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Chevrolet’s supermini for the masses is a departure from the usual Korean fare. June Neary tries the Aveo

I must admit that I wasn’t hugely overwhelmed at the prospect of a loan Chevrolet Aveo for a week.

To whit, my preconceptions were that it would be slow, ugly, cheaply finished and that my friends would snigger at me. Although a few press pictures had done the rounds of the office, there was no way the Aveo could look as good in the metal as a mainstream supermini like a Ford Fiesta, a Citroen C3 or a Skoda Fabia. When it arrived I had to spend a good few minutes eating a fortifying combination of hat and humble pie. The Practicalities

The old Kalos was a pretty good looking car and its successor continues that theme, though has notably sharper-looking front end with upswept headlamps and an enormous double grille punctuated by a serious Chevy cross logo. It’s got about twice as much attitude as any other small car you could care to mention. I reckon the three-door model is even smarter, with the flanks being sculpted to incorporate pronounced flared rear wheel arches. At the back, there’s one of the neatest rear lights clusters around.

It’s nothing like as exciting inside but then this is a car that sits very much at the affordable end of the supermini spectrum. Chevrolet has specified and trimmed the interior wisely, giving it a sensible equipment count, fairly decent materials and as much space and versatility as the design constraints allow. It’s not the biggest car in its sector, but the compact torsion beam rear suspension means that there’s plenty of useable room in the back.

Behind the Wheel

The driving position will feel very familiar to people who have owned a Daewoo or Chevrolet Kalos in the past – which should help dealers in getting customers to trade up. The foolproof handling and ride feel much the same too and the steering is still very light, angled towards shoppers rather than enthusiasts.

The 1.2-litre petrol engine will get to 60mph in 12.7 seconds and run on to a top speed of 108 mph. If this isn’t enough, go for the 1.4-litre petrol unit that I tried which fronts up with 101bhp. This is usefully quicker, topping out at 110mph and hitting 60 in 11 seconds. It’s the 1.4-litre that I’m driving here and it’s actually quite a complex engine, with four valves per cylinder and a system that Chevrolet call DCVP (Double Continuous Variable Cam Phase) that helps to boost torque at lower revs and power at higher engine speeds.

Visibility out of the Aveo is very good, although larger drivers may find that the dashboard moulding intrudes on legroom a little. Both engines are decent units but the added motorway refinement of the 1.4-litre powerplant would swing the balance for me.

Value for money

Prices start at below £8,000, allowing Chevrolet to substantially undercut many of its mainstream rivals. With two engines and three and five door body styles to choose from, Aveo customers also benefit from a decent level of standard kit. "Plenty of car and equipment for a fair price" is part of Chevrolet’s corporate philosophy and the entry-level Aveo adheres to that maxim with driver and passenger airbags, an MP3-compatible CD stereo and wipers with intermittent facility. Plusher trim levels add tinted glass and electric front windows. Options include 15-inch aluminium wheels, leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob, an onboard computer, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and automatic climate control.

The Aveo campaigns on the basis of solid value for money, so it’s no great surprise to hear that running costs are screwed tightly down. It might surprise you that there’s no diesel model, given that the GM group has some great diesel engines at its disposal, but it would be tough to make the additional cost of a diesel version worthwhile to the typically hard-headed Aveo customer. As it stands, the 1.2-litre model will return 51.7mpg which is good and emit 132g/km of carbon dioxide. The 1.4-litre variant, on the other hand, sups at a rate of 44.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 142g/km.

Could I Live With One?

Contrary to my initial suspicions, the Chevrolet Aveo is a very likeable car. True, its image isn’t up there with the class best, but the engines, the styling and the equipment give little cause for complaint. Even some particularly badge conscious friends were rather impressed when I rolled up in one. And, as I reflected driving away, if serial label freaks like them could be impressed by the Aveo, there’s hope for the rest of us.