Production-ready Chevrolet Aveo to appear in Paris

(September 8, 2010) There is no shortage of world firsts for Chevrolet at the forthcoming Paris Motor Show, and joining the Orlando MPV and Cruze hatchback show car will be the all-new Chevrolet Aveo 5-door.

The car will go on sale in the United States and Canada in 2011.

The Aveo RS show car was displayed at the Detroit and Geneva motor shows earlier in 2010, and the final production-ready car looks every bit as compelling as the show car.

Entering the highly competitive global small car segment, striking design elements of the new Chevrolet Aveo include the dynamic looking front with its exposed twin-headlamps and Chevrolet’s signature dual port grille, compact taut body panels with a rising shoulder line and short rear overhangs,  rear door handles “hidden’ in the c-pillar and a 'body in, wheels out' profile.

Reminiscent of the recently introduced Spark in Europe, the new Aveo is designed to appeal to younger customers with its sporty hot-hatch look. A four-door sedan variant will launch in Europe alongside the hatch next summer. Both hatch and sedan are practical small cars providing ample interior space.

Final specifications of the new Aveo will be carefully tailored to each market in which it’s offered.

Wayne Brannon, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe says: "It's just such an exciting time to be at Chevrolet; in Aveo we have a car which is ready to compete against the best in the small-car segment."

The new Aveo is longer and wider than the current model, giving it a spacious interior and cargo volume that is among best in class. The interior design perhaps holds even more surprises than the outside, in particular the motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster which features an analog tachometer combined with a digital speedometer.

The gasoline engine range includes two 1.2 liter versions (at 70 hp and at 86hp), a 1.4 liter unit (100 hp) and a 1.6 liter (115hp). For the first time, Aveo will be offered with two versions of a 1.3 liter diesel engine (at 75 hp and at 95 hp) featuring Start/Stop technology.

Chevrolet's first 6-speed automatic transmission on a small car will be featured on the Aveo 1.4 and 1.6 as an option in most European markets; manual transmissions are of 5 or 6 speed depending on engine choice.