New Chevrolet Aveo to Start from £9,995 in the UK

The new Aveo supermini will launch in Britain next January with a starting on-the-road price of £9,995 for the entry-level 1.2 LS model, Chevrolet announced today. Buyers will be able to choose from four engines and three trim levels.

The engine range includes a 1.2-litre petrol unit producing 86-horses, a 1.4-litre petrol engine with 101PS and two 1.3-litre diesels, with power outputs of either 75 or 95PS. All four engines are offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the 1.4-litre petrol also comes with the option of a six-speed automatic transmission.

Read more »

2012 Nissan Versa Sedan Outsells Competition in Sub-Compact Segment

While it may not be the car most dream to own, the low $10,990 ($11,750 including destination) entry level price tag of the 2012 Nissan Versa sedan seems to have piqued the interest of U.S. buyers looking for a cheap new ride.

According to data released by Nissan today, in August, the first full month of availability of the new Versa sedan, the subcompact model sold of 8,566 units beating all of its theoretical competitors, including the Chevrolet Aveo, Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit, Hyundai Accent, Mazda 2 and the soon to be replaced, Toyota Yaris.

Read more »

2012 Chevrolet Sonic Priced from $14,495 as a Sedan, $15,395 as a Hatchback

GM has just released pricing information on its North American replacement for the Chevrolet Aveo, the new Sonic. When the subcompact model goes on sale in the U.S. this fall, it will be available in four-door sedan and five-door hatchback body styles with prices including destination to start from US$14,495 and US$15,395 (€10,290 - €10,930) respectively.

There are three trim levels, LS, LT and LTZ. The base models are offered with a naturally aspirated 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 135HP, coupled to a standard five-speed manual or an optional six-speed automatic transmission priced at $1,070.

Read more »

GM Unveils New Chevrolet Cobalt Sedan Concept at Buenos Aires

Here in the good ‘ol US of A, General Motors replaced the Chevrolet Cobalt compact car with the new Cruze sedan. In South America, however, it’s another story as the Detroit brand has given birth to a new Chevy Cobalt that is being revealed in pre-production form at this week’s Buenos Aires Motor Show (June 17 to 26) in Argentina.

Developed by General Motors Technical Center in South America, the four-door sedan Cobalt Concept is slated to enter production within the next year. GM’s press blurb doesn’t mention anything about the Cobalt’s underpinnings, but judging from the size of the car, it appears to be based on the Chevy Sonic (Aveo in Europe) saloon.

Read more »

Chevrolet Releases Mega Gallery of European Market 2012 Aveo Hatchback and Sedan

This past January at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, General Motor unveiled the new Chevrolet Sonic in final production form. Available in both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan body styles, the Sonic will reach U.S. showrooms this fall. In Europe, however, GM will continue to use the Aveo nameplate when its supermini goes on sale later this summer. Read more »

Chevrolet Sells 1.1 Million Vehicles Worldwide in Q1 2011 Recording its Best First-Quarter Results Ever

Driven by the new Cruze sedan and the globalization of the Chevrolet name, sales of GM’s brand in the first three months of the year reached 1.1 million vehicles worldwide, which is the best first-quarter results in the company’s history. Compared to the first quarter of 2010, Chevrolet recorded a 15 percent increase in sales this year.

Read more »

VIDEO: Chevrolet's Designers Talk About the 2012 Sonic

Revealed for the first time here in North America at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic will replace the Aveo as GM's new subcompact model, while retaining the Aveo nameplate in Europe and other international markets. In this latest video, the firm's designers discuss the styling features of the Sonic, highlighting the motorcycle elements featured in both the sedan and hatchback. According to Design Director John Mack, the aim was to create "a youthful, spirited car, one that stands out in the market". For the complete walk-around check out the video after the break. Read more »

Chevrolet Sonic Z-Spec Concept Bows in Detroit

Making its world premiere alongside the regular variants of the all-new Chevrolet Sonic sub-compact at the Detroit Show today is a Z-Spec-badged concept study of the five-door hatchback model.

Read more »

Chevrolet Unveils 2012 Sonic in Both Sedan and Hatchback Body Styles

General Motors will be showing off the Aveo's North American market replacement in the form of the all-new Sonic sub-compact at the Detroit Show later today. We've already seen the Sonic five-door hatchback, which will continue to use the Aveo moniker in Europe and other international markets, but the US automaker also released the first photos of the four-door sedan model.

“The all-new Chevrolet Sonic blends the practicality of a small car with the passion for driving that Chevrolet vehicles like the Corvette are known for,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “Its combination of great design, fun driving experience and the latest connectivity features create a serious competitor with a fun spirit.”

Read more »

2012 Chevrolet Sonic: First Photos of the North American Version of the Aveo

[Updated] It appears that the wait for Chevrolet's Aveo replacement is almost over as we have the first official photos of the North American-spec model. Confirming previous rumors, General Motors ditched the Aveo moniker in favor of a new name as the small car will be called the Chevrolet Sonic on this side of the Atlantic. The company noted that the model for markets outside the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which was first seen at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, will retain the Aveo name.

"The Sonic represents a new beginning for Chevrolet in the small car segment and so we felt it was time to give it a new name,” said Chris Perry, vice president, Chevrolet U.S. Marketing. “The new car is roomy, stylish and fun to drive, and Sonic is a youthful, energetic name that helps convey what this vehicle is about."

Read more »

Chevy's Angry-Looking 2012 Aveo Sedan Revealed in Leaked Photos

The first images of the 2012 Chevrolet Aveo econbox sneaked out on the web today following an earlier presentation by Bob Lutz. General Motors had previewed the next generation Aveo subcompact model with the sporty RS concept at the Detroit Show this past January.

The four-door saloon version keeps the same front-end design with the 'angry-looking' twin headlamps as well as the big grille and pronounced fenders of the conceptual five-door RS hatchback. Same goes for the interior, albeit with more production like and less fancy materials and decorative trim.

Read more »

Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept Previews GM's New Ford Fiesta Rival

The 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week will host the world premiere of the Chevrolet Aveo RS Concept car handing us our first look at the next-generation Aveo that will be sold on both sides of the pond competing with superminis like the Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris.

Longer, wider and more spacious than the current production Aveo, the five-door concept adopts several styling cues including the dual element grille, round tail lamps and fender flares from other Chevrolet models such as the Spark and Cruze.

Being an RS version, the concept model sports several unique features like the 19-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels that cover the large Boracay Blue brake calipers, a roof spoiler, a specific front bumper with large air vents, exposed motorcycle-inspired rear taillamps that feature tinted aluminum housings and a rear diffuser with a center-mounted exhaust and chrome exhaust tips.

Though virtually production ready, the concept model's interior has been adorned in leather with contrasting blue stitching, special decorative trim and a pair of sport front seats.

Under the hood, the Aveo RS houses the same 138-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-four Ecotec engine that will be available in the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze. Power is transfered to the front wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Needless to say, the series production model will be far less aggressive in the details inside and out, though there is a chance that we might see a similarly styled and powered sporty RS model added in the Aveo's range.

GM said that the production Aveo will be manufactured at its Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Michigan starting from 2011.

Chevrolet Pimps the Aveo5 for the Middle East

Apparently the Aveo5 can look worse, much worse as GM unshamefully proves. The American automaker has launched a new customization program for the small Chevy that is available across the Middle East. Mods can range anywhere from the simple fitting of alloy wheels and applying stick on decals moving on to more complicated fittings of front bumper kits, side skirts, rear wings, spoilers, hood and roof scoops or even a customized paint job. "We understand some people might want to build on that wonderful package, and there are several options for them to choose from while doing so," commented Karen Toor, Marketing Manager of Chevrolet in the Middle East. And if any of you think that the demonstration Aveo5 pictured above looks decent, we're pretty sure you'll have a change of heart after seeing the car's interior by following the jump below.

2009 Pontiac G3: Chevy Aveo now Available in the States with Pontiac face

Now repeat after us: hip, hip hurray for General Motors’ badge engineering! For all you folks that don’t like the bowtie logo and the split grille of the Chevy Aveo5 which itself is a rebaged version of the Korean market Daewoo Gentra (previously known as the Kalos), GM has stuck BMW-esque nostrils and a Pontiac logo to the Aveo5 and renamed it the G3. Available exclusively in five-door hatchback form, the Korean econobox will hill Pontiac showrooms in the U.S. in spring 2009. -Continued

According to GM, the Pontiac G3 “proves that you don’t have to sacrifice sporty design and responsive driving to achieve impressive fuel economy.” Don't you just love marketing talk?

The ‘sporty’ Pontiac G3 will be offered with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine generating 106 HP that can be mated to a five-speed manual or an optional four-speed automatic transmission. According to GM, the G3 can get over 30 miles per gallon on the highway. While prices have yet to be disclosed, GM said that standard features will include air conditioning, a CD/MP3 audio system with auxiliary input jack, fog lamps, rear spoiler, OnStar and four airbags.