Spy Shots: Chevy Beat finally hits the road
Testing of the Chevy Beat is officially underway, and our friends at NextAutos have procured the first set of spy shots. The camo'd mule is still sporting the short overhangs and upright silhouette of the concept, but GM decided to equip the squat city car with another set of doors to make ingress and egress easier for rear-seat passengers.Initial reports suggest that power will be provided by a 1.2-liter 16-valve DOHC inline-four, mated to either a manual or automatic gearbox. The Beat will make its production debut sometime in 2010 and will go on sale in Europe in early 2011. As previously reported, the Beat won't be making the trek to the U.S. until it meets the fed's crash-test standards, so we won't get a shot at the Beat until the next generation arrives – whenever that is.
[Source: NextAutos]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DP 1:10PM (8/06/2008)
What is the point of this vehicle, if they don't plan on bringing it to the United States?!
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Josiah 1:42PM (8/06/2008)
Business is up across the pond, and in the far east. That's the point. As soon as winter hits and Americans forget they're paying 70% more for gas they'll forget about small/gas efficient cars (until summer 09 when it happens all over again)
why not the LS2LS7? 2:15PM (8/06/2008)
In recent years, explorers have sent back credible reports of an "old world" just across the Atlantic to the east. It is possible these landmasses even support reasonably-sized civilizations.
I_Hate_China 2:47PM (8/06/2008)
> What is the point of this vehicle, if they don't plan on bringing it to the United States?
The market for Kei-car is far greater outside of USA, even in the age of $4/gallon gas prices.
iagei 4:08PM (8/06/2008)
I_Hate_China, the Beat is not a Kei Car. It's a Small B-segment, large A-segment. Roughly the size of a Toyota Aygo, maybe a bit bigger.
Swede 4:09PM (8/06/2008)
$4 a gallon is cheap.
Noz 4:57PM (8/06/2008)
uhhh...the sun does not revolve around the earth...just so you know.
CJ 4:16PM (8/07/2008)
Bah! Who cars about the rear seat passengers? If you want a ride you should have to earn it!
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g35lover27 1:19PM (8/06/2008)
Chevy needs to produce all three of their subcompact concept cars (engineer them as one model and make available three different versions, if necessary) and put them in Chevy showrooms yesterday. Make available a large selection of accessories form the dealer, like Scion. These cars are everything the boring Aveo should be.
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Torrent 1:29PM (8/07/2008)
Or the Aveo should just look like this: http://www.gminsidenews.com/naias/revitalization/chevroletria/aveo.shtml
eightyd 1:42PM (8/06/2008)
Great GM, we have to wait until the next generation. Because GM certainly doesn't need to release a reasonably attractive, probably high quality small car in the US right now.
Fantastic.
(should I have included the tag?)
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why not the LS2LS7? 2:15PM (8/06/2008)
Simmer down, reports say we get the Trax instead this generation. Is the Trax really vastly inferior to the Beat?
mike 1:53PM (8/06/2008)
It looks FAT. Buy hey this car is not coming to US so our opinion does not matter.
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Benfolio 1:58PM (8/06/2008)
Nice to see GM bringing back the 10inch steel wheel.
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RealityCheck 2:21PM (8/06/2008)
If GM is still to dumb to produce cars that meet US regulations then they will die sooner then we all thought. I guess Toyota can do it on the Scion line without waiting untill the next generations. All I can say is waht a bunch of Smucks...............
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Rob 2:40PM (8/06/2008)
"the Beat won't be making the trek to the U.S. until it meets the fed's crash-test standards, so we won't get a shot at the Beat until the next generation arrives – whenever that is."
Fedzilla strikes again...
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I_Hate_China 2:54PM (8/06/2008)
I do find the comment that Beat does not meet US crash regulations strange, because it is designed to pass even tougher Euro NCAP.
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why not the LS2LS7? 4:07PM (8/06/2008)
Neither is tougher or easier. They have different attributes to them. In some ways ours is harder (like bumper standards). In some ways theirs are harder (like pedestrian impact standards).
Remember, Lotus had to get lots of waivers to bring the Elise here.
Rick 6:49PM (8/06/2008)
Love the 13" wheels and the big, round, dorky mirrors. Beat FTW!!
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ryan 3:00PM (8/06/2008)
American revolution, my ass
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