[BenjiRoss]

It all started off when my dad loaned me his Maruti 800 for three months when he went abroad. I realised that I could actually drive a car and it was definitely a lot safer for me than my Kinetic Honda.
June 2008 was when I started seriously thinking
The Santro was a safe choice. (Budget less than 4 lacs)
The i10 1.1 Magna was the automatic upgrade (Budget 4 lac)
The i10 1.2 kappa (magna) was the confounder (Budget stretched to 4.5 lacs)
The Swift, Getz 1.1 and the U-VA were now within striking distance of my budget.
(How about the Jetta, The altis and Audi just to complete the list - just kidding)
The i10 1.2 kappa was getting rave revies, the Swift seemed a safe bet and my colleague was driving around a Getz which I loved.
The U-VA was actually a chance finding - my close friend from college days owned a GM showroom in Trichy and he suggested this.

I TD the cars and zeroed in on the U-VA
i10 kappa magna:
Pros: Peppy car, nice interior colors, decent gear change
Cons: Less spacious, wasn't comfortable with the clutch on the car I drove

Swift (Petrol)
Pros: Nice power
Cons: cramped rear seat, not happy with interiors, too many around, waiting time, no discounts offered.

Getz Prime(1.1)
Pros: Best gear change, smooth drive
Cons: Mileage, underpowered, ?Getting phased out for the i20

We (My wife and I) almost decided it would be the i10 even before we started the TDs. I remember stopping right in the middle of a lonely road one night and staring at a red i10 parked on the side!! (There aren't much i10s here in Trichy)

So how did the UVA materialise?
Gut feeling led me to the GM showroom after I spoke to my friend.
The "wow" expression on my wife's face and the excitement on her face were worth a million bucks! The test drive was a dream!
Pros: Ride was smooth, very stable, incredibly spacious, very comfortable
Cons: gear shift

The Chevy guys were very courteous and sent the TD car home again as I wanted to TD it on familiar roads.
After a few hiccups with financial planning(I wish my bank balance had a few extra zeroes at the right places!) finally the HDFC check came in after the loan approval.
At this juncture I must say that the Chevy guys went out of their way to make me happy. It was a very happy experience - choosing the car and going through all the formalities!
So on 29th August I drove to the GM showroom and saw the car receiving final touches and checks. We sorted out the payments and bills and signatures and I got into my new Icy Blue Chevrolet Aveo UVA 1.2 LS. I took almost an hour to ensure everything was OK and ask a lot of questions and finally drove off in my own car!
Cost:
Ex showroom: 436465
Registration and Road tax: 40240
Insurance: Free
Basic Music system: free
Mud flaps, floor maps: Free
Boot mat: 490
Body Cover: 1400 (could have got it cheaper)
Still plates: 1000
Fog lamps: 3200
Remote locking: 2800
Stereo system: Rs 2000 (They gave a basic free kenwood and I upgraded to a Pioneer U3090)
Rs. 488000
I opted for the Cashless offer: Rs. 10000
Corporate discounts: Rs. 4000
Total cost: 494000
They filled in about 15 liters petrol (20 liters minus the long drive to the RTO and back)
The Chevy doll as expected was smiling for free on the parcel tray.

Odo reading 113 KM (after the RTO visit which apparently is about 50 KM)
I managed to get the License plates fixed the same day and dropped over at my Pastors house for a word of prayer.

I noticed several people stop and stare as I drove back home etc and after I fixed the L board (sore point - I will get my permanent license in a week) I noticed drivers scattering whenever I came close!

I now have clocked 1000KM and this is my experience.
The car has made a trip to Chennai and back (320 Km one way on the highway) and I have driven it inside Chennai and Trichy.
A dumb auto guy in Chennai dented the front of the car and broke my heart!
The car is extremely comfortable to drive.
The engine is quiet and I dont feel any vibrations on the steering or the gear.
I was told to keep the speed below 80 KMPH on the highway in the run-in period and this was extremely difficult on the highway! The car was perfectly stable on the highway and I felt in total control even in the sudden detours. I'm not a fast driver but had no difficulty overtaking when I really wanted to. Braking was crisp and stable.
The headlights were quite good in the city - on the highway I drove during the day.
Steering is comfortable and the car was easy to maouever inside the city. It was not as easy as my dads Maruti 800 to park, but wasn't too bad.
The Ac was good and in the early morning we had to keep it at 1 or switch it off. The afternoon saw a cool car with a speed of 2 on the dial.
I wear my seat belt all the time and the seating is comfortable.
Drive position is quite good and after my first ever highway drive I was pain-free!
The back seat comfort is amazing and three adults can sit comfortably and there are three seat belts provided!
Boot space is pretty good for a hatchback.
The car looks really cool - it drew stares even in Chennai and everyone loved the Icy Blue color.
Interiors are not luxurious but quite impressive. The plastic is not the best quality though. There are some thoughtful inclusions - shopping bag holder, ticket holders, vanity mirror, double dashboard storage and plenty of crevices and cubby-holes to put stuff in.
The gear change is the sore point. I need to push it into first gear with a little difficulty - and I'm not the only one who feels that way about a UVA I guess. Reverse has so far not been a problem except on two occasions.
Rear visibilty is average. I'm planning on parking sensors just to be on the safe side.
The A-pillar is taking me a little getting used to after a Maruti 800.
If you're a speed freak you may not be the happiest when overtaking but if yu use the right gear combos it should be OK.
At the 1000K check up I got the gear greased and also realised that I was driving with lower air pressures. There were some minor tweaks.

Mileage:
I did the tank full to tank full method:
530 KM (340 in the highway with AC 90%) and 190 in the city (100%AC)
35 liters 15.1 KM per liter

I have to decide about seat covers- GM is charging me 3600 for their set, but I am looking for other options. Any place in Chennai that has good ones for my UVA?
Parking sensors: GM says 2000 Rs. Are there better options in Trichy or Chennai?
Someone said that putting those black rubber/plastic stripes on the corners of the bumpers will be useful to prevent bumper scratches and make the car look better. Not sure - what do you think?
I'll be uploading photos in the next five minutes. So hold on.
Final verdict:
My choice of the UVA left quite a few people scratching their heads - why the UVA. But like I always say when you see and drive "your" car you will know.
I am extremely happy with my UVA and will be that way for many years.
The Vista, i20, A-star, Splash and more cars will come in - but that will not make me any less happy!

My scores: Lets say 1-4 are poor, 5-6 are average, 7-8 are excellent and 9-10 are brilliant/perfect
Dealership 10/10 (Having a friend helps, but still...)
Drive quality 8/10
Looks 9/10
Interiors 7/10
Comfort 9/10
Value for money 9/10
Safety 9/10 (No ABS and airbags)

Thats it for now till I upload a few pics. I will take more of the interior, boot and engine in a few days and post them!

I'd love your comments and queries - will answer them to the best of my knowledge and experience!
I hope I have not broken any Team-BHP rules in this post.
I guess one smilie at the end won't hurt -

[BenjiRoss]

At the showroom



At a highway stop:

[finneyp]

Congrats Benji! U-VA is a nice car!

Enjoy the ride!

[drpullockaran]

Sorry to spoil your party but I thought everyone in Team BHP new about the release of the new Aveo.
Chevrolet’s new aveo U-VA 2008 | Vicky blog | Indian Automobile blog

[sammyboy]

Wonderful review Benji. Its really nice to see that you are enjoying your U-VA to the core.
Have fun and drive safe.
Cheers

[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by drpullockaran

Sorry to spoil your party but I thought everyone in Team BHP new about the release of the new Aveo.
Chevrolet’s new aveo U-VA 2008 | Vicky blog | Indian Automobile blog

Yup - I know that.
I had time constraints and couldnt wait for too long.
The GM guys still havent said when the car will be released.
I'm not sure of the pricing also.
And like I already said - new cars and new versions will keep coming.

[undead]

Congrats Benji. What about the expressway construction on the NH ?? Is the Trichy - Tanjavur stretch over?

[Lukeskywalker]

Congrats Benji and welcome to the Chevy car owners club.
Drive safe and enjoy.
Cheers,
Hari.

[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by undead

Congrats Benji. What about the expressway construction on the NH ?? Is the Trichy - Tanjavur stretch over?

I did not need to cover that stretch. My route was Trichy - Ulundurpet - Villupuram - Tindivanam - Chennai. The route I took is very much improved compared to a year back and is just getting better with more and more of the stretch getting finished. I drove during the day.
Night driving is supposedly a pain due to a lot of headlight glare as quite a few stretches do not have a median or have one side still under construction.
I saw about three cars and 2 lorries that had crashed when I did the trip. I would never attempt the trip at night. The last time I did it in my Maruti 800 I was very particular that I had a driver I knew well and trusted.

[shantyrocks]

sorry for the dent man :(
i know it hurts..

[Dippy]

Congratulations on the new car Benji. It looks splendid and a good choice among the commonly seen Swifts and Getzs. Nice colour too. Do run it in properly. Looking forward to more detailed reports from you.

[shivaprasad]

congratulation.UVA is very good car.UVA scores high on fuel efficiency and space.
wish u safe drive.

[undead]

Originally Posted by BenjiRoss

I did not need to cover that stretch. My route was Trichy - Ulundurpet - Villupuram - Tindivanam - Chennai. The route I took is very much improved compared to a year back and is just getting better with more and more of the stretch getting finished. I drove during the day.
Night driving is supposedly a pain due to a lot of headlight glare as quite a few stretches do not have a median or have one side still under construction.
I saw about three cars and 2 lorries that had crashed when I did the trip. I would never attempt the trip at night. The last time I did it in my Maruti 800 I was very particular that I had a driver I knew well and trusted.

Well, I used to travel a lot from to Kumbakonam via Trichy and tanjavore. But recently i changed the route via Trichy - Kallanai - Tiruvayaaru - Swamimalai - Kumbakonam as the roads are under construction . Thats why i asked whether the roads are completed.

[Dry Ice]

Hey Benji, congratulation on your new car.
The color is fabulous and the car is looking damn good!! Get some neat alloys for it and you'll have a head turner for sure!!

One more thing,

sore point - I will get my permanent license in a week

Meaning you are driving around on a learner's license?
An L marked car with a single occupant, I guess, you are inviting trouble!!
As far as I know, learners must be accompanied by a person holding a valid license.

But, considering you said a week, the permanent license must have been issued!!
So no issues there. Enjoy your ride and drive safe!!

[BenjiRoss]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

Meaning you are driving around on a learner's license?
An L marked car with a single occupant, I guess, you are inviting trouble!!
As far as I know, learners must be accompanied by a person holding a valid license.

My wife who has a permanent license (but does not drive much) is always with me. So I am on the legal safe side.
I've been extremely busy last couple of weeks and will go for my license this week.