Chevrolet has upgraded and released its Aveo hatch. On the surface and in spec it looks the part.

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The most noticeable change to the little Chevy is the front-end styling. Dominating the face is a large horizontally split grille and the iconic Chevrolet 'bow-tie'. The use of black plastic honeycomb material in the grille gives the car a sporting appeal. The front really looks the part of a pocket rocket with some hard-edged wrap around headlights and round spots (LT model only) but unfortunately a legal number plate slapped right in the middle of the new grille dampens the mood.

For the rest it is a tidy combination of subtly flared arches, an upward sloping waistline, a side vent that looks to have fallen out the SAAB parts bin and the rear gets a honey-come diffuser type treatment. Wheels placed towards the outer extremities help the hatch stay grounded. 14-inch steel wheels are the norm on all but the top of the line LT model — this gets 14-inch alloys from the outset. All Aveos hatches will now have colour-coded bumpers but the bottom of the line L doesn’t get body coloured mirrors or the tidy roof spoiler.

With one of the longest wheelbases in the class, the Aveo has a fair amount of interior space and legroom. With the front seats set for comfort it is still possible and comfortable to fit a couple of adults in the back and the boot space will still allow for a handful of bags. Luggage capacity with the rear parcel shelf in place measures in at 220 litres while this increases to 1189 litres when the rear seats are folded. I had the new Aveo for the weekend and it swallowed up a mountain bike with ease. Unlike a number of its natural competitors the Aveo is available with a tow bar and a 550kg towing capacity.

Besides the spaciousness the interior also plays a trump card with decent finishing, specification and material choice. With some snazzy pop-out drinks holders and seat-mounted shopping bag hooks you get the impression that the designers wanted to raise the game for this market sector. The dash, unlike a number of similarly priced options, isn't a large expanse of lunchbox plastic. It curves in all the right places has some not too over the top touches of silver trimmings and is simple and ergonomically well laid out.

Aircon is standard across the board but a CD/MP3/radio sound system isn't a given on the bottom line L model. The L also only gets manual windows, as opposed to the front electric LS and all round electric LT. The LT is the only variant with electrically operated rear view mirrors.

All four derivatives of the Aveo Hatch feature active and passive safety enhancements. The body structure is designed around a safety cage with crumple zones and energy dissipating characteristics. Impact absorbing bumpers help limit damage in low speed impacts.

ABS is standard on all models. The L is fitted with a dual-stage driver-side airbag and seatbelt pre-tensioner while all other models have dual-stage airbags and seatbelt pre-tensioners for the driver and front passenger. Lower anchors and tether attachments are provided on the rear seats to facilitate the fitting of child seats.

Besides the restyled front end the most noticeable change to the Aveo Hatch lineup is the new lump under the hood. The 1.5-litre has been ousted in favour of a 1.6-litre engine, this means 15kW and 17Nm extra. On the road it is a comfortable performer and will not disappoints in the day-to-day commute or even on the long road. The engine is however a touch heavy on the loud and vibration side. Claimed fuel consumption averages read 7.3l/100km for the manual and 7.7l/100km for the automatic.

Power is put to the front wheels via either a five-speed manual or four-speed auto box. Ratios on both are well suited to round town and speed limit driving. Ride, thanks to a McPherson front and torsional rear is comfortable. Steering is also a plus point in the Aveo Hatch portfolio. It has a slight weightiness without being heavy. At speed it straight-line stability is good but only tilt adjust is there for comfort.

Service intervals are 15 000 kilometres and a three years/100 000 kilometres and three year rust protection warranty is standard but there is no standard service plan.

Pricing:
Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 L A/C 5-door Hatch: R112 900
Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 LS 5-door Hatch: R125 900
Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 LS A/T 5-door Hatch: R135 900
Chevrolet Aveo 1.6 LT 5-door Hatch: R144 500