My Beast with Beauty ! (video review link inside). Review on Chevrolet Beat

I had spotted a misty lake colored Chevrolet Beat being test driven on Pune Mumbai expressway in December 2009, since then I had this car on my upgrade list and finally got my Beat after driving Alto LXI just above 2 years.

I also had Ritz vxi variant and Ford Figo zxi models on my upgrade list, Maruti Ritz sports a different look in terms of its rear styling that climbs up with the car height and has a really different set of rear lights along with a new way in which the front grill of the car looks fresh in comparison to other Maruti cars, also it has advantage of Maruti brand with a good fuel efficient K-Series engine. Ford Figo is proving to be a runaway hit with Indian car buyers who are seeking smart features in their car with adequate space in the rear seat and a very spacious boot amongst the current lot of hatchback launches. I canceled Ritz from list because at the price point of Chevrolet Beat LT and Ford Figo zxi it does not offer features like Automatic Climate control, rear wash viper, CD player at the same time this car started being a common sight on roads like Hyundai i10, Santro and Swift and I was not happy the way in which I was treated by Kothari Wheels service center from where I was getting my Alto serviced. I had to call 5-6 different numbers to schedule my service appointment; the service executive who would come to pick up my car would be in a big hurry and would not take time out to at least list down what problems I am facing with the car while preparing the service work order.

I had only Ford Figo and Chevrolet Beat on my radar then so I decided to test drive both cars; I got very poor response from Ford in getting a TD arranged for me. A Talera Ford executive was rude enough to ask me to come to their showroom to TD Ford Figo post which I got 2-3 calls asking me if had decided to go for this car, they started getting pushy in terms of sales without arranging a TD so it was curtains down for Ford.

I never had Hyundai on my list. I know they have best-sellers like Santro and i10 and now even i20 is selling in good numbers, they have understood Indian car market well however the uniqueness factor of these cars dies down very fast. My brother and my father-in –law have a Santro and I did not like the engine refinement of Santro and I am not a fan of tall-boy design along with a design In the front section of the car that slides down from the wind shield and falls flat while moving towards the bonnet.

I got my TD for Chevrolet Beat arranged through Carwale.com with a good follow up with Pashankar Auto Wheels in Pune.I got my Alto lxi exchanged for Beat LT and in 2 weeks I had my Chevrolet Beat delivered to me.I have clocked around 500 Kms drive on my new car up to now and it is a real pleasure to drive this car, car handling is amazing in the city I have not taken my car yet on the highway. Space at driver seat is comfortable, forget the low pickup myth on the 2nd gear it is a boon for city riders which reduces the effort on shifting from 3rd to 2nd gear in traffic conditions and contributes towards good fuel efficiency.First FE recorded was 10.60, 2nd FE improved to 13.73 with normal unleaded petrol.

Speaker Upgrade:

Front Speakers - Illusion Audio Electra Series 4" component - EL 4.1 - for 4.5K(with tweeters)

Rear Speakers - Illusion Audio Electra Series 4" coax - EL 42 - for 3K.

In terms of looks this car is guaranteed to turn heads, it handles small potholes on road and bad patches with ease. Steering is very responsive and my suggestion to new beat owners would be to drive the car in the rpm levels of 1.5K – 2.5K to get good performance out of the car till the time it is tuned during the first servicing. I liked the styling of car dashboard and the light effects on the music head unit that enhance the dashboard beauty during night. Quality of material used is very good across seat fabric, door and dashboard plastic, toughness of car body with a safety rating of 4 out of 5 as per international standards. Notable features for me in this car are:

Adjustable Steering, Automatic Climate Control, 3 Year warranty from Chevrolet, Killer looks, good torque and pickup, stable driving experience, super silent engine, well insulated cabin which cuts out most of the commotion outside on the road with your windows rolled up, 60-40 folding rear seats with good leg room for seating in the rear.

Besides this air conditioner in the car works real fast and chills the cabin in no time, de-fogger function for the rear and front glass screen is powerful, rear seat seating is adequate for 3 adults provided one of them is not oversized else it is better for 2 people. Body roll for rear passengers is minimal so if the car moves over speed breaker or a large pothole.

Drawbacks to the car:

Tyre upgrade required in case you travel frequently on highways which would come at a cost of lower FE, OEM speakers also would need upgrade as they sound bad on high volume, small boot space could be a issue again if you go on long trips with family with heavy luggage.

For many this car would seem to be too loud and they may prefer to stick to Maruti, Hyundai and Ford with their recent launches like Ritz, i10, i20 and Figo. Comparing this car to Volkswagen Polo and Fiat Punto would not be justified since these cars fall into a different price point and at a slightly higher level of B segment hatchbacks.Updated review Thread for pics, videos and more - https://bit.ly/9RDWek.