We were hoping to get a new sub-compact from Chevy that would ape the design of the Beat concept, but we're seeing more of a Malibu influence in these spy shots of what appears to be the next-gen Lova in China, or what we know as the Aveo in the U.S. The front grille especially looks inspired by the Malibu's schnoz, which is fine, but the rest of the car -- in particular the tall greenhouse -- is still easily identifyable by its econo-car roots. You can also see a few shots of the interior in the gallery below. Though not very clear, the instrument panel looks agreeable, though you can bet the materials were chosen to hit a specific price-point rather than look and feel like high quality pieces. Truthfully, however, we don't really know if this updated Lova has anything to do with the U.S. market Aveo, and these pics aren't the greatest. Still, it could hardly be any worse than what we've got now... right?
We might have suspected it'd eventually come to this. Chevy has started paying people to pay attention to its Aveo. Well, not exactly. In a unique piece of advertisement, Chevrolet erected a billboard in London with an image of an Aveo hatchback decorated in real one-pence pieces. It was certainly a clever ploy to grab the attention of the public and illustrate the 769,500 pence price of the car, but it didn't stand a chance against the prying fingers of passersby. In a mere 30 minutes, human vultures had picked the billboard clean of currency. Perhaps it's some kind of sad commentary on the nature of society, though it's kind of amusing to think that you could dig around for pocket change, and with a little determination, go buy an Aveo.
Consumer Reports isn't known for completely trashing cars in its reviews. In fact, the publication is more often criticized for going too easy on them and finding something to like in everything that passes through the CR garage. But dang if they didn't just tear apart the 2008 Chevy Aveo sedan, going so far as to say its big-bro Cobalt is an all-around better car and better deal for bargain shoppers. They cite Cobalt's comparable fuel economy, better handling, quieter more refined interior and, after discounts, better price.
The magazine calls the Aveo a "miserable little car" and, since they couldn't find the name "Aveo" anywhere in the car's interior, thinks GM might think so, too. CR says it readers certainly thought the Aveo was miserable, rating the hatchback and sedan variants at the very bottom of their classes.
Worse than the Cobalt? Ouch. We tested the 2007 model and gave it a resounding score of "eh." Any Aveo owners out there who want to defend there little Korean cars' reputation? Anyone?
Every year, cars get just a bit more expensive. There was a time, which doesn't seem too long ago, that ten grand and a signature was all you needed to walk out of a dealership as the owner of a brand new car. Today, not so much. In fact, according to J.D. Power and Associates, $15,000 gets you just two-thirds of the choices you had just two years ago. Holding up the bottom of the list is the Chevrolet Aveo, which, along with the base-model Cobalt, makes GM the only American player in the cheap-car sweepstakes. The 2009 Aveo, however, has a higher base price than before thanks to the elimination of the lowest price value model. The Koreans in the form of Hyundai and Kia offer three choices, and the remaining five slots are ably filled by Japanese manufacturers.
While there may be a few more vehicles that have base prices below the $15,000 mark, J.D. Power's numbers actually reflect transaction prices rather than MSRPs. Some vehicles, like the Honda Fit, are able to maintain some driving enjoyment to go along with their low prices, and these cars often command higher prices because of the demand for them.
Ladies and Mr., the new Chevy Aveo for the European market is proof positive, which is greener the grass not always on the other side (at least for now). The new Aveo five-door admits you before of the same car remind vaguely as the Kalos in Europe, should, which is sold in US like the Chevy Aveo5. Excluded, i.e., for the hyperbolic front end with its enormous grill. When we reported first on the car before Frankfurt motor show 2007, there were really many readers, that commentated, how much they liked new views of the car. These people are more than the welcome to induce to on Europe if we are concerned. (I am into my fourth stone at the moment, thus me for my openness excuse). The cherry on the Design of the Aveos is reliably its safety divice exhaust openings, which with those on Ford bind the focus 2008 for most useless.
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