Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 LT

Sep 19 2008 Andy Richards

THE photographs in the brochure for Chevrolet's new Aveo supermini are full of families.

There are people with a dog, a picnic hamper, a young girl's bicycle, a basketball.

And there's a man loading shopping into the boot of the Aveo. Three bags are already in and he's holding a heavyweight fourth package.

The implication is they all fit easily inside, though not altogether, of course.

I don't agree. The Aveo struggled to cope with my family of four's weekly shop.

I would certainly like to see how the bicycle is fitted in, together with parents and daughter.

I know the back seats can be dropped and there's a wide opening tailgate to help with loading and unloading.

But it's time for a dose of realism. Cars of these dimesions simply do not take much luggage, however cleverly designed.

And when you do load them up, it's at the sacrifice of the back seats.

All that said, provided you are clear about its load-lugging limitations, the Aveo is quite a perky little character - fun and easy to drive, and ideal around town.

And it is large enough to make long journeys in relative ease, provided you are not hauling suitcase luggage.

The Aveo hatchback comes as a three or five door and I took the mid-range 1.4 16-valve model.

It comes with an impressive comprehensive standard spec which includes 15-inch alloy wheels, a roof spoiler, front fog lamps, air conditioning, a reasonable RDS radio and CD player with MP3 aux-in jack and steering wheel mounted audio controls.

The 1.4 petrol engine is quite impressive, although the vehicle is clearly not built for speed for any length of time - when noise intrusion becomes quite annoying.

Nevertheless, it handles quite lightly and, for those of us who sensibly watch the fuel dial closely, it returns a sparkling 47.9mpg.

The vehicle has simple, clear lines and some eye-catching features.

The tapered headlights accentuate the aerodynamic body and the wide grille gives it a more powerful poise.

On LT models, dynamic double spoke alloy wheels add to its profile.

Inside, there is good space and comfort. Importantly for taller people, there is plenty of headroom and shoulder room both in the front and back.

The seats are quite comfortable and fitted with contour-padding for better support.

The cockpit layout and dashboard is clean and well laid out, making driving straightforward and fairly effortless.

The layout ensures that controls are all within easy reach so you don't have to stretch or search for what you need.

I was grateful for the height adjustable driver's seat which enabled me to adjust the seating to a higher position, with that, in turn, giving me a clearer view of the road and surroundings.

For the record, there is 220-litres of luggage room and more if you use the flexible rear seats.

There is also a good range of storage compartments for items such as maps, keys and mobile phones, all with easy reach while you are on the road and able to keep them out of sight when the car is parked.

The Aveo takes safety seriously, featuring advanced passive and active safety technology. That includes anti-lock brakes and two front and side airbags.

FAST FACTS

Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 LT 5dr

Price : £9,545

Mechanical : 100bhp, 1,399cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox

Max speed :109mph

0-62mph : 11.9 secs

Combined mpg : 47.9

Insurance group : 4

CO2 emissions : 142g/km

BiK rating : 15%

Warranty : 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 5yrs paint, 6yrs anti-rust