Chevrolet Aveo

Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	2002–present
Predecessor	Daewoo Lanos Chevrolet Metro (North America)
Class	Subcompact
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel drive

The Chevrolet Aveo (pronounced /əˈveɪ.oʊ/ ə-VAY-oh) is a subcompact automobile manufactured since 2002, originally by the South Korean General Motors (GM) subsidiary, GM Daewoo—and later by other GM-affiliated entities. Marketed worldwide in 120 countries under five brands (Chevrolet, Daewoo, Holden, Pontiac, Suzuki, and ZAZ),^[1] the first generation Aveo was originally called Daewoo Kalos in its home market South Korea and many export markets. South Korean models were later rebranded Daewoo Gentra, while in other markets, the first generation model was marketed as the Holden Barina in Australasia, Pontiac G3 in the United States and later Canada, previously in Canada as the Pontiac Wave and currently in Canada as the Suzuki Swift+.

The second generation Aveo debuted in January 2011, marketed globally as the Chevrolet Aveo;^[2][3] in North America, the Middle East, Chile, Israel, Japan, Mexico, and South Africa^[4] as the Chevrolet Sonic;^[5] and in Australasia as the Holden Barina.

First generation (2002–2011)

T200

First generation (T200)

Also called	Chevrolet Kalos Chevrolet Lova Daewoo Gentra Daewoo Kalos Holden Barina (TK) Pontiac G3 Pontiac G3 Wave Pontiac Wave Suzuki Swift+ ZAZ Vida
Production	2002–2011
Body style	3-door hatchback 4-door sedan 5-door hatchback

GM Daewoo introduced the "Daewoo Kalos" in 2002, based on a then-new T200 platform, replacing the Daewoo Lanos (T100). Under development before Daewoo's bankruptcy, the Kalos was the company's first new model introduction following its subsequent takeover by General Motors.^[6] Manufacture of the Kalos began in early March, 2002,^[6] with pre-production prototypes shown at the Geneva Auto Show in April 2002. The nameplate Kalos derives from the Greek word καλός (kalós) for "beautiful" and "good".^[7]

T200: Chevrolet Aveo LT five-door (US)

T200: Holden Barina three-door (Australia)

Originally designed by Italdesign, the Kalos derives directly from the "Kalos Dream" concept vehicle first presented at the 2000 Paris Motor Show and subsequent developmental concepts at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, 2002 Geneva Auto Show, and 2003 at the Geneva Show. During this three-year development period Daewoo was struggling financially, with the ultimate fate of the company and the concept vehicle remaining uncertain.

The Kalos was sold in three available body styles: a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback from the beginning of production in 2002, and a 3-door hatchback available in certain European markets beginning in 2005. Two different T200 front-end styling designs were sold. When released in 2002, the T200 headlamps were detached from the horizontal amber turn signal strip, located directly below. This detached style, used primarily in South Korea and North America, was used in conjunction with a semi-elliptical grille. When sales in Europe began in 2003, the headlights were an integrated unit that slanted upwards from the "V-shaped" grille towards the front fenders. In Australia, when the Daewoo Kalos was introduced in 2003, the hatchback featured the integrated lighting arrangement, with the detached style used to differentiate the sedans. In South Korea, where the detached lights were used at first, the integrated design was later utilized as a facelift.

The T200 sedan and five-door hatchback featured a swage line running along the lower body to the rear door, which kinks downward prominently on the five-door. Five-doors also feature a side window in the C/D pillar with a distinctively angled lower edge. Interiors feature a circular motif throughout.

T250

T250: Chevrolet Aveo sedan (US)

T250: Chevrolet Aveo three-door (Italy)

GM introduced a facelifted sedan at Auto Shanghai 2005, designed in cooperation with PATAC. Bearing the internal code T250 and sold in South Korea as the "Daewoo Gentra", revisions included exterior styling changes, a new interior instrument panel and minor equipment changes, including increased sound deadening.^[8] Incorporation of the radio antenna into the rear glass and extensive wind tunnel testing helped reduce the coefficient of drag from 0.348 to 0.326.^[8]

A facelifted hatchback with the sedan's updated instrument panel was presented as the Chevrolet Aveo during the Frankfurt Motor Show 2007, to be marketed in Europe and North America. The Korean market received its own distinct restyle of the hatchback, the Gentra X, whose bumper without the distinctly "Chevrolet" split grille was also used for the Pontiac, Holden and Suzuki variants.

With launch of the Gentra X in South Korea, GMDAT had replaced engines of T250. 1.2 L (1206 cc) S-TEC II engine was updated with features such as dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) and timing chain (older version has timing belt) system. 1.6 L E-TEC II engine has been replaced with an updated GEN-III Ecotec Family 1 engine with new features such as variable valve timing mechanism.

Second generation (2011–present)

T300

Second generation (T300)

Also called	Chevrolet Sonic Holden Barina (Australia)
Production	2011–
Model years	2012–present
Assembly	South Korea: Bupyeong-gu, Incheon United States: Orion Township, Michigan Venezuela: Valencia China: Shanghai GM
Class	Subcompact
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door hatchback
Layout	Front-engine, front-wheel drive
Platform	GM Gamma II platform
Engine	1.2 L Ecotec Family 0 I4 1.4 L Ecotec Family 0 I4 1.4 L Ecotec Family 0 I4 turbo 1.6 L Ecotec Family 1 I4 1.8 L Ecotec Family 1 I4 1.3 L CDTi I4
Transmission	5-speed manual 6 speed manual (turbo) 6-speed automatic
Wheelbase	99.4 in (2,525 mm)
Length	173.1 in (4,397 mm) (4-door) 159 in (4,039 mm) (5-door)
Width	68.3 in (1,735 mm)
Height	59.7 in (1,516 mm)

Chevrolet Sonic LTZ sedan (US)

Chevrolet Sonic RS (US)

The second generation Aveo debuted at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, using the Gamma II global subcompact platform.^[9]. It had been previewed earlier in the year as the Aveo RS concept, shown in concept form with 19-inch wheels and a M32 six-speed manual transmission mated to a 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine, rated at 103 kilowatts (138 hp).^[10]

Chevrolet markets the new Aveo under the Chevrolet Sonic nameplate in the U.S., Canadian, Mexican, Chilean, Japanese, Israeli, Middle East and South African markets. The North American-spec Sonic is available as a 4-door sedan or five-door hatchback. It comes with a 1.8-liter inline-four producing 101 kW (135 hp) and 169 N·m (125 lb·ft) torque, or a 1.4-liter turbo inline-four producing 103 kW (138 hp) and 201 N·m (148 lb·ft) torque.^[11] The 1.8-liter engine has a timing belt; the 1.4L turbo engine uses a timing chain to drive the camshafts.^[12] The 1.8-liter inline-four is mated to a standard five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission, while the 1.4-liter turbo has a six-speed manual transmission.^[13] On August 2, 2011, the Sonic had entered production at Orion Assembly, with the first cars arriving at dealerships in October.^[14]

The Chevy Sonic uses a water-based “three-wet” paint process that eliminates the need for a primer bake oven. This process reduces the paint shop footprint by 10 percent and requires 50 percent less process energy per vehicle built. Chevy is the first automaker in the United States to use this process.^[15] It is of note that the Chevrolet Sonic is the only Subcompact car sold in North America that is built within the United States, in Lake Orion, Michigan.^{[16][citation needed]}

Marketing

In marketing the Sonic, GM had the car driven in a full 360 degree rotation off a ramp and over an oversized skateboard.^[17] In addition, GM produced a commercial for Super Bowl XLVI called "Stunt Anthem", which featured 360 rotation with other Sonics skydiving doing a bungee jump and scenes from OK Go's music video for the song "Needing/Getting."

Powertrains

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chevrolet Aveo

• Official websites for Australia, Canada, U.S. (Aveo and Sonic)