Way to Go, Aveo!!

My parents bought an Aveo 1.4 LS Limited Edition in July 2007 after trying out several cars like Hyundai Verna, Ford Fiesta, Maruti SX4 and  Honda City ZX. Every one of those cars is  good in its own right. It would not be prudent to say that Aveo is an out-and-out winner in the class. However, if you are looking for an all-rounder with VFM (value for money), Aveo it is.

My  parents live in Kochi and I visit them 3-4 times a year. I look forward to each visit not the least for the chance to drive the Aveo. By now, I have driven it around 6 times totalling probably around 400 km of mostly city driving and one longish drive to Guruvayoor Temple, about 100km north of Kochi.

A summary of  my impression of Aveo follows:

Observer's Impression

• The Limited Edition 1.4 LS comes with several additional external and internal add-ons like 14" alloy wheels, fog lamps, a rear spoiler, all-round skirtings, a fin (a la BMW) towards the rear of the roof, chrome grip-type handles, leather upholstry, Keyless Entry etc. These extras completely change the look of the Aveo sedan giving it a very sleek, racy silhoutte
• On the inside, the instrument cluster is very futuristic - there are three cylindrical chrome-tipped holes holding the speedo, tacho and other displays. The Red lights on the indicators add spunk to the cockpit-like dashboard

Score: 4.5/5


Driver's Impression

• The drivers seat is a good place to be inside the Aveo. The seats are comfortable enough, the steering wheel is chunky and good to hold on to. The general ergonomics are good with all knobs and switches withing easy reach.
• Turn on the engine and you need to look at the tacho to confirm if the engine is alive - noise levels are very low inside the cabin
• Switch to first gear and start your drive and you realize that it is a little slow off the block
• Try shifting to higher gears as you pick up speed and you feel the gears could be smoother and could fall into the slots in a better manner. But no major problems here, you realize this limitation while comparing it to Fiesta's and City's slick gear shifts.
• The engine is a quiet performer rather than a racy, hot-blooded teen like in the Fiesta. But the 1.4 liter 4-pot is above average in power (94 bhp) and torque (127 Nm) and delivers reasonable mileage too (consistent 11kmpl is what I hear)
• I did not try any acrobatics like cornering at high speeds, but the control over the car was generally good.
• I was not very impressed with the brakes as it felt a little too soft at first, but this is something you get used to after a while and can take precautions when situations warrant sudden deceleration

Score: 4/5


Passenger's Impression

• Rear seat is even more comfortable than the driver's seat in the Aveo. Leg-room and shoulder space are ample and thigh support also passes muster
• The A/C is outstanding - even in the hot and humid climes of tropical Kerala summer, the insides of the car was kept at a consistently low temperature.
• The ride quality is superb. Rough roads are no hassles for this car. The high ground clearance of 180mm also helps tackle crater-sized pot-holes and triangle-shaped speed governers!!

Score: 4.5/5


Epilogue

In the Limited Edition avatar the Aveo 1.4 looks stunning. The alloys, the spoiler, the skirts and the fin all conjure up an image of a sleek, mean machine. Alas, it does not drive as well as it looks if you have genes similar to a certain Michael Schumaker, but for the comon middle-class Indian, the Aveo makes a serious lot of sense.

Overall Score: 4.25/5

Stylish Exteriors, Spacious Interiors, Reasonable Mileage, High Ground ClearanceEngine could be peppier