American car maker Chevrolet is known for making cars that are modern and fun to drive. The point was clearly proved in India when they decided to bring their Beat hatchback to our car market. The Chevrolet Beat was an instant hit especially in metropolitan cities with the old and young along. For example, Chevrolet car dealers in Mumbai have had a field day selling the Beat to people who were looking to replace their boring and staid hatchbacks which had mediocre performance with something that was never been before and looked totally cool.
The Chevy Beat can be bought with either a petrol or a diesel engine under its bonnet. There even is the option of teaming the petrol engine with an LPG unit for the more eco friendly among us. The petrol engine is a 1.2 litre, 4 cylinder motor that puts out a healthy 79 bhp. If you are running the car in LPG mode, that figure drops down marginally to 76 bhp. The diesel engine powering the Beat is a 936 cc, 3 cylinder motor that manages to deliver 58.5 bhp. Both these engines are connected to a 5 speed manual transmission. The Beat is agile and quick in city traffic. You can point this car at small gaps and dart in there thanks to its peppy engine and slick gearbox. Even the diesel Beat, despite having some turbo lag, manages to put up a good show of driving around in rush hour traffic and narrow roads.
Without doubt, the USP of the Chevrolet Beat is its design. The car looks unlike any other hatchback plying our roads today. A rakish looking body, sharply sculpted headlamp clusters, angular stance, stylish rear and even a rear door handle that’s fitted vertically in the window assembly, all come together to make the car look really funky and space age. And talking about space age, the interiors do their bit to contribute to that look with blue illumination, silver instrument binnacle and a futuristic dashboard layout. Also, with the Chevrolet Beat price in Mumbai ranging from INR 4.68 lakhs to INR 7.28 lakhs, it can be agreed upon that this hatch is within reach of a vast majority of the car buying population as well.
Another car that the American manufacturer has on offer in our country is the Chevrolet Spark. Those who have keen eyes can immediately tell that the Spark was originally the Daewoo Matiz, which Chevrolet rebadged and reintroduced as the Spark. With the prices of the Chevrolet Spark in Mumbai hovering between INR 4.03 lakhs and INR 4.69 lakhs, the company has positioned this car as a more affordable option of inexpensive transportation for the masses. The Chevrolet Spark has only one engine option – a 1.0 litre petrol motor that makes 63 bhp. Power is directed to the front wheels through a 5 speed manual gearbox. The engine is surprisingly refined and zippy enough to make city driving an effortless affair.
The interiors of the Spark are still quite spartan and there is not much in the way of creature comforts. The car gets an air conditioner, power windows all round and a 2 DIN stereo system. There are cubby holes, storage recesses, cup holders, door pockets and a glove compartment for putting things away. The instrument binnacle is plonked on top of the centre console and it gets a digital tachometer. The front seats are still quite uncomfortable and while its ramifications might not be so apparent on a short hop, it becomes quite pronounced on long drives. Overall, the plasticky quality of the interiors was a big letdown as well. From the outside, the Spark is not going to win any beauty pageants! The car has received some minor modifications to distinguish it from its earlier self such as clear lens headlamp clusters, a two part front grille, fog lamps with a chrome lip for a bit of bling, oval tail lights and roof rails. But despite all this, since the asking rates of the Chevy Spark are so low, one cannot really gripe about its foibles. Also, ignore the boring interior and the dull styling and you end up with a car that is actually pretty decent for daily chores and commutes.
