Chevrolet Beat Diesel – review

With the petrol prices giving nightmares to average Indian drivers, the general interest in diesel cars are raising and the diesel sales figures are shooting up. So, Chevrolet launch of its diesel variant of Beat has comes at right time and is all set to rev up the diesel segment.  Powered by a 1 liter diesel engine under a youthful, sporty skin and boasting innovative technology with a GM Chevrolet badge and with market condition favorable for diesel, Chevy’s Beat has the momentum on its side.

The look of beat is boldly unconventional – sporty, futuristic and trendy yet muscular. One might love it or hate it but Chevy’s petrol version of Beat has had good outing so far and is one among the best small cars on roads. Chevy has not made much change into the looks and features of the Diesel variant; it retains the same skin and features of its Petrol sibling.  There are only basic minor changes that are largely necessitated by the introduction of the Diesel engine. More about it later in the article.

So we have the same flamboyant macho design and tall body characterized by bold lines … …

Neat looking large twin barrel head lamps  and rear tail lights …

A very sporty, futuristic and appealing dashboard …

Chevy has added one more color to the color card we have seen in the Petrol variant. So we have in total 8 colors to choose:

Going by the sales figures of Petrol and the customer feedback, the Beat has a good performance report and the design is youthful and still stays fresh inspite of the growing number of competitive models.

So the main talk-point of Beat Diesel lies in its heart – the 1 liter diesel engine it nests under its hood.  GM has quiet seriously taken the matter to its  heart and its Indian wing has developed an exclusive engine tailor-made for Indian conditions. The end product is  a  936cc XSDE Smartech  turbocharged 3 cylinder diesel engine. On paper, it would seem much smaller than the competing models like Figo, Ritz and Swift. But don’t underestimate.  It is capable of delivering 59 PS@ 4000 rpm and a commendable 15o Nm of torque @ 1750 rpm. So we have here quiet a capable, lean and mean but well engineered engine to take on the segment.

The Aluminum alloy cylinder head with fixed geometry turbo charger provides a smooth, peppy drive while delivering a remarkable fuel efficiency. Inside the car, it is surprisingly very quiet for a diesel engine and the car does not show any signs of engine vibrations. Thanks to low engine RPM and low gear ratios, city driving is a delight, the car sprints with a zest. The turbocharger also comes effective on highways as the car has within to cruise effortlessly and smoothly.

Beat delivers an impressive mileage. As per ARAI, it gives a 24 kilometers to the liter. Even if you cut down 2-3 numbers from that, you got an irresistible figures here.

Beat Diesel comes in three variants: PS, LS and LT.  Even the base model comes with power steering and A/c.

If this rings sweet for you, Chevy has sweetened the deal more with its price tag of the car. At ex-showroom of Rs.4,35,217 (Bangalore) for its base model,  it is a very attractive package to Beat that!