Jun 28, 2012 03:42 PM
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As the title suggests, there is nothing unclear about the Beat (Diesel). It's a stylish car, with best in class features, good fuel efficiency and ride quality, at an affordable price. Now getting in to my version of the Beat review , we were first looking for an entry level petrol car and started with researching on Alto K10 and Eon. Eon was soon out of the picture with it's extremely compact build and design which was not appealing to me. Later we moved on from Alto also as we couldn't help ourself but to notice the features of Beat Petrol, of course at a slight higher price.
As the research progressed, I figured out that going for a diesel car is the only way to use it for daily commute without a huge pinch in the pocket. So the only contenders were Tata Indica, Ford Figo and Chevrolet Beat. Indica was out in the preliminary stages itself because of the taxi/cab 'aura' of it, besides I heard from some of my friends that most of the service centres don't discriminate between taxi drivers and others, in a negative way. Anyway, so it was only Figo and Beat then, but the Beat beat the Figo by the features available in the same priced models and also in styling as well as fuel efficiency.
So we got our red sizzling Beat on 10th June 2012 and it has been a great experience so far. We (together) have almost completed 1000 kilometers and getting ready for the first check up. My evaluation of the vehicle is as below, on various parameters.
Styling: One of the highlights of the vehicle is its styling, may be not for everyone's taste, but it's a pleasure to see the vehicle on the road. I have not done a lot of visual upgrades other than weather guard smoke, which certainly adds to the looks. The chrome finishing of the grille with golden Chevy logo is elegant. Though really dark, the interiors compliments the red colour with high gloss finish on instrument panel and door. Oh and the special attraction of interior is the speedometer-tachometer console with the digital clock. The steel wheels which looks nice come as a standard fitting.
Comfort: The air conditioner gets cooled fast enough, even in warmer climate conditions. The drive is not very shaky even on uneven roads, thanks to the comfortable suspension mechanism. There is more than enough leg space in the front with my height of 5'7", besides when my parents and brother came down to visit us they never complained about space or congestion on the back seats. Boot space is actually an issue if you have a bigger family. With only two of us travelling most of the time and occasional visit of family, the boot space is good enough for us. The front seats are really comfortable and ergonomically designed.
Technical: The electronic power steering is feather light and no stability issues until 100 km/h, which is the highest speed I clocked till the day. The EPS comes handy in tight turns and parking spaces in the city. Ground clearance is good enough to clear the unscientific humps on Bangalore roads. I am getting an average of 17 km/l in the city (approximation with respect to the fuel filled) and hoping to see better figures on highways after the first service. There is a slight turbo lag when shifting from first and second gears, however I'm learning that a diesel car should be shifted to the next gear only after achieving sufficient RPM in the previous gear. The 1000 cc engine is not extremely powerful as obvious, but with smart gear shifting pattern Chevrolet Beat is one of the perfect city cars. Once you are in the car, you don't feel any vibration which we usually expect from a diesel car, that too only with three cylinders.
The only issue I was facing when I started driving the Beat was the visibility, however now that I have a decent idea about the size of the vehicle. For me, the visibility problem was more perceived than real and currently I am comfortable with the vehicle.
My dealer was Trident Chevrolet located in Richmond circle, Bangalore. Though they were very enthusiastic till closing the deal, I had to call them up for updates after that, till I got the vehicle. However the support was good in terms of coordination for bank loan and registration. Also they gave me remote lock and an inverter for free among other small utilities (steering cover and car cover). The overall experience was good compared to the other dealers I contacted, especially Kropex. They tried to sell the car to me my threatening me that "You will anyway have to come here for service" and that "the other dealers would sell old stock to you".
Besides the weather guards, I bought a Sony Xplod music system which suits my requirement of not-so-loud but crisp music. And my next target is to get a body coloured spoiler instead of the factory fitted black one for the LS version. I am not missing the roof failing on the LT version, but yes the red spoiler!
I am sure that I have missed out some or other details in the review though I tried to make it as comprehensive as possible with limited time available. Let me know if I could help with more details.
