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    My heart din't BEAT a bit

    14 years ago | Nafsin

    User Review on Chevrolet Beat [2009-2011] LT Petrol

    Detail Review:
    Rating parameters
    (out of 5)

    3.0

    Exterior

    2.0

    Comfort

    2.0

    Performance

    3.0

    Fuel Economy

    4.0

    Value for Money

    PURCHASE:
    Not Purchased

    DRIVING:
    Did a short drive once

    Its different.... For those whose are fed up seeing those swifts, wagon r's, santro's and i-10's..... chevy brings you THE BEAT.

    Exterior

    The headlamp seems to be too much dragged on to the hood. The width of the tire (which is obviously visible) & the wheel cover design is pathetic (not an issue for those who are ready to go for the option pack). The rear door handle design is unique (as i said 'its different'), but the handle is plastic & its cheap and pulling the handle should be in the opp direction (those who own the car will know it)

    The car was first seen in the movie Transformers-2. It had great sporty looks with some amazing graphics. when i heard, that was the car Chevy is going to launch, i was really happy and never believed i would have a second thought in buying the car.Even the Ad was very interesting. But I was proved wrong.It looked entirely different from the movie. But only when i heard about the pricing, i came to know that, it was a value-for-money car rather than a awesome sports hatchback. All in all a different looking but not a great looking car. [Some guys may disagree with my review on the looks. its just my personal opinion]

    Interior (Features, Space & Comfort)

    First time you sit in the drivers seat, you see the steering column (i know, thatz obvious). It looks great. Similar to that of cruze and honda jazz. Then the instrument cluster, again, it looks different but cheap. the instrument panel is attached to the steering column, so the steering adjustment doesn't affect your view on the cluster. The use of plastic on the instrument panel is so cheap that u get bored after looking it for a while. I don't think it would have cost chevy anything more if they had used a better quality plastic.

    The stereo sound quality is according to the price of the vehicle. Its just OK not good. The USB port is a micro USB one, you may need a connector to connect a pen drive.

    Another add on is with the a/c. You rarely get climate control for a/c at this price. The a/c is good. but the blower sound is too much and it does take much time to cool even at 32 degrees

    There is enough space inside for handy stuffs. The boot space is very small even for city people. i-10 has done far better in utilizing the space. With lesser overall length the engineers have managed to get almost same wheel base and 226 ltr boot space as compared to 170 ltrs in Beat. That is why I think people chose i-10 as the favorite small family car through carwale awards.

    The interior is awesome once it gets dark. the green illuminated lighting creates a great ambiance in the car. the a/c - stereo part really looks awesome when lit.

    Now people who are short like me will have a visibility problem. the dash is placed a bit higher than it should have been or there could have been a height adjustment(the good thing is, you get used to it). The A pillar is too wide and blocks the view a bit. Apart from that, the seats are really comfortable. the gear knob and the a/c - stereo controls are easy to reach.

    Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox

    My title to this review gives my opinion about the performance. Its not good as expected. May be the hype created by chevy in those Ad's made me think so. The initial pickup in the first 2 gears is very less. (this wont affect much in bumper to bumper traffic) but still, it is an area of concern. (people who use the older versions of wagon-r, alto, estilo etc will know very well). The engine sound is neither sporty nor cool. Its some what disturbing.....Even when i was not happy with the looks of the car, i hoped the performance will be great. But I was proved wrong again.

    I am not sure about the fuel economy. They said it gives around 16-17 km-pl, but considering the acceleration to be given for sudden pickups(common is city traffic, or else the people behind u will start honking like anything), i would expect 12 km-pl with a/c.

    Ride Quality & Handling

    The car does bump on potholes and bad roads for which the tire size is to be blamed for. otherwise its smooth on good roads like any other small cars. The steering wheel is light & the turning radius is a boon to city traffic.

    Shifting gears is not smooth. Feels like getting stuck sometimes.(you will get used to this issue also)

    As mentioned above, the light tiltable steering wheel & the turning radius gives a good handling. (getting wider tires can make it better)

    Final Words

    Its a car, which is a real example of what we say 'value for money'. People who have to travel most of the time alone or with one companion can opt for this car, reason being.... better pick-up & mileage with few people and better space for luggage, in a car loaded with features at an affordable price. In my personal opinion it is not a car for a family of five.

    Areas of improvement  

    Engine power & sound, Tire size, Plastic quality in the interiors, height adjustable driving seat, blue tooth connectivity. [Apart from engine refinement, all other improvements could be bought into the optional pack with a affordable price hike for those who really love this "Different Car". This can give a real kick to Figo]

    Wish You guys a happy purchase & safe driving. Ciao

    Best Features in class, small turning radiusPowerless,gear shifting, cheap plastic, cramped rear legroom, boot space, small tyre,
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