GM India has recently updated the interiors of its hatchback Beat. The company has added several silver finish tweaks on the dashboard, steering and door panels. The ergonomics have also improved with the introduction of height adjustable driver’s seat on the car. Chevrolet launched the Beat at the 2010 Auto Expo with a petrol engine and in 2011 the company introduced the Beat diesel in the market. General Motors has been selling the model under the Spark nameplate in international markets.
Chevrolet is also offering a limited offer on the Beat with discounted price at just Rs. 3.39 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi) which is most prominently due to the launch of the Nissan Micra Active. The addition of height adjustable driver seat is based on customer feedback as the front seats in the Beat are quite low and feel uncomfortable while driving the vehicle in bumper to bumper traffic (especially for short drivers).
The petrol Chevrolet Beat is powered by a 1.2-litre, 4-cylinder, DOHC engine that generates 80 PS of power and 108 Nm of torque. The diesel mill is a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder engine with a power output of 59 PS and 150 Nm of toque. The diesel engine is a chopped version of the Fiat’s 1.3-litre Multijet powerplant that has been powering a large range of cars on Indian roads. The Chevrolet Beat is a potential product from General Motors in the market as it is the only diesel car in the entry level mid-size hatchback segment in India.
The other automakers like Hyundai and Maruti Suzuki are working on their small capacity diesel engines, while Chevrolet is enriched with the advantage of over two years in road running experience and customer feedback for the Beat diesel. However unenthusiastic performance of the vehicle dissuades buyers to choose the diesel Beat over other petrol hatchbacks in the market. Chevrolet plans to launch a comprehensive facelift of the Beat next year which is also essential for the sustenance of the model as competition keeps increasing with time.
