Beat is one of the most popular cars in India. It comes from the stables of global auto giant, Chevrolet. Prior to the launch of Beat, Chevrolet had a rather unforgettable existence in India. Almost all the Chevy cars did above average business in India, with none of the models achieving the next big thing status. However, when Beat was introduced, it became a best-seller for the company. The car did reasonably well in India that Chevrolet decided to give it a fresh lease of life by introducing a facelift. Consequently, the 2014 Chevrolet Beat was unveiled at the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year and now the production version has hit the roads.
The 2014 Beat has not undergone any major changes. Instead, it offers only some cosmetic changes like clear glass headlamps, trendy taillights, newer & trendier fog lamps with chrome lining, all-new rear spoiler with LED and sporty reflectors and many more. It is evident that all the changes are superfluous. However, they enhanced the overall appearance of the car considerably, and give it a fresh feel altogether.
All said and done, the performance of the car has not changed much because it runs on the same 1.0 XSDE SMARTECH Engine featured in the earlier versions, which generates a top power of 58.5 PS and 150 Nm of peak torque. It is one of the most fuel-efficient engines in India, as the Beat offers a segment best mileage of 25.44 kmpl.
The 2014 Chevrolet Beat comes in ten variants and the prices range from INR 4.06 lakh to 6.10 lakh (ex-showroom). The most affordable model is the Chevrolet Beat 1.2 and the top-end model is the Chevrolet Beat Diesel 1.0 Lt TCDi. The 2014 Beat is one of the most reasonably priced compact cars from Chevrolet at present. The 2014 Beat comes with three kinds of fuel options – petrol, diesel and LPG.
A notable addition seen in the top-end variants of the all-new Beat is the steering mounted audio control facility. Other attractive features include adjustable driver’s seat, foldable back row, front dual bags and ABS with EBD (only on top end variants) among others.
Although small on the outside, the 2014 Beat is a spacious car on the inside. It can accommodate five people quite comfortably as there is enough headroom, legroom and shoulder space inside this car. It also offers some add on features like power outlet for charging mobile phones and laptops on the go. Other external features like the steel/alloy wheels, rear spoiler, chrome front grille, body coloured door handles and satin silver roof rails give the car a trendy feel.
The Beat is very easy to handle, especially on the crowded city roads.