2011 Chevrolet Aveo - Review

The Basics:

With the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo, General Motors is taking its small-car destiny in its own hands, bringing its Honda Fit fighter home to America--in terms of design and production.

The 2011 Aveo, to be shown at the 2010 Detroit auto show in concept form, is the second generation of the subcompact for General Motors. Unlike the previous Aveo, which was penned and engineered by GM Daewoo in South Korea, GM has designed this version in its U.S design studios and will build the Aveo not in Korea, but in a revitalized plant in southeastern Michigan.

The concept Aveo RS on display in Detroit wears some unlikely performance cues--it's a concept, after all--but underneath the flares and add-ons, there's a handsome new shape for the Aveo. Chevy says the design takes some influences from motorcycles, and is designed to appeal to younger buyers. A twin-piece grille and round taillamps tie it in with previous Chevy efforts; the show-car exaggeration takes the front end's grille and pulls it to the ground, with deep air intakes wrapping into flared fenders, aluminum-trimmed headlamps, and a sideview with hidden rear-door handles that give the Aveo a three-door appearance. At the back, the Aveo "concept" wears a roof-mounted wing and a center-mounted exhaust port. Inside, the Aveo concept's dash lifts some cues from the larger 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, from the vents that flank the center stack of controls to the gauge styling.

There's more on loan from the Cruze here--the Aveo and Cruze share a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that turns out 138 hp in this application. It's teamed to a six-speed manual transmission. Big 19-inch wheels hide blue-painted brake calipers. The production version's expected to sport a control-arm front suspension, with a simple strut suspension in back.

Chevrolet hints that the new Aveo will be longer, wider, and offer more interior room than the 2010 Chevrolet Aveo--which TheCarConnection's editors give an overall rating of 5.2 out of 10. The new car will have a flat-folding rear seat in five-door versions, while a sedan body style could offer the same seating option--though GM hasn't confirmed that model exists yet.

Safety equipment is expected to include dual front, side and curtain airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes and stability control.

Can GM overcome the reputation of today's car and make a big splash with the new Aveo? There's more to come on the 2011 Chevrolet Aveo RS concept and the lookalike production model--stay tuned to this page as TheCarConnection keeps you up to date on GM's latest small-car introductions.