Summing it up
Well, if this were to be a decision to be made by looking at the spec sheets, performance figures and price, the Beat would have been the only obvious choice in its segment. The Beat gives you a knockout bang for your buck, fusing great styling with a potent engine, great interiors, a plush ride, a bagful of freebies thrown in, and at a price which is by far the lowest in its class. To top all that, the car also boasts the best ARAI certified fuel efficiency in its class. Taking all those points into account, the Beat really makes a very, very strong case for itself in the B-segment. On the negative side, it feels cramped and claustrophic at the backseat, the engine is noisy at high rpms, the steering doesn’t have enough feedback to make you get playful and there is a fair bit of body roll too. But if your commute is primarily confined to the urbanscape, we don’t think you need to bother much about those shortcomings. The Beat is a fabulous car which delivers on every count without any compromises and still saves you a substantial sum of money. We strongly recommend you have a look at this car before making your final buying decision in this segment.
Upsides
Terrific value for money
Funky exterior and interior styling
Great cabin layout and plastics quality, funky speedo-odo
Good performance
Good fuel efficiency
Supportive seats
Good ride quality
3-year maintenance free offer from Chevrolet
Downsides
Engine noise
Gearshifter position and slightly rough shift action leaves something to be desired
Dark and claustrophobic back bench
Audio quality average at best
155/70 R14 (165 on top end) tyres not grippy enough
Compact 170 liter boot, considerably smaller than competition
The little big things
Knee strikes against the AC temperature control, temperature increases / decreases inadvertently
Passenger side front foot well is very comfortable. The passenger can extend his feet really far, and without the glove compartment hitting his shins
Door handles for the rear door placed vertically beside the window glass. Takes a moment for newbies to figure
You don’t get an alloy wheel as the spare wheel
Eight colours to choose from – Linen Beige, Cocktail Green, Super Red, Caviar Black, Misty lake, Moroccan Blue, Olympic White, Sanddrift Grey
Chevrolet recommends 32 Psi, 2-3 more than regular for more fuel efficiency
ORVMs fold in the opposite direction as well to prevent breakage in case someone bumps into them
3 variants : The 1.2, 1.2 LS and 1.2 LT. Airbags + ABS are part of an option pack
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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