate underthigh support.
Boot space of i 10 is much better than Beat and Spark,
All round visibilty of i 10 and Spark is better than Beat.
Cabin of i10 and Spark are more airy than Beat.
Ride quality and handling of Beat is much better than Spark and i 10.
IMHO take test drive of all three vehicles and go for the one which suits more to your personal needs.

Why can't you post a long term review ? it would assist me in finalising the vehicle, the hyundai executive told that many people are selling their BEAT due to various problems like dashboard leak during heavy rain, mileage issue, gear problem etc., Are they true or just a marketing gimmick to sell vehicle?
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Old 30th June 2011, 11:56   #1901
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
What I am looking forward? Ans: An unbiased review about BEAT's performance, maintenance, FE, comfort, ride quality, in short everything about the car.
Hi Prasana,

Good to know you are contemplating on buying the Beat. i'm owning the car more than a year and must tell you, I'm very happy with it. In fact, I booked the car without a test drive, solely on the basis of GTO's review and must say, everything is just the way it is on the review thread.

I've compiled a small list of likes and dislikes about the car in my thread, you can read it here.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post2285911

Regarding seat height, a friend of mine purchased a new Beat last month and I test drove the car, I found the seat height to be a few inches higher than mine, can be since its new foam needs time to sink in but it made a considerable difference in visibility.

Let us know if you have further queries and we will be happy to help

Cheers,
Alston
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Old 30th June 2011, 12:29   #1902
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
Why can't you post a long term review ? it would assist me in finalising the vehicle, the hyundai executive told that many people are selling their BEAT due to various problems like dashboard leak during heavy rain, mileage issue, gear problem etc., Are they true or just a marketing gimmick to sell vehicle?
As a owner of Beat LT for the last eight months. I am totally satisfied with the car. Regarding Dashboard leak, I never faced any such situation despite driving a few times in heavy rains. Mileage depends on how one drives. Never faced any gear issues in fact I love its third gear which is very handy in 20-60 kmph range.

Another thing, I like the attention it still gets on the road.

This is my 2 cents. There are other long time beat users who can give much better idea about the same.
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Old 30th June 2011, 12:51   #1903
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
Why can't you post a long term review ? it would assist me in finalising the vehicle, the hyundai executive told that many people are selling their BEAT due to various problems like dashboard leak during heavy rain, mileage issue, gear problem etc., Are they true or just a marketing gimmick to sell vehicle?
The Hyundai SE is misleading you. Till to date I haven't spent a peny on the maintenance of my Beat (my car is not covered under 3 year free service package). I have been driving on almost all type of roads including village kaccha roads and roads with pot-holes and patch works and also drove in heavy rains, still there is no rattling from any part of the car, no dashboard/window/windshield leaks. I always monitor mileage of my car. I am consistentlly getting ~ 16 kmpl in Udaipur city traffic and 20-22 kmpl on highways. Gear shifting is fine and I never faced any problem. I opted for Beat because of its looks (exterior as well as interior), mileage, interior space, ride quality and price though the car lack punch of ritz and i10 and boot space is also quite small.
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Old 30th June 2011, 13:12   #1904
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

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Originally Posted by Daewood View Post
It's a myth which is propagated by our experience of riding in olden day cars like Amby, M800, etc. No modern car including tallboy Santro allows you to have 100% road visibility. All it takes is just a couple of days to get accustomed to the reduced visibility. My wife is just 5'3" and she has no problem in driving our Beat.
Try the Figo or even etios.
I drive a Palio, Vento & Beat. The zen I sold was the best in terms of visibility. The Beat is the worst (front & side). For the rear visibility Vento is hopeless.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Daewood View Post
What's the use of all that speed when you can't take a confident turn at decent speeds, because of that 'toy steering'.
While I agree the I10's handling is a sore point, I dont see any significant advantage in beat as well. Sure it has hot HPS but the body roll due to extremely soft suspension takes away the FTD factor. Or may be I am spoilt by the other cars Vento/Zen/Palio.

Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
My main concern is wat about the mileage and maintenance, if BEAT doesnt have any problem with mileage and maintenance, i am perfectly ok with this vehicle, even after a discount of 40K, i10 magna kappa 1.2 costs around 4.65 OTR and BEAT costs only 4.3 OTR (LS variant) and these SE's are bugging me like anything
I believe the 3 years Maintaince package is included?
Milage 14 in city without AC. Drops to 12.5 with full AC.
On the highway, it gives 17 with something around 50% AC.
Pretty good I guess.
Maintaince wise the spares cost looks OK. The front Bumper clip is a design failure. It comes out if you take a small hit. I got it replaced.But again the problem reappeared. Nothing serious though.
AC blowers are not even providing half the air volume. Probably due to the guys fitting the ICE messed it up. Lets see how good they can fix it. The back door plastic started rattling due to a broaken clip. Made sone jugad to fix it. Now working fine.

Overall no major problems. Quite satisfied so far.



Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
the hyundai executive told that many people are selling their BEAT due to various problems like dashboard leak during heavy rain, mileage issue, gear problem etc., Are they true or just a marketing gimmick to sell vehicle?
You gotta be kidding me.

Last edited by oxyzen : 30th June 2011 at 13:15.
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Old 30th June 2011, 13:54   #1905
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Re: Chevrolet Beat : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
I am 5'11 and i also TDed BEAT, lookwise or handlingwise i have no problem with BEAT, but I had some constraints with right side visibility especially during blind curve, as the post is thicker. My main concern is wat about the mileage and maintenance, if BEAT doesnt have any problem with mileage and maintenance, i am perfectly ok with this vehicle, even after a discount of 40K, i10 magna kappa 1.2 costs around 4.65 OTR and BEAT costs only 4.3 OTR (LS variant) and these SE's are bugging me like anything
Quote:
Originally Posted by prasana_19 View Post
Why can't you post a long term review ? it would assist me in finalising the vehicle, the hyundai executive told that many people are selling their BEAT due to various problems like dashboard leak during heavy rain, mileage issue, gear problem etc., Are they true or just a marketing gimmick to sell vehicle?
My Beat is 1 year 3 months young now.
I have covered ~14500kms.

Here is my maintenance cost: Rs. 310
1st service (check-up)@ 1000kms: Rs.0/-
2nd service @ 5000kms: Rs.0/-
3rd service @ 10000kms: Rs.0/-
Wheel balancing @ 12000kms: Rs.240/- + Rs.70/- for a wheel nut(the wheel balancing guy damaged the nut thread!)
I will be giving the car for 15000km service next month.
Oil change will be done @ 15000kms.
Since I am cleaning the pollen filter myself, I am not intending to change it now.
I have not taken the 3 year service package(it was not available when I bought it). But now I feel that it is better I did not go for it

I am getting an average of 16 kmpl(I have monitored the FE for ~ 13000kms and average taken - check my ownership thread for more details).

I dont have any issue with the GMASS since the service centre is very close to my house. IMO, the quality of service by Kropex Bangalore is good. I had previous experience with Maruti(Sureksha) and Hyundai(Trident & Himavasini, Hosur) service centers. It is only a relative comparison - can't tell about other GM service centers.

Have never heard about the dash board leak or gear problem.

Mileage.. purely depends on the driving style. The average I have mentioned is the average taken for a period of more than 1 year and different driving styles.

Likes:
- Styling
- Paint finish
- Climate control
- Hydraulic power steering (I like HPS than EPS)
- Quality of interiors and plastics


Dislikes:
- Under thigh support is less.
- No bluetooth in HU
- Speakers are low quality- so I upgraded it (but the HU is good)
- No electrically adjustable ORVM. I bought a blind spot mirror to minimize the mirror adjustment.
- Low end torque could have been better.(I hope the Beat VCDi will overcome this)

I have a Spark LS in my native. It is a very good car to drive in city. Like Santro, the low end response is good. But it is in a segment below Beat. So I don't compare it one to one.

Have driven i10 few times. The car is really good. The new fluidic design is far better than the old one. Even though most of the people like the biege, I like the grey dash. One of my relative is having an i10 with beige interior, within a year itself the beauty of beige has lost. After service, we get some greasy finger marks of the mechanics in the dash, which is very difficult to remove!. The gear shift feel is somewhat different in i10 / Ritz and I don't like that design. The gear positioning is also not very comfortable to me.
If you compare same trim levels of i10 and Beat, you have to spend more for the i10.

So it is better you test drive all the options few times and then decide.
In the current situation of continuous petrol price hikes, I also suggest you to wait for some more time to get a feel of Beat VCDi and then take a decision.
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