Chevy Beat - 2000 kms and going

slylenser · 29th October 2010, 17:21

After 7 year of the santro, it was time to replace it. My wife likes a small car which she can conveniently drive around Gurgaon and is easy to park. We tried the Figo, the Nissan Micra and the Hyundia i10 and i20. We finally settled for the Beat in mid August 2010. It's been 2 months and we've driven it 2000 kms. Here's a brief report :

a. Overall, we're more than satisfied. The doubts over not having bought the Figo are all gone, the car is excellent.

b. We got the first service done at 1000 kms, the service center is good and they take good care of the car. We have a 3 year 45000 kms zero cost warranty so we're not worried about any costs.

c. The car has been consistently been giving an average of 12 kms with the AC on all the time, I think that's good enough for a 1.2 Ltr engine.

d. While there is a bit of lag in the second gear, the 3rd gear more than makes up for it. The gear ratio of this car is different from the Santro and it took some getting used to but once that's done, it's a very nice ride. I'm now preferring to use the Beat over the Scorrpio that I drive, for all city work (whenever I can lay my hands on it of course !)

e. People complain of boot space being low in the beat. That's only on papers or when you have 4 people sitting in the car. We went to pickup a friend from the airport and took the beat assuming he'll come with small luggage. This guy had 3 suitcases and 2 bags! Half the rear seat in the Beat folds to make more room for bags and what a life saver that was. That many bags wouldn't have fit in a Figo or i10.

f. What I like is the engine compartment, its neat, not a single wire to be seen anywhere and compact. I'm sure the engine will last a long time.

g. We got the LT model but decided not to go for the Option pack. I would have liked the Airbags and ABS but the Alloy's being provided by Chevy are only 4.5J. I wanted to increse the width of the tyres so I need 6J alloys. I've changed the tyres to Yokohama 175/65/14" and put in HRS allyos, the total cost came to about 22k.

h. Strangely, the Beat LT does not have a remote locking system. I've installed a top end Autocop remote system with some sensors etc, cost about 5k. I've also got a AutoCop gear lock in place for Rs. 950.

While at the dealership, I found a Sales Manual for the Beat, when no one was looking, I clicked pictures of it using a mobile, I can't attach it as it's 5 MB, anyone needs it, send me your email ID and I'll mail it.

I like the Chevy Beat and I still get some brownie points from my wife for having got her the car. They're only points,I haven't figured out a way to encash them

idea · 29th October 2010, 18:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by slylenser

We have a 3 year 45000 kms zero cost warranty so we're not worried about any costs.

Oh. This is best part about chevy vehicles now. It is a stress free ownership for 3 long years ! just pay for petrol, tyre and battery. Rest all taken care of.

Happy to know you are a satisfied customer ;-).

Auto freak · 29th October 2010, 20:01

Congrats on your ride mate! She looks real hot!
Please post more pics of the beauty.

I just love those alloys. They make me think of why i went in for the OEM alloys. (though i have upgraded the tyres to 175).

Happy miles ahead!

salbin · 29th October 2010, 20:36

Congrats slylenser.

Wishing you a wonderful driving experience with your new Beat.
BTW please post more pics especially that alloys.
IMO you can get the ECU re-mapped for better performance. (There is a considerable difference for me after the upgrade. Even FE is also improved in my case.)
Please post the service manual pics also.

Schoudhury · 29th October 2010, 21:02

My-O-My , the car looks like a killer .
Seriously man, post some better quality pictures.
And also tell us know about the buying experience and keep us updated .
Congrats man. and here in blore i dont think i have seen any beat in this color.
Take care and drive safe .
Cheers

Klub Class · 29th October 2010, 21:10

Congratulations on your Chevrolet Beat.

The alloy wheels looks so hot! Please do upload high resolution pictures.

Do keep us updated. Always wear your seat-belts.

Amith

auto-one · 30th October 2010, 10:19

@Slylenser, good to know that you are another happy customer of the Beat. I have observed in this forum that Beat customers are usually happy with the car. One question though, what is your experience with the seats with respect to comfort ( since they are low slung ). Secondly, do you miss the height adjuster for the driver's seat ?
And yes, is your car in the new 'sanddriftgrey' colour ?

Auto freak · 30th October 2010, 10:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by auto-one

@Slylenser, good to know that you are another One question though, what is your experience with the seats with respect to comfort ( since they are low slung ). Secondly, do you miss the height adjuster for the driver's seat ?

@auto-one,
The front seats are extremely comfortable for me with good lumbar support. Cannot comment about the rear seats though, as i never travelled in them till now.
As for as height adjusters are concerned, Yes! i did miss them the first few weeks after i got the car. I felt sitting too low for good visibility. But now that i have got used to this driving position, its no more a complaint.

slylenser · 1st November 2010, 19:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by auto-one

@Slylenser, good to know that you are another happy customer of the Beat. I have observed in this forum that Beat customers are usually happy with the car. One question though, what is your experience with the seats with respect to comfort ( since they are low slung ). Secondly, do you miss the height adjuster for the driver's seat ?
And yes, is your car in the new 'sanddriftgrey' colour ?

Hi !

I think the front seats are very very comfortable. The lumbar support is very nice and long rides are not tiring at all. The legroom in the rear seats and the headrest make it good. I'm sort of tall at 5'11 so I don't need the height adjuster. My wife - whos about 5'4 is pretty comfortable driving the Beat. A height adjuster might have been useful for her but we spent some time deciding on that before buying and her experience was similar in the i10 and figo.

slylenser · 1st November 2010, 19:30

The color is Linen Beige , I'll post some good pictures later. The alloys are like a perfect match for the car in terms of design, color etc.

slylenser · 1st November 2010, 19:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by salbin

Congrats slylenser.

Wishing you a wonderful driving experience with your new Beat.
BTW please post more pics especially that alloys.
IMO you can get the ECU re-mapped for better performance. (There is a considerable difference for me after the upgrade. Even FE is also improved in my case.)
Please post the service manual pics also.

Thanks ! It's more of a sales manual, I'm attaching some pages here

slylenser · 1st November 2010, 19:47

Download the Chevy Beat sales manual here : http://anil.biz/brochure.pdf

Its nothing great, just explains the features of the car properly.

Joy · 1st November 2010, 22:53

Congrats on your new car. Your car looks awesome.

Me too bought a Chevy Beat LT Cocktail Green in October, 2010. Presently done around 650 Kms.

Will upload my experience once I drove some more Kms. Regarding low slung seat, I also faced some problem initially but now it is ok. I love the overall experience, very refined engine, very low cabin noise, good steering feedback, etc.

Wish you all the best for your new car. Drive safe.

alstonlobo · 2nd November 2010, 10:03

Congrats on the car and welcome to the club. The alloys look macho, better pictures would be appreciated.

thedreamcatcher · 2nd November 2010, 17:32

Thanks for the manual. Initially I thought you managed to get your hands on the service manual. But anyways, this also makes for interesting reading

29th October 2010, 17:21	#1
slylenser BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 71 Thanked: 73 Times	Chevy Beat - 2000 kms and going After 7 year of the santro, it was time to replace it. My wife likes a small car which she can conveniently drive around Gurgaon and is easy to park. We tried the Figo, the Nissan Micra and the Hyundia i10 and i20. We finally settled for the Beat in mid August 2010. It's been 2 months and we've driven it 2000 kms. Here's a brief report : a. Overall, we're more than satisfied. The doubts over not having bought the Figo are all gone, the car is excellent. b. We got the first service done at 1000 kms, the service center is good and they take good care of the car. We have a 3 year 45000 kms zero cost warranty so we're not worried about any costs. c. The car has been consistently been giving an average of 12 kms with the AC on all the time, I think that's good enough for a 1.2 Ltr engine. d. While there is a bit of lag in the second gear, the 3rd gear more than makes up for it. The gear ratio of this car is different from the Santro and it took some getting used to but once that's done, it's a very nice ride. I'm now preferring to use the Beat over the Scorrpio that I drive, for all city work (whenever I can lay my hands on it of course !) e. People complain of boot space being low in the beat. That's only on papers or when you have 4 people sitting in the car. We went to pickup a friend from the airport and took the beat assuming he'll come with small luggage. This guy had 3 suitcases and 2 bags! Half the rear seat in the Beat folds to make more room for bags and what a life saver that was. That many bags wouldn't have fit in a Figo or i10. f. What I like is the engine compartment, its neat, not a single wire to be seen anywhere and compact. I'm sure the engine will last a long time. g. We got the LT model but decided not to go for the Option pack. I would have liked the Airbags and ABS but the Alloy's being provided by Chevy are only 4.5J. I wanted to increse the width of the tyres so I need 6J alloys. I've changed the tyres to Yokohama 175/65/14" and put in HRS allyos, the total cost came to about 22k. h. Strangely, the Beat LT does not have a remote locking system. I've installed a top end Autocop remote system with some sensors etc, cost about 5k. I've also got a AutoCop gear lock in place for Rs. 950. While at the dealership, I found a Sales Manual for the Beat, when no one was looking, I clicked pictures of it using a mobile, I can't attach it as it's 5 MB, anyone needs it, send me your email ID and I'll mail it. I like the Chevy Beat and I still get some brownie points from my wife for having got her the car. They're only points,I haven't figured out a way to encash them Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

29th October 2010, 20:01	#3
Auto freak BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chennai Posts: 313 Thanked: 344 Times View My Garage	Congrats on your ride mate! She looks real hot! Please post more pics of the beauty. I just love those alloys. They make me think of why i went in for the OEM alloys. (though i have upgraded the tyres to 175). Happy miles ahead!
	() Thanks

29th October 2010, 20:36	#4
salbin BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Bangalore, Kochi Posts: 525 Thanked: 306 Times View My Garage	Congrats slylenser. Wishing you a wonderful driving experience with your new Beat. BTW please post more pics especially that alloys. IMO you can get the ECU re-mapped for better performance. (There is a considerable difference for me after the upgrade. Even FE is also improved in my case.) Please post the service manual pics also.
	() Thanks

29th October 2010, 21:02	#5
Schoudhury Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Blore/Dallas-TX Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 479 Times View My Garage	My-O-My , the car looks like a killer . Seriously man, post some better quality pictures. And also tell us know about the buying experience and keep us updated . Congrats man. and here in blore i dont think i have seen any beat in this color. Take care and drive safe . Cheers
	() Thanks

29th October 2010, 21:10	#6
Klub Class Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: KA17\|KL65\|KL41 Posts: 4,867 Thanked: 1,935 Times	Congratulations on your Chevrolet Beat. The alloy wheels looks so hot! Please do upload high resolution pictures. Do keep us updated. Always wear your seat-belts. Amith
	() Thanks

30th October 2010, 10:19	#7
auto-one BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 237 Thanked: 13 Times	@Slylenser, good to know that you are another happy customer of the Beat. I have observed in this forum that Beat customers are usually happy with the car. One question though, what is your experience with the seats with respect to comfort ( since they are low slung ). Secondly, do you miss the height adjuster for the driver's seat ? And yes, is your car in the new 'sanddriftgrey' colour ?
	() Thanks

1st November 2010, 19:30	#10
slylenser BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 71 Thanked: 73 Times	Beat Color The color is Linen Beige , I'll post some good pictures later. The alloys are like a perfect match for the car in terms of design, color etc.
	() Thanks

1st November 2010, 19:47	#12
slylenser BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 71 Thanked: 73 Times	Download the Chevy Beat sales manual here : http://anil.biz/brochure.pdf Its nothing great, just explains the features of the car properly.
	() Thanks

1st November 2010, 22:53	#13
Joy BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 305 Thanked: 25 Times	Congrats on your new car. Your car looks awesome. Me too bought a Chevy Beat LT Cocktail Green in October, 2010. Presently done around 650 Kms. Will upload my experience once I drove some more Kms. Regarding low slung seat, I also faced some problem initially but now it is ok. I love the overall experience, very refined engine, very low cabin noise, good steering feedback, etc. Wish you all the best for your new car. Drive safe.
	() Thanks

2nd November 2010, 10:03	#14
alstonlobo BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Mangalore Posts: 511 Thanked: 128 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the car and welcome to the club. The alloys look macho, better pictures would be appreciated.
	() Thanks

2nd November 2010, 17:32	#15
thedreamcatcher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Dubai Posts: 1,204 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	Thanks for the manual. Initially I thought you managed to get your hands on the service manual. But anyways, this also makes for interesting reading
	() Thanks