Chevrolet Aveo hatchback

Drive

The Aveo manages to strike a good balance between ride comfort and handling agility. There are two petrol engines available, a 1.2 with 85bhp and a 1.4 with 99bhp. The latter provides reasonably brisk performance, but both can get quite noisy and strained at motorway speeds, partly thanks to the five-speed manual gearbox. Very light steering, and the accurate manual gearbox makes it easy to drive in town though, and the forthcoming 1.3-litre diesel is likely be pick of the range when it arrives in November. 

Comfort

The new Aveo is both longer and wider than before, which means there's plenty of head and legroom for four adults inside. The well-judged suspension is soft enough to absorb most bumps in the road, but wind and road noise become distracting at higher speeds, and it lacks the cruising refinement of rivals like the Volkswagen Polo. Long gearing also means that the engine has to be worked quite hard to make meaningful progress and keep up with bigger traffic. Interior space is good though, with room for four adults and plenty of adjustment to help make finding a comfortable driving position easy.

Reliability

The Aveo shares all of its major parts with other tried and tested models - and no serious problems have been reported so far. It feels robust and well-built inside, and the manufacturer's five-year warranty also comes with one year's roadside assistance too. It should also be very safe, as it comes with ESP, six airbags and a pedestrian friendly-bonnet as standard, although it hasn't yet been crash tested by Euro NCAP. 

Practicality

The Aveo's interior is well thought out, and there's a surprising amount of cubbies and storage areas for such a small car. The glovebox has two layers, one for storing CDs or MP3 players, and the 290-litre boot is bigger than the Suzuki Swift or Ford Ka. The rear seats fold down to increase this to 653-litres, making the Aveo a roomier supermini than most.

Value for money

The Aveo offers a decent amount of kit, with mid-range LS models coming equipped with air-conditioning, electric windows and a CD player as standard. It also undercuts most of its key rivals by £500 or more, and although it won't be a common sight on UK roads, the excellent warranty should help it hold on to most of its value when the time comes to sell. 

Running costs

The Aveo won't break the bank when you need to fill up. The 1.2-litre petrol will return over 60mpg, while the more powerful 1.4 manages 45mpg. However neither engine is particularly clean when it comes to carbon emissions, putting out 111g/km and 147g/km respectively. These figures are quite high for such a small car, so buyers looking to minimise costs should go for the diesel model.