Chevrolet Aveo [2009-2012] User Reviews

 

I purchased Chevrolet Aveo CNG last year around March from Triumph Motors, Shalimar Bagh. My plan was to buy a car which has factory fitted CNG and I was planning to keep the car for at-least 5 years. I am not the ones who change cars frequently.

Please note that I have been using WagonR for more than last 5 years so I was expecting performance at-least better than a hatch back. I have driven the likes of Skoda, Honda city so understand how a sedan should perform...

I have run this car for almost 30,000 KM and after a lot of frustration I am writing this review. In the end of this review I have a challenge for Chevrolet / GM as a company and want to see if they can take up this challenge.

Overview

We purchased this car from Triumph and realized after two months that there is a paint mark on the right front side of the car. I didn’t expect it in a new car so completely missed it. The mark is still there and that make me wonder how it could happen?  Can somebody answer?

I feel like this car has been assembled not in factory but at a mechanic shop. There is noise in all the gates and in-spite of complaining multiple times to service centers (Auto-Vikas, Peeragarhi;  Triumph, Wazirpur) they have not been able to resolve it.  

There is noise in engine also. Even when I am using the car in reverse gear (Back) there is noise in the car. Hold on – Yes, I know CNG impacts performance of Engine but I installed CNG kit in my wagonR after running it 60,000 KM and it is running smoothly without these kinds of noises even after 100,000 KMs. The engine of my Aveo sounds like a diesel engine even when it is on Petrol.  

Recently we have been advised by service center guys to get all the four tires changed to curtail noise coming in cabin. This is again one more reason of noise as specified by service center. Forgot about likes of Honda, Skoda; we got the tires of our WagonR changed after 50,000 Kms so why such a small life span of tires in case of Aveo.

We went to Jim Corbett last year December (in Aveo) and the battery of the car mal-functioned. The battery was replaced as it was in warranty but the whole experience was distressing for us. The car was in warranty however what would happen when the car will not be in Warranty.

Let us talk about performance now – With 9 Lt of gas our car gives a mileage of around 6 KMs which is not bar however the catch us it also consumes around petrol of Rs 1 / KM even when we are driving on CNG so the running cost of the vehicles even on CNG crosses 3 Rs/ KM.

Kudos to Central locking system installed in the car, the lock automatically starts opening and closing when we sit in the car. This problem was resolved once by Triumph, Wazirpur and has re-appeared now. I have nicknamed as “Ghost Syndrome.”

There is a mechanism which I believe if for safety reason that the car will not start unless the knob is placed on the vent through which CNG is filled. This mechanism malfunctioned and we could start our car even without placing the knob on vent.  The service center (Triumph) was not able to resolve that.

Please note we have explained these problems multiple times at different service center but in vain and these problems have not been resolved.  We have taken our car to service centers for 6 times and it has been very annoying.

Interiors are bad and you will be able to notice the space between two joints however not much of complaints as I could figure out these issues right up-front while purchasing the car. This was a compromise that I made.

Final Words / Challenge for GM/Chevrolet

I purchased this car because I saw many AVEOs on the road so there might be problem with my piece only? Can you get it fixed? Tell me the service center where I should take my car to and I will do it.

If you can’t get it fixed and you believe that there is problem with ‘my car’ only then could you exchange this car with a new Aveo CNG. I will pay the depreciation cost if you are willing to exchange at a reasonable value.

In case you believe that you manufacture all cars with this level of quality only then please don’t respond to this review.

I hope you keep a tab on review on these websites to improve.

I will keep everybody posted about the fate of my car.  Further I plan to post snaps of few malfunctioning features next week.

 

Good Style / ExteriorsPoor Performance, Poor Fitting, Too much noise

 

Hi everyone,

I am a B.Tech student in Delhi College Of Engineering. We have recently bought a Chevrolet Aveo LT, after a series of rigrous comparison between.

1. Ford Fiesta

2. Hyundai i20

3. Hyundai Verna

4. Fiat Linea

5. Volkswagen Vento

(Budget under 7 lac)

The very first thing that must be considered before saying anything about a car is certainly it's price. For example it makes little sense to compare a honda accord with honda city and conclude that city lacks charm!

For a 6.6 lac car the exteriors are decent. Far better than the TATA cars that absolutely lack cuts and curves. However the allow wheels are absolutely dumb and look more like "wheel covers" and also the 14" wheels are not justified, it should have atleast been 15" across. Even hatchback cars (volkswagen polo) now come with a 15" wheel. In terms of wheels Fiat Linea rocks!

Neway apart from the wheels, which is just average, the overall exterior is above average compared to the other cars in the market in a range of about 8 lac (exceptions being Volkswagen Vento and Fiat Linea)

As far as interiors are concerned this car is simply way ahead of the others. This is the primary reason why we chose this over Fiat Linea, Hyundai Verna and Ford Fiesta. The wooden trim and the learher finish are simply excellent. Plastic quality is also ok. Seating position is also comfortable and feels reasonably spacious.

However the plastic of the glass holders should have been better. This is one thing that lowers the excitement involved with the interiors, though after a bit of careful scrutinization. (Seriously)

The music system is also ok. Bass is good till medium range of volume after which it begins to crack. This is as expected as the system does not have separate sub-woofers. But still the rare woofers can produce a decent amount of bass for casual listning. As a rough idea the sound is approximately equivalent to a music system of about 2100 watts P.M.P.O (30 to 40 watts RMS). Trebble is ok even at slightly higher range of volume.

AC is very good, capable of cooling down the car to approx 25 degree celcius in about 200 sec with the outside temperature being approx 35 degree celcius.

 

The car is upto the expectation of a true petrol engine. A sheer pin-drop-silence even after ignition! Acceleration is fairly good. It reaches 100km/hr in about 14 to 15 sec. Maximum I've reached is about 140 to 145km/hr. I think it should reach about 150km/hr on good roads without much hassels.

The car is  very stable, streeing is good, above average handling. I pulled it to 85km/hr on the 2nd gear that too on a football field!! The car reaches upto 110km/hr in a butter like manner and you don't feel the speed with the windows pulled up. In short the ride is well in control and smooth (thanks to gas filled shock absorbers)

The only noticible problem was that several times (4 to 5 times) the transmission abruptly nutrilized on over accelerating suddenly (above 5000 rpm) on the 2nd and 3rd gear. Well this was all off  the road, while trying drifts. Has never happened on normal drives on the road.

Fuel economy is about

a: 15 km/l on highways  (without AC, with speed crossing 100km/hr when favourable).

b: 13 km/l on highways  (with AC, with speed crossing 100km/hr when favourable).

c: 17 km/l on highways  (without AC, with speed not exceeding 70km/hr).

 

Aftersales dealing is certainly poor Well this may vary from dealers to dealers so I dont wanna comment much on this. The sales department was dissapointing after purchase, they showed severe disconcern and irresponsibility after. However the service department has been fairly ok till now.

 

In Short Excellent as compared to other cars within Rs. 7 lac.

 

MRINAL MANI

ELECTRONICS AND ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

DELHI TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

EMAIL:  immortalchampion@gmail.com

Very good interior, above average exterior.Small wheels, miserable aftersale dealing.

 

Exterior The car is quite attractively built & is easily amongst the best "lookers" in its class. The car surely manages to turn a few heads when parked. I won a Black Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 LS and had convinced the dealer to provide me with a rear spoiler. The headlights are extremely powerful and the indicators are quite attractive as well. The "night appeal" of the car gets further enhanced due to the designing & the dynamics of the car.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The Aveo is easily amongst the most spacious sedans in its class. The thoughtfully built cup holder in the rear seat also acts as an arm rest. The seats are quite comortable, even for very long journeys. The fantastic cabin space ensures that there is sufficient leg room for a 6-footer. The rear leg room is also quite good. The best feature is the "height adjustment" feature for the driver.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The 5 speed gear box does pack quite a punch and ensures a smooth and easy acceleration and handling even at high speeds of about 140-150 kms/hour. The car is quite stable and has a good road-grip as well, thereby making the overall driving experience quite pleasurable.

However, the car could be a "fuel guzzler" in a city like Mumbai. I drove my Aveo for the first 10000 kms only in Mumbai and was getting an average of only about 9.2 Kmpl with AC. However, since I moved out of Mumbai, I have been getting a minimum city mileage of 11.5 kmpl and highway mileage of 14kmpl. But when compared to the pricing of the car and contrasting it with the other cars in the same league, Aveo 1.4 LS is definitely value for money.

Ride Quality & Handling Fantastic. The pick up though is slightly on the lower side when compared to a Maruti Desire/ SX4, Honda City but on the whole, the acceleration is smooth and the handling is quite good. The car is stable and as mentioned before, a powerhorse with good handling even at high speeds.

Final Words Value for money sedan when compared to all the other cars of its category. Definitely go for it & turn a few heads if fuel economy is not the sole deciding criteria.  

Areas of improvement The AC tends to stop functioning after driving for about 3-4 hours on the trot. Probably due to some component getting heated up. The ground clearance and "In city" mileage needs some improvement, especially considering the hopeless traffic and road conditions in Indian cities.

Styling, Dual Tone interiors, Dash Board, Road Grip, Low on maintenancePick Up, Fuel Efficiency, Ground Clearance

After actively considering Accent, Linea, Verna,Aveo, ,etc. etc., I finally chose an Aveo. At an on road price of 7.62 lakhs (after dealer discounts), it is a steal for the amount of features it offers including leather seats, two tone beige interiors, ABS, alloy wheels, driver side air bag, integrated 2 din player with six speakers (sexy music system). Feels like having graduated from a real small car (Wagon R, my earlier car driven for 45000 KMs in 4 years) to a rocking spacious car (especially too good for long drives... which is my passion).It is also easy to park.The dealer experience with sundaram motors was poor.It feels like sitting in heaven.I say it is the king of midsizers.Exhaust pipe used to get a hit in every bump before 1st curtacy check upSuperb Styling, Fantastic Interiors, Awesome Airconditioning, Good MileageSuspension too smooth, dealer experience

 

Exterior Execellent Looks & Curves, Chorme Handles, Alloy Wheels, Rear Spoiler, Fog lights etc. I brought Aveo LT Sanddrift Grey and it has an appealing look. Hope, this colour is the best among other colours although it was not my selection & I had to go for an available stock at dealer’s warehouse so as to avoid delay in delivery.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Luxurious finish, 2 tone (beige & black) colour combination gives a fabulous look. The Plastics used inside are of good quality & the fit & finish is absolutely perfect. The Seats cushions (with leather upholstery) are very soft that doesnt make you tired on long journeys. 2 Din Music System is praiseworthy & the music effect with 6 speakers rocks. But, no option for USB drive that makes little worried. However, this can be managed by using FM transmitter on Cigratte lighter slot. Front & rear leg room & head room are adequate. The glove box in the front dash board is quite small & doesn't have a lock for it. Key cylinder light is an added advantage during night, Tilt steer & driver seat height adjustable option gives a better driving posture. The doors doesnt have provision to hold water bottles. No light provision of light on the centre of the roof, lights are only on the front. Some times, the left leg touches the dash board and causes discomfort. But, it can be managed by just sliding down the seat backwards.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy, Gearbox, Ride Quality & Handling With regards to Engine Performance, it quite meets the expectation. I drove to Pondy from Chennai & it was a pleasure. Very less cabin noise, smooth drive & good acceleration. I touched 130 Kms and the car was very stable. Thought of attaining more speed but as it was a brand new car, I denied myself. The gear shifting was also smooth & the torque is perfectly aligned at each gear levels to give appropriate power. But, the reverse gear is totally annoying as it is kept at far left forward & doesn’t engage easily at various occasions. May be, we need to get used to this kind of reverse gear. Fuel economy was a concern in the city as it gave 8-9 KMPL. On highway, I assume it might have given 13 + KMPL. Contacted service centre & enquired about the mileage. They said it would improve after 1000 Kms.

 

Final Words/ Areas of improvement I shortlisted Aveo after considering Verna, Linea & Fiesta. I whole heartedly say “This Car is really a Value for money”. No regrets at all. I fully recommend this Car & you will relish when you own it. The service at KLN Motors was also pleasing & courteous. Right from the Test drive to delivery, it was excellent.

Chevy’s promise on maintenance is outstanding. I just paid 12 K (after discount) & need not have to worry about any other maintenance cost for next 3 Years. But, Chevy’s marketing about the Car is poor & that’s the reason you don’t see much of them on Roads. It was due to my exhaustive research that I shortlisted this Car & would thank Carwale for setting up such an opportunity.    

 

 

 

Body contours, Looks, Fit & Finish, Comfort & good performanceReverse Gear

I bought this car today & had driven almost 50 kms . It has got very refined engine & the best interiors in its class. It has got good inner space which can accomodate five persons easily . Also got large enough boot . Only negative i found on this car is gear shifting although much improved over older cars . It is really VFM .
Price, interiors , VFM , feel good factorGear shifting

Exterior Very good exteriors,not so good if compared with city or vento.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very good better than city or any other car in this segment,very spacoius , leather seats,tubless tyres are there, back seats are not fold-able, wrongly mentioned no in carwale comparison,audio system good,due to biege color dash board reflection on wind screen while driving,  left leg touches body  even if you are 5f 6 inches , very stable on high speed, very good for highway driving,

Not at all good for city driving when you are stuckup in jams very tiring at that time,i have not tried 1.6l may be this due to under power as compared to body weight.abc is optional but availble, ground clearence is much better than any other car

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Fuel economy if driving in city like delhi a tank full of 45 lit will give you only 400 kms means an average of 9 to 10 maximum with ac so if you are buying get ready to sread more money on fuel ,not very sure about verna or fiesta and city donot believe on show room claim look for true experience reveiws like this , gear shift little hard , engine performance good

Ride Quality & Handling Not very good for city driving

Final Words If compared with price its vale for money with little compromise . like city driving, power steering is not so soft like city, its ok

Areas of improvement Gear box should be more soft,same with power steering, fuel economy but i am sure company cannot do any thing in this regard, Not shown in any auto shows , even they donot consider this car for while comparing sedans like fiesta, verna ,linea, city , vento, thats the reason very low resale vale , company should put more efforts to bring this car at such platform that one must have confidence while buying this it is selling only due to all features are availble at low prise as compared to others, More media publicity is required, better after sale service is must , workshops should be better equiped to handle the cutomers very badly managed.

excellent ac,space ,interiorsgear shift little hard/average

Exterior Excellent Solid Looks, Great Style.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) A Comfortable car in terms of space. Interiors are eye-catching, Features are OK.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine performance is OK as to Chevrolet can give it a more powerful one, atleast a 1.5L. Fuel Economy is really good (12kmpl in city, 14-15kmpl on highway) as it all depends on how one drives his car. Gear handling is smooth.

Ride Quality & Handling Its been a joy ride right from day one. Riding and Handling is comfortable. It always remains in your control even at 120-130 kmph. You will not feel it that its runing at that much speed.

Final Words Overall, a Great car which is worth its price. This car needs marketing and publicity which the company hasn't tried from the day of its launch. It can beat all cars in its segment.

Areas of improvement An improved and a bit more powerful engine would suffice.

Style, Good Fuel Economy, Catchy Interiors, Tough CarSometimes have to compromise on Power

 

Exterior Amazing exteriors. best styling in its class. Better than Ford Fiesta, SX4, Dezire or any tata sedans. Comparable to volksvagen vento, or Toyota sedans.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very aesthetic interiors. a very high end feel to the car. Space is comparable to swift dezire, ford fiesta and other similar category sedans.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Engine performance is average for this car. Engine is smooth and u can reach top gear at speed of 40 as well as post 100, depending on your mood of driving. The pick up however is not good as it reaches its top power at 5000 rpm and beyond.

I've driven it for 40000 kms now and have been getting a mileage of between 10 -11 in city and 15-16 on highways with intermittent AC. I m not a very mileage conscious driver though so I drive fast wherver possible. A mileage conscios driver may get a better mileage of up to 12 in the city and 17 on highways.

The gearbox is smooth and probably the best in its class. Reverse gear is a little different and my get stuck sometime. m not sure if this is just a problem with my car.

 

Ride Quality & Handling The ride quality is really nice if you are not a pick up crazy person. I ve a Maruti swift 1.3 l also and I really missed that pick up in Aveo. Having said that Aveo has a decent heavy feel and with a little compromise in initial pick up, its a real pleasure to drive on highways.

Aveo has an hydraulic steering so you may feel the hardness in the city ride. You d however get used to it and its not problem to me despite having relative experience of both swift and this car.

I ve touched a maximum speed of 165 km/ h and still some more power left in the engine. Car is however not stable at that speed and it keeps leaving the road contact. During my average highway rides, I drive between 120 km/h to 140/ h depending on strecthes. 

 

Final Words Having driven some of the higher end Nissan and Toyota cars, I'd suggest that this s a nice value for money sedan with lots of features. I picked up my car in Jul 2008. GM has however changed a lot of features to suit indian markets. Engine performance however is not changed.

The car may have performed much better if it had power of 100 PS or more. This car wiill rock if GM releases it with a Diesel engine. With 95 PS at 1.4L engine, I believe its the best sedan with value for money and a high end sedan feel.

 

Areas of improvement Hydraulic steering - hardness can be improved. GM may even think about intoducing EPS.

The engine power ratios can be revisited to have more power at lesser RPMs for smooth city rides like what Toyota etios has done.

AC affects the performance of the car and GM may look at having a compressor which gives lesser change to engine performance.

 

Good interiors, excellent body styling, nice high end sedan feel, GM brandNot very agile pick up, a little hard steering, city driving on AC is not all that pleasant.