Small car that feels like a sedan

 

Exterior Exterior design tastes really differ from person to person. I found the curvey bonnet and high rear design exciting. Rear door handles are aesthetically placed, and add to the streamlined look of the vehicle.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Chevy are overdone themselves here. Even with the PS version, you get great seats, an awesome dashboard (even though steering wheel does not have the flashy silver thingies that you get in LS/LT versions). Front passenger has probably the best leg space in the small car segment. Both my wife and I are taller than average and we really appreciate the leg space up-front.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Just drove the car from TN to bangalore and the Beat drove great! Fuel consumption was consistent at 23 kmpl on the highway. It warmed my heart to see half the tank left after more than a 450 Kms drive! It is true that GM has refined a lot of features, including the gearbox. The engine is a lot quieter and the A/C is much, much more powerful than the Spark. The A/C probably deserves another mention here - even on the lowest setting, it was effective enough to cool the car within 30 seconds or so (it was about 36 degrees outside).

Ride Quality & Handling My previous vehicle was a Spark, and I can feel a lot of difference. Steering is a lot smoother, gears shift easily and noiselessly. Suspension is great, the car rides easy over pot-holed roads. The Beat does lack raw power though, making it difficult to overtake at slower speeds.

Final Words I had compared the Beat with Figo before making the purchasing decision. I felt the Figo was harder to handle, plus the fact that it is priced about 50000 more than the Beat. Boot space was not a considering factor for me (Beat has much lesser boot space). Overall, I am very satisfied with the Beat so far.

Areas of improvement GM should offer more accessories in-built in the PS version, it is over-priced slightly. Dealers are sometimes hopeless, GM should improve their dealer network. Rear seats could be improved further and also, the boot space. Some parts of the dashboard and door handles look cheap. Doors do not have safety lock near the latch, still have to rely on knob locks on the windows. Accessories are clearly overpriced at the showroom.

Retro dashboard design, excellent steering control, plush seats, unbeatable fuel economyPS version slightly overpriced, less power makes overtaking hard