This is the 3-door Chevrolet Aveo supermini, which will go on sale in September. It follows in the footsteps of the five-door model, which goes on sale in May. Chevrolet expects Aveo to become its best-selling model in Europe.

The three-door Aveo will be released with two engine choices: an 84 horsepower, 1.2-liter, four-cylinder unit or a 101 horsepower 1.4-liter four-cylinder unit. Even the interior is a carryover from the five-door variant, as is the massive front grille and non-functional side vents. Highlights include curved clear-glass lamps and a large split grille, which makes the company’s bow-tie logo a styling feature. Clear-glass lamps also appear on the rear. There has been an even more dramatic improvement inside. The Aveo features soft-touch plastics and higher-quality fabrics to create a more upmarket ambience than the Kalos’s cabin.

     

PRESS RELEASE

Zurich/Geneva: The new three-door Chevrolet Aveo celebrates its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show (March 6–16, 2008). With this debut, Chevrolet is consequently renewing its successful compact class family. The five-door version that premiered at the Frankfurt Show in September 2007 will go on sale in March. The most significant features of both models are their striking exterior, high-class interior and a new, even more efficient gasoline engine. Like its notchback stable mate, the new hatchback models will now bear the name Aveo throughout Europe. European dealers will have the dynamic three-door hatchback in their showrooms from June 2008.

Buyers will have a choice of two gasoline engines: a new 1.2-litre unit, now with two overhead camshafts and an output of 84 hp, and the upgraded 1.4-litre engine, which now develops 101 hp. The bigger unit is available with automatic transmission. Both engines are even more frugal than their predecessors when it comes to fuel consumption. For example, despite the fact that its performance has improved by 12 hp, the basic engine will now need roughly 14 per cent less fuel in the MVEG fuel efficiency comparison.

The Aveo is playing a key role in the success story of Chevrolet Europe: Over 440,000 cars of the compact-class family have been sold since 2002. With a 25 % share of the model mix (2007), it is also the biggest seller in the Chevy range.