No brainer of the day! GM to bring Chevy Beat to US market
In perhaps the most obvious move of the decade, MarketWatch is reporting that GM will in fact bring the upcoming Chevy Beat to the U.S. market. The Beat was one of a trio of mini-car concepts that appeared at the New York Auto Show in 2007. GM announced last November in Los Angeles that the Beat would be produced but refused to commit to bringing it to the US market. What GM has said is that all new models from anywhere in the corporation are being engineered using a global development process to meet all regulatory requirements around the world. At its debut, the Beat was listed as having a 1.2L turbocharged engine. If GM does indeed bring it here it could be powered by an upcoming turbocharged direct injected three cylinder set to be produced at the Flint engine plant. GM desperately needs a car like this to compete in a $4/gallon market and meet new CAFE requirements.
[Source: MarketWatch]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BillySharps 5:10PM (7/03/2008)
Finally! Best news I've heard all week. It's this or the iQ, I swear!
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Joce03 7:14PM (7/05/2008)
Except, I wouldn't be surprised if Daewoo built it for Chevrolet and it turns out to be a (mechanically) terrible car like the Aveo/Wave.
Brad 5:25PM (7/03/2008)
GM will not last unless they bring a GREAT hybrid or fuel cell car to the US.
http:///www.goeasyeco.com
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Luke 6:19PM (7/03/2008)
It's a start. Woohoo!
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Rick 6:58PM (7/03/2008)
Too bad they are bringing only a 3 door. There is small and then there is too small for a family.
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Nick 7:11PM (7/03/2008)
Looks good ! And that's rare for a Chevrolet compact car.
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Smog 8:03PM (7/03/2008)
Am I the only one thinking GM will offer the BEAT in America but only with a v6 or a v8 engine ?
forget about a 1.2L ; most American Buyers will think they can't carry the 2 bags of groceries with it.
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Jared 8:57AM (7/04/2008)
You are the only one. The Beat engine compartment is far too small for a V6 or V8. It will come with a small 4, smaller than the 4 in the Cobalt.
MadScientistMatt 3:52PM (7/04/2008)
GM building it that way? Not going to happen. Some psychopath with a welder and Sawzall building a V8 powered Beat? I'd expect that to show up a month after it goes on sale.
JimBo 11:41PM (7/03/2008)
turbocharged 3 cylinder direct injection? Sounds like it'll be pretty easy on gas, I'm interested.
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bosyphyllus 1:07AM (7/04/2008)
This thing is ugly. Go back to the drawingboard.
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Thomas 9:23AM (7/04/2008)
That's the kind of thinking that got GM into its current predicament!
I'd bet 10 shares of GM stock (e.g. not much) that this guy is Minimum Bob himself!
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Matthew 9:31AM (7/04/2008)
Wouldn't it be awesome if they called it the Chevrolet Metro, and bring back a car name EVERYONE knows is synonomous with FUEL EFFICIENCY! The Metro name is well known and attributed to being a gas miser, and if the General were serious, they would do themselves a favour and do it!
Besides they had to bring to N.America, its in the Transformers Movie for pete's sakes! Haha! Love the look, hope the interior does not rival my Rubbermaid Hamper for quality plastics though!!!
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tankd0g 12:35PM (7/04/2008)
Will this be before 2012? You know, when the "game changer" will already be out for 2 years and the price will be coming down and pigs will be flying out my butt.
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wave54 1:22PM (7/04/2008)
Too bad those who voted picked the least practical of the 3 concepts for production. It may be appealing to 18-year-old tuners, but the Trax could have wide appeal as an economical and inexpensive small SUV that comes in under $15K. RAV4s and CR-Vs have gotten too big and expensive.
Even the Groove would have been a direct competitor to the Scion xB -- great mileage with room for a small family.
Comparison of the cars:
http://www.leftlanenews.com/chevrolet-beat-trax-groove-concept.html
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Joseph 8:36PM (7/04/2008)
Thank God, something to replace the terrible Chevy Aveo.
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Cameron42985 10:50PM (7/04/2008)
It's smaller than Aveo. It's more similar to the Toyota iQ concept and Smart.
wave54 11:58AM (7/05/2008)
It isn't supposed to replace the Aveo, which is scheduled for a major redesign in the next few years. Maybe that's why the Beat wasn't planned for North America.
Where does GM bring it in price-wise, with the Aveo and Cobalt starting at $11-14K. This car won't be cheaper than the Aveo, and it may be hard to price it at mid-teens unless it's marketed as a premium small car, like the Mini.
thegruntman 6:28AM (7/05/2008)
About time. Its cool looking too. I wonder what kind of fuel economy it has.
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Heels 11:41AM (7/06/2008)
At last, GM decided to listen to the public.....But please don’t exclusively supercharge it with power....let that be an option......
Create lots of "green" options that allow buyers to go for style, moderate affordability, reliability and great gas mileage (35-50 mpg) with lots of spunky, bright colors...
If GM seriously wants this vehicle to compete with the Mini Cooper on style, just increase the sporty wheel rim size to over 17 inches.....
18 inches + very wide treads would be good, and make the enlarged sports rims (nearly) standard items, costing say only $400 extra.....
GM should sell the Beat for about $13,500 Base & 16,500, loaded with automatic and sports seats + le Mans leather steering wheel + Huge Mini-style sunroof + including giant sporty metal rims w/big radial tires, Automatic & Airbags + 100K mile bumper-bumper warranty for under 3% interest to all buyers on a 48-72 month purchase contract, and GM will "eat" Mini-Cooper's over-priced proverbial lunch for ever!!!......
Please do not believe the naysayers who say that this car is only good for 18 year olds......I am 50, male, (work in a creative design profession) and if you give me my big wheels, bright colors, automatic, and lots of personal style, ample front seat legroom for tall guys (just like the Mini Cooper), I will definitely buy one in a few months time one instead of the MIni Cooper "S" I was planning to purchase!!
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