Shaking up the mainstream

Around March of this year at the Bangkok International Motorshow, we spotted a spunky little sedan over at the Chevrolet gallery. Almost as cute as the hatchback Aveo the size of Chevrolet’s pleasantly performing Optra, the Aveo sedan looked simply too good for the Philippine market not to have sooner or later. Now it’s October, fuel prices have more or less stabilized (which is not to say we’re happy with it, of course), and the entry-level market is steadily coming to its senses with what it can really afford when it comes to wheels.

For these cost-conscious buyers, they obviously want a frugal motor, and they’ll readily sacrifice bragging rights in the horsepower war if it means they’ll go farther on a full tank of gas. Just ask those hordes of buyers happily putt-putting around in Picantos, Getzes, Jazzes, Cities, and Vios(es?). They’ll also want a car they wouldn’t mind being caught dead in, which is why none of the subcompacts look anything like the "people’s car" clunkers of yesteryear. Heck, even the littlest of them all, Chevrolet’s own Spark, looks cute enough to color-code your sneakers with. Finally, they want a car they can trust their lives with, not to mention one that will stay in reasonably good shape as they work their way up the corporate ladder.

So, where does the Thailand-built Aveo sedan come in? Well, it’s obviously for the buyer who finds a little more maturity than what the hatchback implies. That and a reasonably big trunk. Whereas the space behind the hatchback’s rear seat is only big enough for a few gym bags, the sedan’s trunk will happily swallow several of those, plus a case or two of beer. Or to put it more graphically, our very own Motoring Editor could conceivably fit in there if the mood ever hit him. The exceptionally long trunklid hinges might cramp his style a bit, but the decent fuzz carpeting in there won’t ever scuff his shoes… and we can assure you that he’s got lots and lots of those in pristine condition.

But we digress. More than a trunk is in the cards for prospective Aveo buyers. You also get a fairly modern drivetrain, a "Euro-tuned" suspension, and a genuinely nice cockpit. While the hatchback can be had with either a 1.2 or 1.5-liter motor, the sedan makes a compromise with a 1.4-liter, 16-valve, twin-cam design that’s rated at 94 PS at 6,200 rpm and 13 kg-m of torque at 3,400 rpm. That puts it somewhere in between the 1.3 and 1.5-liter performances of both the Honda City and Toyota Vios, both of which are the established frontrunners in this subcompact sedan category.

Available transmissions are a 4-speed automatic or a 5-speed manual. We’ve yet to test drive a sedan, but past experiences with both the slushbox and stick shift versions of the hatchback lead us to prefer the former since the manual’s shift gate feels too vague and rubbery to be any fun for our tastes. Of course, if you want to save a sizable amount of cash (perhaps to pay for part of your kid’s tuition?), you’ll want the manual since it will only set you back P640,000. Otherwise, fork over another 40k for the automatic.

What else do you roll off the showroom floor with? The suspension is standard econocar formula of front McPherson struts and a rear Torsion beam; economical to produce and maintain, efficient in space consumption, and reasonable in terms of ride and handling. The "Euro Ride" suspension (that’s what the press release says) possibly suggests a nice and stable — but not necessarily nimble — highway ride. We’ll let you know the score as soon as we actually get to test it.

You also get spiffy 14-inch alloy wheels with 60-series tires, foglamps, and clear-lens multireflector headlamps, all of which are attached to a handsome body penned by the Italdesign Guigiaro Design Studio and looking rather like an Optra Junior. Details such as the subtle flair of the wheel arches, the slight pugnacity of the nose, and the "tumblehome" of the sheetmetal as it progresses from the roofline down to the waist give it a well thought-out look that will appeal to buyers looking for something different from the City-Vios uniformity.

Inside, a dashboard specific to the sedan features an expensive-looking grain to the plastics used, legible and idiot-proof switches and buttons, and well-shaped seats whether in front or at the back. Five adults can fit in a pinch, but you’re better off with just four. Unless you’re a cager, head- and legroom is adequate, with decent seat height to boot (the driver’s seat is even height-adjustable). Antilock brakes and dual SRS airbags are even standard, as is a 3-year/100,000km warranty to assuage any buyer misgivings about Chevrolet reliability. With funky color choices such as "Sparking Tan" and "Citrus Green" along with the usual black, gray, and silver, Chevrolet’s newest small car may be just what the bow-tie brand needs to shake up the burgeoning subcompact market.ss