[rsramkee]

First of all, thanks to everyone for the wishes. Good to be part of the T-BHP community and share my experiences.

Originally Posted by vignesh_ny

Congratulations on the buy Ramki!! You had been through a serious accident and had to write off your car. Did this not lead you to consider the LT (O) Variant with all the safety features?

Originally Posted by blackasta

Congrats on the car - I really like the styling of Beat.
I also have the same question as vignesh - why no LT(O) considered?
Drive Safe!

Actually I was seriously considering it, given the accident. The only reason I chose to not insist on it was because I have consciously decided to reduce the crazy amount of driving I used to do and travel mostly by trains and buses where possible. I find them actually more convenient if I plan my trips well. Most of my driving is going to be short distances, mostly weekends, within the city, given I work from home all the time and a rare drive on the highway if I am going somewhere with family.

Originally Posted by Pancham

Congrats!! Love the colour.
I wonder why you didnt go for the LT Option since you had a very bad accident and in the "Important factors" part you didnt mention anything about safety..

A few more questions--
1) Did you get the car with a proper USB and not the mini USB port.???

2) can you please put up the pic of the keyless remote that you got from GM.
Cheers and enjoy the car!!

Thanks. I loved the color at first sight

Yes I did get the car with the full USB port. Tested it today with a 4GB USB drive with 1.5GB of songs. Combination of MP3 and WMA songs I had ripped from my CDs. Played very well. My USB drive is also the same grey colour with a blue LED for indicating activity.

Will post the picture of the keyless entry unit as soon as I get a chance to click it. There are 3 buttons. Lock, Unlock and Light Flash. I got a duplicate as well.

Originally Posted by Daewood

The new colour looks classy. Congrats on the new car.


Even i was running behind all the other sub 5lac hatches. Finally out of confusion test drove the BEAT, and was really surprised.
The biggest surprise was the steering, the HPS of the BEAT is miles ahead of the marutis and Hyundais. Even the seating position is really good.
If Punto and Figo are great to drive on highways, this car is great inside city.


Might book mine this weekend. Is Sundaram better than KLN?


Can you share the info about how you managed to get the insurance yourself, as the sales guys usually are adamant about they doing it themselves ,as they get a cut.


Someone had posted the BEAT ACC will suck in outside air even if kept in recirculation mode. Is it so?

Thanks. I agree about the power steering bit. My driving so far has made me appreciate the hydraulic unit.

I did contact KLN for a quote but did not pursue it with them since they were not offering anything significantly more than what Sundaram Motors offered. Do I cant comment much on them.

This is the second chevy I am buying from Sundaram Motors and my experience has been decent. They do some clumsy stuff (like when I went for the test drive after calling one day in advance, they still sent the TD car out for another TD when I reached at the appointed time. They then sent the car home for a TD next day after apologising profusely), but they are experienced in this business and mostly professional. I had my bumper replaced once when I owned the Aveo and claimed insurance. I also had 3 services of Aveo done there. They were professional and on time then. I dont want to sound like I am promoting them (and I am not) but so far, my experience has been good with them. Also given they are in the center of the city works for me very well.

Regarding insurance, there is absolutely no need for us to take the insurance with the dealer. Yes they make a decent cut in commissions. I was told too that I had to take insurance with them but I put my foot down, much to the chagrin of the sales guy there.

In fact, a day before booking the car, I got an online quote from many insurance companies but Royal Sundaram was the only one which called me immediately. I asked the guy who called me as to why there was such a big difference in the premium and he said it was because of commissions. He also told me that I have no obligation to get it done from Sundaram Motors and can get it done online myself. After booking the car, I got the chassis and engine numbers and bought it online. Got the policy document soft copy immediately.

The ACC, when in auto mode, also controls whether outside air should be sucked in or recirculation has to be enabled. So, if you are setting recirculation forcefully, then the "Auto" mode is effectively off. That is what I noticed in the last 2 days. I actually prefer recirculation all the time but have left it to the "auto" to figure it out for now.

[rsramkee]

Originally Posted by Topolino

Congratulations rsramkee,
Good Buy, nice colour and excellent review. Do post the FE figure as it will give an idea about the efficieny of New STECH-II Engine.
All the Best & drive safe.

Thanks. Just did my first full tank fill after March 2010. Fuel price as expected is a shocker. Few more days and I should have my first FE number.

Originally Posted by Pancham

can you please put up the pic of the keyless remote that you got from GM.

Here is a picture (sorry for the poor quality, I only have a 2MP bberry).

A couple of other pictures of the blue lighting in the night.

[Daewood]

Someone had posted the BEAT ACC will suck in outside air even if kept in recirculation mode. Is it so??

Originally Posted by myavu

No, never.
Vinu

This link says the opposite. Can any of the BEAT owners clarify this with the user manual?
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post1959475

Originally Posted by rsramkee

.., I got an online quote from many insurance companies but Royal Sundaram was the only one which called me immediately. I asked the guy who called me as to why there was such a big difference in the premium and he said it was because of commissions. He also told me that I have no obligation to get it done from Sundaram Motors and can get it done online myself. After booking the car, I got the chassis and engine numbers and bought it online. Got the policy document soft copy immediately...

Thx a lot @rsramkee for the detailed explanation..
Enjoy your new drive..

[SankalpDesai]

Congratulations rsramkee.

That is an amazing colour for the Beat. May you have lots of happy miles with your beauty.

I recently visited a Chevy showroom to enquire for the Beat. The deal you got is really awesome and does make the entire package VFM. Surprised to know that you managed to get insurance directly, without the dealer creating any fuss over it!!

Enjoy.

[myavu]

Originally Posted by Daewood

This link says the opposite. Can any of the BEAT owners clarify this with the user manual?
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post1959475

I will. A Beat LT owner since May 16 2010 (Clocked 6500 till date)

When switch on ACC auto mode- ACC will let in fresh air for sometimes and then automatically switch to recirculate mode. Once the set temperature is reached inside the cabin, it will let fresh air inside to maintain the temperature.

If we force recirculate or fresh air mode then ACC Auto will get switched off. There after if it is recirculate mode then no fresh air is pulled in or vice versa.

But as a rule for all ACC, feeble fresh air is pulled in to maintain oxygen/CO2 level inside the Cabin.

I had used Beat's ACC extensively last summer and can vouch on this .

Cheers!

Vinu

[Pancham]

Thanks for the pictures. Really love the BEAT. Do you wish to upgrade the wheels and get some alloys.???

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by myavu

When switch on ACC auto mode- ACC will let in fresh air for sometimes and then automatically switch to recirculate mode. Once the set temperature is reached inside the cabin, it will let fresh air inside to maintain the temperature.

If we force recirculate or fresh air mode then ACC Auto will get switched off. There after if it is recirculate mode then no fresh air is pulled in or vice versa.

But as a rule for all ACC, feeble fresh air is pulled in to maintain oxygen/CO2 level inside the Cabin.

Thx a lot myavu.
So, it'z better to keep the AC in auto mode while travelling through areas where air quality is good like in highways and better to keep in "recirculate-non Auto mode" while driving in polluted city roads.

[subscrive]

Congrats on your new ride.
And I really liked your writing style. Clear and informative.

OT ->
Compare Chevrolet Beat – Chevrolet Beat Comparison Chart Hyundai i10 1.1 iRDe has better milage than the kappa stuff…

Semi OT -> I dont find the price of Beat LPG on their site.

[gopinathann]

Congrats on the new car. Good color, I am also looking for the Beat. Waiting for the Diesel to launch and decide which one to go for.

[Captain Slow]

Originally Posted by rsramkee

Thanks. I agree about the power steering bit. My driving so far has made me appreciate the hydraulic unit.

rsramkee Congrats on the Beat! Very well written ownership report.
I absolutely love the beat in this color.

The the beat has an Hydraulic power steering ? I was under the impression that it had an Electric power steering. Could someone clarify this please?

How do you rate the stock head unit and speakers?

[quadmaniac]

Congrats rsramkee on the BEAT.

As an owner of a Morocco Blue Beat LT, I can vouch for the fact that the only disappointment you'll have down the line is why Chevy can't manage better sales with such a car, and why cars like Estilo STILL beat it in sales!

And Captain Slow, yes the Beat has HPS, not EPS.

[rsramkee]

@subscrive: Thanks.

Originally Posted by Pancham

Thanks for the pictures. Really love the BEAT. Do you wish to upgrade the wheels and get some alloys.???

I was thinking about it and was very tempting. But have postponed it for now. But certainly plan to consider alloys and a tyre upgrade depending on how my driving experience goes for the first few months.

Originally Posted by gopinathann

Congrats on the new car. Good color, I am also looking for the Beat. Waiting for the Diesel to launch and decide which one to go for.

Thanks. The owner's manual I got refers to a diesel engine option at many places. I do not know if its a recent addition to the manual but shows the diesel is not far away. Given the fuel prices and the build quality of Beat, a diesel Beat should fly of the shelves, if marketed properly.

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

rsramkee Congrats on the Beat! Very well written ownership report.
I absolutely love the beat in this color.

The the beat has an Hydraulic power steering ? I was under the impression that it had an Electric power steering. Could someone clarify this please?

How do you rate the stock head unit and speakers?

Thanks.

On the HPS, I got to know about it through the Autocar review:
Chevrolet Beat LT Review

The stock HU is very good in my opinion but the speakers are just about adequate. If you really like your audio and have a keen ear for it, I would say a speaker upgrade will help. A lot of ownership reviews mention the same thing.

Originally Posted by quadmaniac

Congrats rsramkee on the BEAT.

As an owner of a Morocco Blue Beat LT, I can vouch for the fact that the only disappointment you'll have down the line is why Chevy can't manage better sales with such a car, and why cars like Estilo STILL beat it in sales!

Thanks. I totally agree that GM needs to up its marketing strategy.

Originally Posted by SankalpDesai

Congratulations rsramkee.

That is an amazing colour for the Beat. May you have lots of happy miles with your beauty.

I recently visited a Chevy showroom to enquire for the Beat. The deal you got is really awesome and does make the entire package VFM. Surprised to know that you managed to get insurance directly, without the dealer creating any fuss over it!!

Enjoy.

Thanks. They did not really create much of a fuss. Just a couple of times, they politely tried to tell me that insurance should be taken with them, which I did not buy into.

[Daewood]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

The the beat has an Hydraulic power steering ? I was under the impression that it had an Electric power steering. Could someone clarify this please?

That was the the biggest surprise when i test drove the BEAT.
Combined with the 80 horses it is certainly a fun to drive car, though not a pocket rocket.
I would rate the BEAT steering as the third best among all hatches sold in India after the Punto's and Figo's. Even the SWift steering pales in comparision.

[SMK_BLR]

Congrats, and the color looks awesome on beat. The same color (with little variation in shades though) looks very good on Punto (medium grey), Figo (sea grey), City (not sure of official color name), Vista (cavern grey). Great choice! Me too chose sey grey on my Figo

I checked out the beat before deciding on Figo. I liked the exterior design and lines + the dashboard. But, rear-seat as you mentioned are not so comfy on space and lighting.

Wish you lotsa happy miles on the beat!

[rsramkee]

@SMK_BLR: Thanks

Just finished my first 100 KMs. Some of my other observations

1. The gear shift seems to be getting better but is still a bit too rubbery for my liking. I am hoping that it gets better with time.

2. The noise within the car when driving (NVH) is low. At lower RPMs I can hardly hear the engine running. A couple of times I went up to 3K RPM. Beyond 2K, the engine becomes slightly audible and the vibration feedback on the accelerator pedal is noticeable. Well within acceptable limits.

Had my first two skirmishes on the road. Minor ones thankfully.

3. One, a two wheeler parked his bike so close to my front bumper and thanks to the low driving position I could not even see how close it was that I just started the vehicle and it tipped the two wheeler over. As it fell down the side stand of the bike got locked on to the underbelly of the front bumper. I got down and carefully took the bike out and thankfully the fiber glass came back to its original position and does not show any visual signs of the incident

4. Two, usual one. A cyclist hit my rear view mirror and made it fold the other way. Thankfully nothing happened. Its a blessing in India if your rear view mirror can fold either way.

5. I am thinking about seat covers. Black leather ones hopefully to go with the decor but some of the prices I have seen are scary (upwards of 25K). Art leather gets too hot in the chennai sun. The fabric seats are fine enough but I am afraid they may get dirty soon.

6. Contrary to the reviews I have read, I find that during the day when the headlights are turned off, the speedo area is too dark to get a quick glance of the speed. Its not an issue in the night. Is it that the speedo is supposed to be backlit all the time or its just me?

7. The front wipers are adequate. Do the job well.

8. The various cubbyholes for storage are very well though out and very useful.

9. The car does very well in the second gear. I can literally drive around in heavy city traffic without using the first gear and the car does pull away nicely in the second when I want it to. The third and fourth are responsive enough to make me feel happy driving this car.

Planning a chennai-blore high trip to finish my first 1000K so that I can go beyond 2k RPM. Hopefully within the next 2 weeks.