Autoblog

Click on the photo for a gallery of high-res photos of the Chevy Beat

At the New York Auto Show today, GM Design VP Ed Welburn unveiled his trio of concept mini cars including the Chevy Beat. All three are based on GM's new global mini-car platform that will form the basis of the next generation of cars like the Opel Corsa, Daewoo Matiz and other models around the world. The Beat is designed as the sportiest of the triplets with a 1.2L turbocharged gas engine mated to an automatic transmission. Not a lot of other details are available yet but the Beat is the only one of the three with an interior. As we told you earlier, GM is allowing the public to vote for which of the three concepts is the best, with the winner ultimately influencing future small cars built off the global platform.

Check out the GM press release after the jump, as well as our live shots of the Beat in the updated gallery and a video of the concept's reveal after the jump.

You can view all the debuts and galleries from the New York Auto Show here.

[Source: General Motors]

It's not easy to put your finger on the pulse of the buying public, so Chevy decided to hedge its bets and build three mini car concepts, the Beat, Groove and Trax, and is leaving it up to us (as in all of us) to decide which one we like best. The public can vote for which concept is most appealing by visiting www.vote4chevrolet.com. While there's no guarantee the highest vote getter will be built, it will help guide the development of a future global mini car from GM.

So here are your candidates. The Beat (green) is by far the most sporty of the trio, with its slicked back styling and comparatively large 1.2L turbo engine. Technically described as a "tuner" car, the Beat is meant to be customized much like a Scion to an owner's own individual tastes. The Beat is a front-wheel drive, three-door hatch with an automatic tranny to divvy up the tiny motor's available power.

The Groove concept (black) is much like a mini HHR, a five-door wagon with a tall roof and flat sides. It's extremely short hood, big wheel arches and nonexistent overhangs mean that every square inch of the platform is utilized. Consider this the most practical concept of the three. Also a front-driver, the Groove is powered by a 1L diesel engine.

Finally there's the Trax (orange), which we've met before. The Trax concept is the mini ute of the bunch, doing its best to feign even the slightest ability to venture off the beaten path. We wouldn't suggest it however, as those tires lack any meaningful tread and the ride height, while high compared to the other two concepts, could hardly clear a curb (if that). It's the only one of the three that features round headlights, though its four-door, upright, box-like packaging mimics that of the Groove concept. It's powered by a 1L gas engine.

Which one would we choose? The Autoblog team is split, though this Autoblogger would pick the Groove if pressed. We'll come back at you with more details on each concept, including live shots, in just a few short hours when the 2007 New York Auto Show opens to the press. Check out the preliminary press release from GM after the jump.

[Source: GM]