Chevrolet Beat Test Drive Report


CYRUS43

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Wow! Today has been a Beat assault across ACI, first a slew of pics & a TD now. As always ACI has delivered the 1st TD reports.smiley20.gif

 

I have liked the design of this car which is modern & forward looking.

Interiors are befitting to the exteriors. New design element of the dash, speedo is a welcome change.

I don't mind the absence of rear quarter glass, will let in less heat in the wild summer months & goes well with the overall design of the car.

 

GM could have plonked a 1L unit & gone against the A-Star, its natural rival I guess. A diesel under the hood shall fire up things!

 

Overall this car could give Chevy. the sales its hoping for, GM should try hard & price it competitively against the A-Star & not i10.

 

 
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Superb TD report man,

 

This beat looks much better than i10 & A*, should sell really well.

 

People who can live with an avg Gear Shift, can easily save a lot of money & can enjoy their life with this car.

 

Its excellent on both Inside & Outside, good  mileage(better than i10), 3 yrs chevy promise, on a whole

 

AN EXCELLENT PACKAGE
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Thanks Cyrus for the first report.The design is a bit radical from the normal and due to its very good design cues it is surely bound to attract buyers.

The front grille and appearance are Cruze inspired. The next fact thats a practical addition is the instrument console-steering symbiosis  during adjustments.

The front headlight assembly though quite chic looks prone to damage due to its giant size and strategic location, even in case of minor hits by little things like bikes and scooters.GM should appropriately ensure spares availability at affordable prices for the buyers of that segment to take on HMIL and MSIL.

And the punchline: Its speedo resembles the 2010 version of the late 1950's Standard Super Ten!

anjan_c20072009-12-03 14:07:58

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Cyrus,hats off for ur report... I was about to go for, chevy spark LPG, the best LPG and best VFM small car in its class IMHO. But i have been hearing about this new small car from Chevy since a long time. Just desprete to know if this has a factory fitted LPG variant, and also wish to know if there will be a 1.0L variant. Fingers crossed and waiting for its launch.CYRUS432009-12-03 16:13:54

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Dear mike_beat,

So far, the manufacturers have launched LPG variants when their car models hit a stagnation stage in sales or when sales drop. Omni, Wagon R, Indica, Santro and Spark are only some examples. So, I do not expect any new car to be launched in LPG version in the first two to three years. However, if you are very particular of having only a LPG car, you can always get a RTA approved kit fitted in any Petrol car. And, after fitment, inform the RTA and get their approval.     

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Hi Ramesh,

Thank you so much for that insight now i know what to expect. Since you know well about this subject hope u wont mind me troubling you with a couple of more doubts(i have always been that kid who "asks too many questions"). The factory fitted kit comes with a toroidal tank that goes into the spare wheel compartment,under the floor mat of the boot(even for beat it is like that)(well the spare wheel has to hang in the boot), while the other kits i have seen here are boot space killers... so the question is are such toroidal tanks available in third party fitments? and the second question is Wont the warranty of the car get void if i fit an LGP kit?( with the chevy 3 year promise i will never want that) - thanks in advance

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Yes Creative, my dream is a beat with GM's factory fitted LPG, because from so many owner review and otherwise i came to know that the GM's LPG kit is so much superior, gives great milage with no compromise on power and plus i have a LPG refuling station near my house so i could save so much on fuel expense. Hope they come up with it soon instead of waiting for 2-3 years. - and hey Creative i will never do anything that will void the chevy's uncomparable 3 yr promise

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sorry the links are not working on the previous post here are the links - carwale.com in depth review - http://www.carwale.com/research/roadtests/view.aspx?id=49&pageId=1 and the video preview(scroll to the end of the page) - http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/51846-new-gm-chevrolet-beat-scoop-pics-pg-6-12-18-22-details-pg-16-a-25.html

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  • 2 months later...

I too took a test drive of the Beat and was mighty impressed with the car!

The car on the display was in Moroccan Blue and catching eyeballs. The design is sharp and impressive. Come inside and the car welcomes you with lot of room.The steeply raked A-pillar and the dashboard makes the car look big. The front seats are supportive with lots of bolstering but a little more thigh support could have been a welcome. The seat height is slightly on the lower side just slightly! And it helps for easy ingress and egress. The steering is nicely shaped and feels good to hold. The overall plastic quality seems good, but the plastics used for the inner door handles feel a bit cheap.

Coming to the back seat and there is lots of legroom. Again the thigh support is a little less, but the good legroom makes for it. Also there is plenty of headroom. Even though the rear window is small it doesn't make the environment claustrophobic. The overall airy and roomy cabin makes the car a good place to be in.

The boot felt at par with the competition!

Now come to the ride, handling and performance.The test vehicle was in the super red colour Base model. Beat's ride is going to become it's selling point. It's the best in its class. The stearing is light and that's a welcome surprise from chevy as i found the stearing of spark and cruze on the heavier side. Bad roads are no problem for Beat, But there us a problem, and its with the sound insulation. The drumming sound made by the tires on bad surfaces creeps into the cabin. Also when the car crashes into the pothole, you can hear loud drumming sound. The suspension is softly set for comfortable ride.The handling is neutral. The body roll is evident, but is not bothering.

Coming to the engine and gearshift, the engine is smooth and refined but is no where near to the K-series. The idle is pretty silent. The engine felt rev happy. The gearshift is smooth with short throws. The clutch it self is good. Overall the ride handling and engine is good except for the insulation of cabin.

Also, i felt that the steeply raked A- pillar is a bit thick and creates a blind spot, and the rear quarter window and the c-pillar does the same.

At this price , Beat is all set to become a Seller       

      

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