In a move intended to erase any memory of drab Daewoos, Chevrolet is giving its hatchbacks and family 4x4s a new look with extra visual clout. You’re looking at the first evidence of that move; this is the new Aveo, the replacement for the Kalos supermini, which will be shown at the Frankfurt motor show in September.We've got two images of Chevrolet’s new Fiesta rival before the covers come fully off next month, and they lay to waste any notion of blandness or anonymity at a stroke. The new Aveo, which launches in 2008, gets a twin-pane grille inspired indirectly by those seen on Audi models in recent years, and perhaps more overtly by the Chevrolet WTCC Ultra concept which appeared at Paris in 2006.Aside from the car’s gaping grille, it also gets clear lens head- and taillights, a new range of engines and gearboxes and a much-improved cabin, Chevy tells us. Two engines will be offered at launch – a new 1.2-litre petrol unit developing 83bhp and a 97bhp 1.4-litre engine, which will be available with an automatic ’box.Underneath, the Aveo is based on the same model architecture as the current Kalos, but it’ll be the last new Chevrolet supermini to use it. In 2009 the brand’s Matiz replacement arrives, and that will be underpinned by GM’s all-new global supermini platform, which will also form the basis of the next Vauxhall Corsa.UK sales of the new Aveo are scheduled to begin in spring 2008.
Add your comment