Driven: Chevrolet Aveo 1.3 diesel (95bhp) LTZ 5-door

Long journeys have a knack of highlighting a car’s strengths and weaknesses.

It was such a jaunt to the Excel centre in London that provided a good opportunity to put the attractive Chevrolet Aveo 1.3 diesel five-door hatchback through its paces.

Foolishly I had relied on some internet directions, which I later realised, took me the long way round, making me late for a meeting. The route took me through such glamorous locations as Wandsworth, Clapham and Kennington, which all suffered from ludicrously long tailbacks, resulting in the Aveo’s engine stop/start reliably cutting in virtually every time the traffic halted.

That diesel engine can be a little vocal on occasions, especially when starting while the five-speed box is a joy to use, smoothly changing through the gears. That said there are some occasions when public transport is simply easier and more convenient to use and this is certainly the case when travelling to Excel.

My return route through the Dartford Tunnel would have been fine if I’d been carrying cash. I wasn’t and so the nearby service station charged for the privilege of withdrawing some. Not the best of days particularly as I was still reeling from the effects of food poisoning at a local pub. But the Aveo coped well particularly with the higher speeds of the homeward journey.

The steering mounted cruise control proved very useful especially for keeping within speed limits. Some road noise could be heard within the cabin but this was no worse than in any of the competition.

In many respects the little Aveo feels like a larger vehicle and while it is clearly not a sports car it is responsive and nippy and really good fun to drive when pushing it hard and throwing it round corners.

Luxuries include air conditioning and electric front windows while the digital speedometer reminds me of Kitt, Knight Rider’s famous 1982 Trans-Am car. The only criticism is that the handbrake is too close to the driver for comfort in a similar way to some Protons, but I dare say you get used to it.

Quality of the fabrics and overall comfort is good and I like the futuristic curved dash. There’s a reasonable driving position, too although the massive amount of headroom does take a little getting used to but good for those over six foot.

Externally Chevy’s owner, GM, has borrowed some design cues from others, which work well, such as making this five-door look like a three by concealing the rear door handles. I also particularly like the striking lights at the front, which help give this small Yank a purposeful look.

Parkers, the car experts, say: “It drives well and is refined for a car of its size. Despite being a small car it feels comfortable on the motorway and soaks up the bumps without issue. Inside, features have been carried over from other models in the range such as the Cruze and Orlando. It feels well built with plenty of neat touches and there’s lots of room, even for taller drivers.”

All-in-all the Aveo is an accomplished little vehicle.


Chevrolet Aveo 1.3 diesel (95bhp) LTZ 5-door

Economy: 68mpg (quoted combined)
0-60mph: 12.2secs
Top speed: 108mph
Power: 95bhp

New price range: £9,995 - £13,615

www.chevrolet.co.uk


By Tim Saunders

Follow us @TotallyMotor