Chevy Beat design and styling
The Beat is decidedly the funkiest small hatch in the Indian car market at this time. It may not have the evolved sophistication of the Polo, the oddball extremity of the Swift or the ‘dont offend anyone’ philosophy of the Figo, but it’s got a unique, vibrant and charming personality. The Beat doesn’t come across as just another car and refuses to go unnoticed. You may absolutely loathe it, but you cannot ignore it. It’s very youthful and fresh in its appeal and makes a strong case for itself to the young urban dwellers.
The most remarkable aspect of the beat’s exterior is its face. The bold twin-grille divided by a slat bearing the pretty Chevy bowtie in the middle looks imposing. The inner edges of the two grilles get a lining of chrome to add some element of class. The daunting face is further complemented by the huge, swept back headlamps which lend the front end of this car a rather masculine look. The flanks of the bonnet have been raised in the shape of a crest to give add some more to that chiseled muscle look. The big front bumper and the massive central air dam together complete the audacious, yet somehow inoffensive front look of the car.
The bold and somewhat brawny look continues its march to the car’s profile and to your heart. The prominent headlamp is visible almost in its entirety from the side – its darkened edges (a style element increasingly adopted by carmakers these days) adding some more panache to the whole design exercise. The car looks sporty with a sharply dropping roofline after driver’s seats. The front windows drop almost into the front fender to add a feeling of speed and motion. Front and rear windows together are slanted towards the sky, and taper towards the rear end of the car to add an element of dynamism. The pronounced wheel arches lend some more character to the front fender and the haunches. It’s a far cry from the look of your regulation hatchbacks, but to Chevy designers’ credit, manages to pull the act off in style.
It’s at the rear though that the Beat starts losing the essence of its aesthetic premise. The muscular lines give way for round and floral shapes, and while it doesn’t look bad per se, it doesn’t fit into the overall design theme either. There tail-lamps are round in shape and have been given an overdose of chrome around them. These lamps are surrounded in a housing which resembles a petal. Overall it looks okay, but we would have really relished seeing the masculine theme extending to the rear for a more harmonious overall design.
Overall, the Beat has got the pizzazz to turn heads wherever it goes. It’s bold but balanced. It’s a fresh, youthful design which you would never feel embarrassed to flaunt, which often is the case with such bold experiments in car design.
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Chevrolet Beat Introduction
Chevrolet Beat Design and Styling
Chevy Beat engine, transmission and performance
Chevy Beat interiors and features
Chevy Beat Ride quality, NVH and Handling
Chevy Beat – Summing it Up
Chevy Beat Specifications