Continuing with its gradual migration toward a fuel efficient fleet of vehicles, GM has decided to bring the Chevy Beat to North America. The Beat is a subcompact car designed to bring a sporty look to a small form factor. The interesting part? It looks a lot like a Toyota.

But, maybe that’s what mainstream North America is now trained to look for when it’s hungry for fuel efficient cars. If a vehicle has a small frame with an almost bird-like countenance and slanted headlights, it starts to mimic Toyota. Compare the photos below, on top is a Chevy Beat and below that is a Toyota Matrix. The flow lines are different, but the general structure of the body looks very similar, though the Chevy Beat slants its headlights even more than Toyota.

 

The Chevy Beat will offer “a gas-sipping 1.2-liter turbocharged engine that gets 40 miles to the gallon, [which] had previously been targeted for the Asian and Latin American markets,” according to MarketWatch.

Interestingly, GM seems to be taking an analytical approach toward its generation of cars by asking consumers what they’re interested in. Launched in 2007, http://voteforchevrolet.com asks visitors to choose from three new concepts cars as their favorite: the Groove, Beat, or Trax. At last count the Chevy Beat was ahead of its closest contender the Groove by almost 8%. So far the Chevy Beat has received over 885,128 votes.

But what are the good and bad parts about buying a subcompact car? Here are some points to consider.

Benefits

• Better mileage
• Better turn radius
• Easier to park in tight spaces
• Costs less to buy in the first place
• Maintenance costs are less
• e.g. 4 spark plugs instead of 8
• Smaller tires
• Brake parts are smaller and potentially cheaper
• Can take turns at higher speeds, more fun on the corners!
• Save time because you won’t be at the gas station as much

Losses

• Many subcompacts look like toys
• May struggle to handle effectively in poor weather
• Command less respect on the road (try tailgating a truck with a subcompact!)
• Less storage capacity for people and cargo
• Usually less leg room, which can make longer drives uncomfortable
• Less cushion/protection in an accident

Related:

Would you rather own 2 Toyota Priuses or 1 Chevy Volt?

Chevy Volt slaps Toyota into action, competing plug-in hybrid planned

Toyota decides the Chevy Volt is too dangerous

GM discards plug-in Toyota Prius as class below Chevy Volt

The Chevy Volt lives on! But, the Beat washes out

Entry was posted on Friday, July 4th, 2008 at 12:17 am under Auto, Green Technology.  Print This Post

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