CHEVROLET

OUR KALOS IS YOUR GAIN Can The Chevrolet Kalos Compete In The Ruthless Supermini Sector? Our Long Term TestShould Reveal Its True Qualities. Steve Walker Reports…

With the saga of its previous life as a Daewoo fading in the memory, the Chevrolet Kalos is now viewed as a Chevrolet in the eyes of most UK buyers. What better time to get a fresh perspective on this smartly styled hatchback? A Long Term Testshould reveal its deserved place in the grand small car scheme of things, be that as relegation fodder or a candidate for promotion to the supermini big leagues.

Cars of the Kalos’ ilk have had a tough time of it recently. We’re talking about budget superminis that trade predominantly on price and the amount of equipment they’ll give you for that price. One problem is that fierce discounting of supermini products by the mainstream manufacturers has meant that the price differential between a similarly equipped Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio and the Kalos is no longer as great. The Kalos still looks well-equipped compared to more illustrious rivals in its price Range but the difference isn’t so large as to negate their brand image and superior build quality. At the same time, citycar products have raised their game substantially, squeezing the Kalos and its contemporaries from below. Fiat’s Panda and the Aygo/C1/107 model offered by Toyota, Citroen and Peugeot are desirable, well equipped and tightly priced. They’re enough to make buyers question the need for the marginally better interior space that a Kalos-type model can offer. It’s against this backdrop that our extended period of Kalos use begins. It’s hard not to form a favourable opinion of the Kalos from the outset. The car’s designers have managed to dress up its orthodox supermini shape with eye-catching details and a distinctive front end. The headlight clusters are conventional enough but they’re underscored by indicators in thin slashes of amber and three reflective bars extend horizontally at their edges. The grille gets more gravitas from the Chevrolet cross at its centre that most of us will equate with monstrous pick-ups and SUVs from the USA. At the back, it’s similarly neat and tidy with the lights tapered in around the tailgate. Chevrolet have a good-looking supermini on their hands here and it’s likely to make as good a first impression with buyers in showrooms as it did with us when it first parked up outside the office. Inside, the quality of materials palpably isn’t as good as you’d find in the top superminis. Our 1.4-litre SX Kalos features some low-grade silver plastic around the air-conditioning controls and the wide Range of different textures and types of plastic used elsewhere on the fascia make it look somewhat thrown together. The layout of the controls, on the other hand, is very simple and accessible. You should be able to leave the manual in the glovebox during the few seconds it takes to appraise yourself of the basic functions. The instruments are easy to read and attractive with the two dials surrounded by chunky silver rings, while the leather-trimmed steering wheel feels good in the hand.

"Chevrolet have a good looking supermini on their hands here"

Interior space is ample and four adults won’t have a problem getting about in the Kalos. Only the amount of rear headroom threatens to become a problem for exceptionally lengthy individuals. The three-door model we’ve been using has nice long doors to aid rear seat access and even with two six-footers in the front, there’s a decent amount of legroom behind. In the boot, we’ve managed to accommodate two bags of golf clubs with a fair bit of space left over and that says a lot for the size and shape of the luggage compartment. With 94bhp on tap, the 16v 1.4-litre Kalos is pleasantly punchy, accelerating to 60mph in 11.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 110mph. This car feels a good deal stronger than your average 1.4-litre supermini, especially in the upper reaches of the rev Range. Drive the car in a more sedate fashion and you’ll eek out a reasonable return, the car clocking up an average of 40.8mpg. The driving experience isn’t sporty and the car rolls around a little too much in corners but the ride is very smooth and there should be few complaints about the amount of engine noise in the cabin. The SX specification on our car means we’ve been benefiting from air conditioning, 14-inch alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler, front fog lamps, electric windows all round, fabric door trim inserts, a tachometer and even a driver’s seat back picnic table. This is on top of more familiar Kalos fare such as anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, twin front and side airbags, three-point belts on all five seats and ISOFIX anchorage points for a child seat in the back. There’s also power assisted steering, central locking with alarm, cup holders front and rear, an auxiliary power outlet in the back and a tilt adjustable steering column. Yes, the Kalos is well-equipped for a £8,595 car. There’s no use pretending that the Kalos is on a par with the class-leading superminis. It’s a solid little product but it’s up against some excellent competitors in this most cutthroat of market sectors. The best points are the looks, the interior space and the equipment levels and only the quality of the interior plastics is noticeably poor. The driving experience won’t offend too many people and if ride comfort is your top priority, you should be impressed. Overall, considering what you get for your money with a Chevrolet Kalos 1.4 SX, there is value contained within the package and it should continue to hold its own in the sales charts.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos 1.4 SX 3-door long term test PRICE: £8,795 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 178g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 11.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 32.8mpg/ (extra urban) 46.3mpg/ (combined) 40.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

THREE TEENAGERS AND A LITTLE ADULT Hannah Rainford Takes Chevrolet’s Kalos 3-Door For A Family Orientated Day Out And Ends Up With Mixed Results…

I must admit that I wasn’t hugely overwhelmed at the prospect of a loan Chevrolet Kalos for a week. I like my cars with a bit of flair and I was worried that this was going to be a typically mass-produced heap of metal that I would have to ‘explain’ every time my friends asked me what I was driving. Although a few press pictures had done the rounds of the office, there was some doubt as to whether the Kalos could look as good in the metal as a mainstream supermini like a Ford Fiesta, a Renault Clio or a Skoda Fabia. When it arrived on a long-term test, however, I was pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be a striking little car that I could see myself driving for a long period of time.

My sister wasn’t too impressed when I turned up in the Kalos. "What’s that?" she grumbled, "You take Stephen (my brother) out in a MINI convertible and I get a ride in that!" I explained to her that I needed a family to take out for the day and as my youngest sibling, she had no option but to get in the car. She eventually agreed, after we arRanged to pick up her friends Megan and Sophie. So in an instant, I had a ready-made family comprising of three young teenagers. This was really going to test the Kalos. We decided to spend the afternoon doing ‘family’ things; I took the girls to the local supermarket to pick up a week’s worth of shopping, which they stRangely loved and afterwards they were treated with a game of bowling in the local bowling alley. The boot had a surprising amount of space and I was able to fit a fair amount of grocery shopping into the back with no problem. It would definitely squeeze in a couple of suitcases and it would be perfect for a mass of school bags, P.E Kits, coats and those scooters that the kids take to school these days. Carting the girls around was not a problem. The Kalos has ample room for everyone to feel comfortable and the girls were quite happy sitting there and gossiping. I should have been more aware of the old saying ‘Never judge a book by its cover’ when driving the Kalos. It looks like a fun drive with its slightly sporty look but I was disappointed. The 1.4 model that I was driving felt a bit sluggish and reminded me of the first car I had, which was a 1.0-litre. I had a few issues with the gears as well. The action felt a little notchy and lacked the precision you want in a small, sporty car.

"Never judge a book by its cover"

The Kalos is a solid little product but it’s up against some excellent competitors in this most cutthroat of market sectors. The best points are the looks, the interior space and the equipment levels and only the quality of the interior plastics tells you that it competes at the budget end of the supermini sector. Still, if what you actually want is a budget family car, then this could be your thing. It’s cheaper than a Fiesta or a Punto but looks as good and it has a certain uniqueness about it: you won’t see that many of them about on the roads. Overall, considering what you get for your money with a Chevrolet Kalos, there is value contained within the package and it should continue to hold its own in the sales charts. The interior is as striking as the bodywork. Far from the usual South Korean elephant grey, the Kalos features high quality materials and imaginative design. In the SX variant, there’s a contrast between anthracite centre console and pale grey on the dashboard. The steering wheel and instrument binnacle are also finished in anthracite with a subtle carbon-fibre effect surrounding the window switches. The twin ventilator rosettes that burst from the top of the dashboard highlight a circular design theme that’s continued throughout the cabin, mirrored on the side air vents, the displays and the door handles. You’ll even find the theme continued on the fabric applied to the doors. Here’s one area where the South East Asian value for money stereotype still holds true. The car I drove was £8,795. Elsewhere in the Range, the entry-level Kalos 1.2 S retails at £7,195 and the top of the Kalos tree is the 16-valve 1.4-litre Sport, which is still a few pounds shy of £10,000. This compares very well to mainstream rivals. Three and five-door models are available. Overall, I think that the Chevrolet Kalos coped very well on the family scale; it ticks all the right boxes. To be honest though, if you are considering a Kalos, in my view you may fare better by opting for the entry-level 1.2 model. You will get a better fuel economy with a lower performance level, which will suit families with budding young drivers. And the kids on my family test? Well, inevitably, they’d have much preferred a VW Beetle or a BMW – but they don’t have to find the money for twice the Kalos’s asking price. Just give them a few years and they’ll be happy to get any car they can lay their hands on.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos 1.4 SX 3-door PRICE: £8,795 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 178g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 11.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 32.8mpg/ (extra urban) 46.3mpg/ (combined) 40.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

THE GREAT DEBATE Are We Really Saving Money By Buying A Nearly New Model? Hannah Rainford Investigates

June Neary has been driving around in a nearly new Chevrolet Kalos for a good few months now and has become quite attached to the little supermini. When the newer version of the exact same car appeared outside our offices, she couldn’t wait to see if there were any differences, sparking the great debate; are we better of buying nearly new or brand new models?

When searching for a car, many people have already decided whether they want to buy new or used. Even so, once they decide to scour local dealerships for another car, they may be tempted to go neither of these routes and instead opt for something nearly new. Nearly new cars, after all, represent very good value for money, as someone else has had to deal with the painful stab of depreciation, so your budget will stretch that little bit further than first imagined. Nearly new models also pose less risk than buying a fully used vehicle as brand new car owners tend to take good care of them. If the nearly new car in question was a demo model, you can be guaranteed that no one else will have touched the car apart from experienced technicians. Of course, there are a few drawbacks. If you opt for a nearly new model, you will only have what is left of the original three-year warranty and if you want to upgrade back to full cover, you will of course have to pay extra. This only applies if you purchase the car from a franchised dealership, not privately.

"Nearly new models offer a safe choice and good value – but check out the brand new option first"

It’s also true to say that there are many advantages over buying new to nearly new. First the obvious. Buying a brand new car means that you can get the exact specification and colour combination that you require. If you opt for a nearly new car, you end up stuck with someone else’s ideal specification and the chances of finding exactly what you require is pretty slim. As in June’s case, you may also find that buying a nearly new model means that you miss out on the latest specification. Manufacturers improve their models constantly, from engine adjustments to changes in interior trim. This, in turn, can cause nearly new models to depreciate faster than their updated counterparts. Taking June’s Kalos as an example, if she’d gone for the new ’06 model year model rather than the nearly new ’05, her car would have come with smarter 15-inch (rather than 14-inch) alloy wheels, a height-adjustable headrest with tilting function, a space saver spare wheel and tyre freeing up boot room, stylish white side indicators, steering wheel stereo controls and a useful coathook on the rear passenger side and driver’s side. When considering the nearly new option and comparing with new prices, it’s also important to be comparing like with like and get an actual on-the-road price after discount, rather than working with manufacturer’s recommended list figures. There are, after all, so many fabulous deals to be had on new cars nowadays. Free insurance, cashback and free upgrades can all ease the burden of sudden depreciation that all new car owners experience when they drive off the forecourt. You may also find that the financial packages that are available to you are limited when purchasing a nearly new motor. Wear and tear is another major factor that you need to consider. A brand new car will only have been driven a couple of times whereas a nearly new model may have travelled a fair few miles. If you purchase your nearly new model from a reputable dealer, then you can be assured that they would have replaced any worn items but you can never be certain of how ‘hard’ the car will have been driven and what underlying problems the car could have. Both Kalos’ that we had were in SX specification meaning that we’ve benefited from air conditioning, alloy wheels, a rear roof spoiler, front fog lamps, electric windows all round, fabric door trim inserts, a tachometer and even a driver’s seat back picnic table. This is on top of more familiar Kalos fare such as anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, twin front and side airbags, three-point belts on all five seats and ISOFIX anchorage points for a child seat in the back. There’s also power assisted steering, central locking with alarm, cup holders front and rear, an auxiliary power outlet in the back and a tilt adjustable steering column. Yes, the Kalos is well-equipped for an £8,795 or £9,195 car (the cost depending on your choice between three or five doors). Overall, if you’re toying with the idea of a nearly new model, you need to look at the pros and cons carefully. If you are unfussy about the specification/colour combination, like taking a risk and enjoy saving yourself a few bucks, then a nearly new model could turn out to be the car of your dreams. But don’t take the plunge without properly checking out the brand new option. Either way, your local dealership – in this case your local Chevrolet dealership (see www.chevrolet.co.uk) – is your first port of call.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos 1.4SX PRICES: £8,795-£9,195 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 171g/km PERFORMANCE: (1.4 16v) Max Speed 110mph / 0-62mph 11.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (1.4 16v) (combined) 39.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

SMALL WONDER The Chevrolet Kalos 1.2S offers a level of sophistication that belies its bargain pricing. Andy Enright reports…

If you were to design a template for the perfect city car, there would be a number of criteria you’d need to hit. The most obvious ones would be that the car in question must be compact, manoeuvrable and economical. That’s the easy part. It also needs to be light in order to be quick off the mark but without feeling so flimsy that suburban mum in her Range Rover is in imminent danger of crushing you. Add cheeky styling, low cost of minor body repairs and an attractive up front price and you should have a winner on your hands. Chevrolet certainly hope so in the pert shape of the Kalos 1.2S.

Ping the badges off the Kalos and few would guess at its Korean origins. Nor would they believe it was a car that could be on your driveway for a shade under £7,300. The styling looks agreeably contemporary, and comes from the same design studio that produced handsome cars like the original VW Golf and Scirocco, the Alfa GTV, the Fiat Punto, Panda and Uno. The Giugiaro design studio has done a good job with the Kalos and even in entry-level 1.2-litre guise, it’s a striking thing. The front end is quite unlike any other production car, the huge headlights striking in their clear glass lenses with indicators that are arranged almost like eyelashes. The flanks of the Kalos are marked with three competing attention seekers. Firstly there’s a swage line across the front door that heads rapidly south as soon as it encounters the rear doors. The front wheelarches are rounded, but the rears have a squared off blister above them which really shouldn’t work but does. Finally there’s a strange, almost vestigial, third window at the side that Chevrolet claims, "optically loosens the rear of the car." Make of that what you will. The 1.2-litre engine is built around an alloy cylinder head and a traditional iron block and develops 72bhp which is a few more than a Skoda Fabia 1.4 can muster. It’s pretty quick, accelerating through 60mph in 13 seconds although outright sprinting ability is hardly the car’s forte. Instead it majors on being easy to drive and all of the controls are light and idiot-proof. A combined fuel return of some 42.8mpg makes it competitive with some of the best in class and a CO2 emissions showing of 159g/km is par for the course. As part of General Motors, Chevrolet have had their pick of parts from across the empire and have turned to Suzuki for this 1.2-litre powerplant. It was a wise move. The engine thrives on revs and it’s only out on the open road that it can feel a bit breathless. In town the engine ticks all the boxes.

"The Giugiaro design studio has done a good job with the Kalos and even in entry-level 1.2-litre guise, it’s a striking thing"

Features such as power steering and central locking make the Kalos 1.2 a low-hassle car. The steering column tilts through a generous range of adjustment and the front seat belts can be adjusted for height. With punchy anti-lock brakes and dual front airbags fitted as standard along with height adjustable headrests, clear side indicators and rear coat hooks, this Kalos certainly doesn’t feel built down to a price. Talking of prices, you’ll pay £7,295 for the three-door S version or £500 more for the same car with five doors. Naming a car after the Greek word for ‘beautiful’ may be tempting fate a little but Chevrolet’s Kalos looks to be able to carry it off. Part of the latest generation of superminis that attempt to cram as many MPV-style ideas as possible into their truncated dimensions, the Kalos is notably better looking than many previous attempts at this genre. Small wonder, as it was styled by Giugiaro in Turin, a design house of no little repute. The styling is certainly eye catching, although the exterior contours have not been penned at the expense of practicality. This is, after all, a Chevrolet and must offer value for money twinned with common sense utility that buyers can relate to. One drawback is the lack of a diesel option in the Kalos line-up, though the importers don’t see it that way. When you actually look at the extra upfront cost of diesel variants over their petrol-powered counterparts, they point out, you end up having to cover quite a mileage in order to make the extra cost pay off. And supermini buyers don’t tend to cover large mileages. They don’t tend to like paying over the odds either, so asking prices around £2,000 less than an equivalent Ford Fiesta should come as welcome news. The passenger compartment is extremely spacious, due in no small part to the 2.48 metre wheelbase - one of the longest in the supermini class. Chevrolet claim the 955 millimetres of headroom to be a class best. The rear seat splits in the normal 60/40 manner but also has a trick up its sleeve. You can not only fold it down, but also jack-knife it forward and secure it to the back of the front seats. This little party trick frees up a cavernous 735 litres of available luggage space, in effect more than quadrupling the usual capacity of 175 litres with the rear parcel shelf in place. Ride and handling have been optimised for British roads at the Motor Industry Research Association test track near Nuneaton. Chevrolet is one of the first manufacturers to cotton onto the fact that what works on billiard-smooth German roads often seems a little less than optimal on the sort of British B-road that has been ravaged by the gas, telephone, electricity and cable TV companies. The Chevrolet Kalos 1.2S looks set to be the most popular pick of the range. With an impressive, economical engine and keen pricing, it has what it takes to upset a few apple carts. The perfect supermini for the price of a city car? Not quite, but it’ll do for now.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos 1.2S PRICES: £7,295-£7,815 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 3 CO2 EMISSIONS: 153g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 98mph / 0-60mph 13.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 33.2mpg/ (extra urban) 54.3mpg/ (combined) 44.1mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

KALOS-T AND FOUND Can The Chevrolet Kalos Stand The Test Of Time? Hannah Rainford Reports…

June Neary has been in possession of our long-term Chevrolet Kalos for a good few months now. The car has been everywhere with her: to the local supermarket, to see family and friends - even down to sunny Cornwall for a camping trip.

Although June’s children moved out several years ago, she still needs the use of a practical family car every now and again. "I regularly take my grandchildren out for the day," says June, "and I have to race around running errands for the family. Just because they‘ve moved out, it doesn’t mean that they’ve learned to be independent!" As June has found, the Chevrolet Kalos is perfect for use in urban areas. Its good fuel economy and competitive pricing means that it suits families on a budget - or even as a first car for the seventeen year old in your life. Whoever you are, if you’re looking for an economical supermini to get you from A to B, the Kalos almost certainly has to be on your list. June loved the fun-to-drive nature of her 3-door version. In this form, the Kalos exudes an even more cheeky persona, which is so vital in the ever-expanding supermini market. Having said that, it’s proved to also be a solid little product – as it must be given the fact that it’s up against some excellent competitors in this most cut-throat of sectors. The best points, says June, are the looks, the interior space and the price with only the quality of the interior plastics telling you that it competes at the budget end of the supermini sector. True, the Chevrolet brand probably won’t be near the top of many people’s test drive lists, should they be shopping in this area of the market. That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be though. Our experience so far suggests that if what you actually want is a budget family car, then this could be your thing. It’s cheaper than a Fiesta or a Punto but looks as good and it has a certain uniqueness about it: you won’t see that many of them about on the roads. Overall, considering what you get for your money with a Chevrolet Kalos, there is value contained within the package and it should continue to hold its own in the sales charts.

"The Kalos exudes a cheeky persona, which is so vital in the ever-expanding supermini market"

In this long term test, as we’ve already suggested, the Kalos met June’s needs perfectly; she wants a car that is economical, fun-to-drive and has enough space to accommodate her boisterous grandchildren as well as a week’s grocery shopping. That’s a lot of requirements but she found that the Kalos fulfilled them perfectly. The South East Asian value for money stereotype certainly holds true with the Kalos. The model that we have parked outside our offices is the 1.4 SX which retails for £8,795. Elsewhere in the Range, the entry-level Kalos 1.2 S retails at £7,195 and at the top of the Kalos tree is the 16-valve 1.4-litre Sport, which is still a few pounds shy of £10,000. This compares very well to mainstream rivals. Three and five-door models are available. As mentioned previously, June’s biggest test for her car was a camping trip to Cornwall. Loading up the car with her and her partner’s belongings was no problem. With only the two of them they could easily fit their luggage in the boot and on the back seat. "If there had been more of us though," said June, "We would have struggled to fit all our stuff into the boot of the Kalos. The car is great for running errands but camping holidays may be a bit beyond it!" Living with a car long-term gives a much clearer view of how it handles mundane tasks. Looking at a car in the showroom and assessing its technical specification never gives a clear view. June struggled to find any problems with the Kalos. When the cost of the car is taken into account, in true Chevy style, the package adds up. My final question to June was the all important one - would she consider buying a Kalos? "Definitely!" was the immediate reply. "A car that’s great value for money, cheap to run and has just enough space for my day-to-day tasks. If I could choose though, I think I would opt for the five door version. After a while, I missed the luxury of being able to carry passengers without having to get up every time they get in or out! Having said that, having three doors was a godsend when transporting my grandchildren. Knowing that they couldn’t open doors during the ride made me relax and enjoy the drive!" All in all, the Chevrolet Kalos seems to be a very likeable car. Having lived with the car for several months it has grown on everyone in June family and around this office. True, its image isn’t as established as the class best, but the engines, the styling and the equipment give little cause for complaint. This is a car that will definitely be missed from our office.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos 1.4 SX 3-door PRICE: £8,795 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 178g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 11.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 32.8mpg/ (extra urban) 46.3mpg/ (combined) 40.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

BEAUTY COMES FIRST Chevrolet’s Kalos turns out to be a surprisingly significant small car – and a surprisingly good one. Jonathan Crouch reports….

Naming a car after the Greek word for ‘beautiful’ may be tempting fate a little but Chevrolet’s little Kalos supermini has proved able to carry off the badge. The Chevy badge may not be familiar in Britain but the car already is, establishing a useful niche amongst buyers who know value when they see it. Over in the States, it’s the most popular small car you can buy.

Chevrolet UK have slightly less exalted targets for this model on these shores but an ever-increasing share of the supermini sector is certainly possible, especially now there’s a sporty-looking three-door version and a practical five-door. There are two petrol engine choices – a 72bhp 1.2-litre unit or a preferable 94bhp 1.4-litre 16v powerplant. Diesels won’t arrive here for a while yet, which does put the car at something of a disadvantage when it comes to garnering market share. Or does it? When you actually look at the extra upfront cost of diesel variants over their petrol-powered counterparts, you end up having to cover quite a mileage in order to make the extra cost pay off. And supermini buyers don’t tend to cover large mileages. They don’t tend to like paying over the odds either, so asking prices around £2,000 less than an equivalent Ford Fiesta should come as welcome news. The three-door range begins and ends at £7,295 for the 1.2S, while the five-door range goes from £7,795 for the 1.2S to £9,345 for the 1.4 16v SX.

"When we designed the Kalos, we set out to produce an alternative to conventional lines and tread new paths in terms of design…."

You could argue that the Kalos is a more practical proposition than the Ford too, being part of the latest generation of superminis that attempt to cram as many MPV-style ideas as possible into their truncated dimensions. That doesn’t sound like a recipe for style but fortunately, the Kalos is notably better looking than many previous attempts at this genre. Small wonder, as it was styled by Giugiaro in Turin, a design house of no little repute. It’s certainly not bland. "When we designed it, we set out to produce an alternative to conventional lines and tread new paths in terms of design," says Giorgetto Giugiaro, explaining the philosophy behind the design of the Kalos. You could say he’s hit that particular bullseye. The front end is quite unlike any other production car, the huge headlights striking in their clear glass lenses with indicators that are arranged almost like eyelids. The flanks of the Kalos are marked with three competing attention seekers. Firstly there’s a swage line across the front door that heads rapidly south as soon as it encounters the rear doors. The front wheelarches are rounded, but the rears have a squared off blister above them which really shouldn’t work but does. Finally there’s a strange, almost vestigial, third window at the side that Chevrolet claims, "optically loosens the rear of the car." Make of that what you will. The interior is as striking as the bodywork. Far from the usual South Korean elephant grey, the Kalos features high quality materials and imaginative design. Imagine Volkswagen at its best and then splash that design with a few touches of metallic brightwork and you‘ll not be too far from the mark. The twin ventilator rosettes that burst from the top of the dashboard highlight a circular design theme that’s continued throughout the cabin, mirrored on the side air vents, the displays and the door handles. You’ll even find the theme continued on the fabric applied to the doors. The passenger compartment is extremely spacious, due in no small part to the 2.48 metre wheelbase - one of the longest in the supermini class. Chevrolet claim the 955 millimetres of headroom to be a class best. The rear seat splits in the normal 60/40 manner but also has a trick up its sleeve. You can not only fold it down, but also jack-knife it forward and secure it to the back of the front seats. This little party trick frees up a cavernous 735 litres of available luggage space, in effect more than quadrupling the usual capacity of 175 litres with the rear parcel shelf in place. Safety is well catered for with all models getting anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, twin front and side airbags, three-point belts on all five seats and ISOFIX anchorage points for a child seat in the back. Otherwise expect to find power assisted steering, height/tilt adjustable headrests, clear side repeaters, coat hooks in the back, central locking with an alarm, electric front windows, cup holders front and rear, an auxiliary power outlet and a tilt adjustable steering column. All 1.4 and five-door models have air-conditioning and the SX variants add 15" alloy wheels, electric rear windows, side airbags, an upgraded stereo with steering wheel controls, electric mirrors, a sunglasses holder and body-coloured door handles. The 1.4-litre 16v engine and five-speed manual gearbox are a willing combination, powering the Kalos to a top speed of 110mph and capable of hitting 60mph in 11.1 seconds. An average fuel consumption figure of nearly 40mpg is reasonable, though CO2 emissions of 178g/km are a little way off the class best. Even the 1.2-litre Kalos is no slouch and its combined fuel economy figure of 43mpg is not to be sniffed at. Given that one car in every sixteen sold across the world is a Chevrolet and that this Kalos, (sold in the US as the ‘Aveo’) is, as we’ve said, that country’s most popular small car, it turns out that this is a surprisingly significant world product. Which makes it appropriate that it’s also a surprisingly effective supermini.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos range PRICES: £7,295-£9,345 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 159-178g/km PERFORMANCE: (1.4 16v) Max Speed 110mph / 0-62mph 11.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (1.4 16v) (combined) 39.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

THREE-STYLER Is the three-door Chevrolet Kalos more than just, well, a three-door version of the Kalos? Jonathan Crouch decides….

Perhaps it’s fitting that Chevrolet’s future in the UK started with the Three-Door Kalos supermini we test here. It should have launched in 2004 but after an initial viewing, management decided that it lacked that special something. The ‘Chevy Plus’ it now has.

You get an idea of what that means the first time you set eyes on the car expecting it to be little more than a Kalos Five-Door with two fewer doors. In one sense of course, it’s exactly that but put the two versions side by side and it’s almost like comparing you with your parents. The same DNA, the same look and feel but in one case, a younger, more get-up-and-go attitude. You have to look quite closely to see why that is, since the styling difference isn’t down to any one feature. There’s a different side profile of course, with completely new doors incorporating an upwardly sloping waistline and side rubbing strip. There’s also new rear wheel arch profiling. But look carefully and you’ll also note changes front and rear: a revised, sculpted rear bumper, a more aggressive apron under the front numberplate. Both could have come from a bodykit catalogue. Talking of bodykits, there’s a more aggressive one on the Sport version of this car, along with a free flow exhaust and some nice Sport alloy wheels. Unfortunately, this variant doesn’t offer anything more than the standard 94bhp 1.4-litre engine. Which is a pity since other European markets get a proper turbocharged ‘Sprint’ model which apparently can’t be engineered for right hand drive. Only one Kalos three-door model is currently on offer – the £7,295 1.2S. Features such as power steering and central locking make this a low-hassle car. The steering column tilts through a generous range of adjustment and the front seat belts can be adjusted for height. With punchy anti-lock brakes and dual front airbags fitted as standard along with height adjustable headrests, clear side indicators and rear coat hooks, this Kalos certainly doesn’t feel built down to a price.

"The Kalos Three-Door certainly has a younger, more dynamic image more in keeping with the Chevrolet brand…"

As you’d expect, the three-Door is of course a car of very compact dimensions (length/width/height 3880/1670/1495mm) yet like the five-Door, it boasts one of the longest wheelbases (2480mm) in the supermini class. That means an interior that’s a great deal more spacious than you might expect. The front headroom (955mm) is class-leading, as is rear legroom (900mm). For rear seat passengers to enter and leave the vehicle, the front passenger seat can be folded forward with only one hand before clicking back into its initial position. Storage space inside is pretty good. Drink cans and cups are held in place in fold-out cupholders on the centre console or in recesses at the end of the central transmission tunnel. To improve the driver’s view, the top of the rear head restraints have been flattened, while the back of the front head rests are fitted with hooks to keep small shopping bags securely in place. Standard equipment includes a 70/30 split folding backrest. If you take advantage of this, the rear seat can be folded up and fixed into place behind the front seats using a special belt attached to the passenger seat headrest. This frees up 980 litres of cargo space, while with all the seats in place, there’s still a reasonable 220 litres. The payload is 430kgs, so the storage space can usually be used to the full. Gripes? Well, there’s plenty of elephant grey plastic in evidence which can feel a bit down-market. Mind you, it all feels pretty well screwed together. On the road, it won’t be the most exciting driving experience you’ve ever had – but then what would you expect for £7,000? The 1.2-litre model’s 72bhp is good enough to punt the car to sixty from rest in 13.2s on the way to 98mph, but more importantly, you should achieve nearly 43mpg, according to combined cycle official fuel figures. Safety is well catered for with three-point belts on all five seats and ISOFIX anchorage points for a child seat in the back. Otherwise expect to find power assisted steering, height/tilt adjustable headrests, clear side repeaters, coat hooks in the back, central locking with an alarm, electric front windows, cup holders front and rear, an auxiliary power outlet and a tilt adjustable steering column. It’s hard to over-estimate the importance of this car in the Chevrolet line-up. Particularly when it comes to Kalos sales. Three-door models do, after all, make up 40% of the supermini sector, yet without one, this car was already a significant player. Badged as the ‘Aveo’, it’s actually the best selling small car in the US. Similar accolades are out of the question in Europe of course and in any case, Chevrolet won’t get close to them until its diesel engines come on stream later in 2006. Much is made of this lack in Britain but in actual fact, the premium for diesel power isn’t really worth paying unless you do over 20,000 miles a year, a distance most supermini buyers simply don’t cover. In summary then, it was well worth Chevrolet spending the time and getting this car right. Their description of ‘coupe-like’ might be an exaggeration but it certainly has a younger, more dynamic image more in keeping with the Chevrolet brand. More will be expected in the future but this is certainly a good start.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos Three-Door PRICE: £7,295 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 3 CO2 EMISSIONS: 153g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 98mph / 0-60mph 13.7s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 33.2mpg/ (extra urban) 54.3mpg/ (combined) 44.1mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1495mm

CHEVY’S BIG Plus Chevrolet’s Kalos 1.4-litre SX model supermini demonstrates just how much car you can buy into for around £9,000. Jonathan Crouch reports…

So what kind of Supermini can you really buy into for around £9,000? Well, it’s best not to raise your hopes too high. Stripped-out Fiestas and Polos beckon but don’t go expecting niceties like a decent stereo or air conditioning. If you want those, you’ll need a Far Eastern cheapie – and you’ll still probably end up having to pay more for it.

This is where Chevrolet hope they can score – and score big. South Korean-style pricing allied to Western image and quality. On paper, it all seems to hang together – but on paper, lots of things do. Best to put the product to the test – as we’ve been doing with the Kalos 1.4 SX supermini featured here. Once badged as a Daewoo, this five-door model now has the famous Chevrolet bow tie badge on its front. The SX is the Plushest trim level you can have and is the only Kalos to come with the option of an automatic gearbox (for another £1,000 on top of the £9,195 asking price). That’s neither prohibitively pricey or so cheap that it arouses suspicion. With 94bhp on tap, the 16v 1.4-litre Kalos is pleasantly punchy, accelerating to 60mph in 11.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 110mph. A four-speed automatic option is offered, making the car an even better city slicker. Of course, this takes the edge off the performance a little (11.7s/106mph), but for those who battle with the urban sprawl and crawl home every night, that will represent an acceptable trade off. This Kalos feels a good deal stronger than your average 1.4-litre supermini, especially in the upper reaches of the rev Range. Drive the car in a more sedate fashion and you’ll experience barely any penalty in terms of fuel economy, the car clocking up an average of 40.8mpg. Opt for the automatic and you’ll see 37.2mpg, the gearbox engineered to work in parallel with the engine’s variable intake system to guarantee flexibility.

"Pitched from around £9,000, this Kalos is neither pricey nor so cheap that it arouses suspicion"

The SX specification is predictably complete, including height adjustable headrests, 15" alloy wheels, steering wheel audio controls, air conditioning, a rear roof spoiler, front fog lamps, electric windows all round, fabric door trim inserts, a tachometer and even a driver’s seat back picnic table. This is on top of more familiar Kalos fare such as anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, white side indicators, twin front and side airbags, three-point belts on all five seats and ISOFIX anchorage points for a child seat in the back. There’s also power assisted steering, central locking with alarm, cup holders front and rear, an auxiliary power outlet in the back and a tilt adjustable steering column. Naming a car after the Greek word for ‘beautiful’ may be tempting fate a little but Chevrolet’s Kalos looks to be able to carry it off. Part of the latest generation of superminis that attempt to cram as many MPV-style ideas as possible into their truncated dimensions, the Kalos is notably better looking than many previous attempts at this genre. Small wonder, as it was styled by Giugiaro in Turin, a design house of no little repute. The styling is certainly eye catching, although the exterior contours have not been penned at the expense of practicality. This is, after all, a Chevrolet and must offer value for money twinned with common sense utility that buyers can relate to. The passenger compartment is extremely spacious, due in no small part to the 2.48 metre wheelbase - one of the longest in the supermini class. Chevrolet claim the 955 millimetres of headroom to be a class best. The rear seat splits in the normal 70/30 manner but also has a trick up its sleeve. You can not only fold it down, but also jack-knife it forward and secure it to the back of the front seats. This little party trick frees up a cavernous 735 litres of available luggage space, in effect more than quadrupling the usual capacity of 175 litres with the rear parcel shelf in place. Ride and handling have been optimised for British roads at the Motor Industry Research Association test track near Nuneaton. Chevrolet is one of the first manufacturers to cotton onto the fact that what works on billiard-smooth German roads often seems a little less than optimal on the sort of British B-road that has been ravaged by the gas, telephone, electricity and cable TV companies. Gripes? Well, there’s plenty of elephant grey plastic in evidence which can feel a bit down-market. Mind you, it all feels pretty well screwed together. On the road, it won’t be the most exciting driving experience you’ve ever had – but then what would you expect for this kind of money? The £9,000 price point at which the Kalos 1.4 SX competes is a battleground populated by some fierce competition. Coming up against 1.4-litre versions of the Ford Fiesta, the Honda Jazz and the Skoda Fabia is a tough task but the Kalos is well worth a look. It’s not a clear class leader but it’s got enough about it to justify a place on most shortlists.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Chevrolet Kalos 1.4 SX PRICE: £9,195-£10,195 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 4 CO2 EMISSIONS: 178g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 110mph / 0-60mph 11.1s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 32.8mpg/ (extra urban) 46.3mpg/ (combined) 40.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS with EBD, Isofix child seats. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3880/1670/1490mm

SOMEBODY’S KALOS IS YOUR GAIN Models Covered: (1.2, 1.4, three & five-door supermini [S, SE, Ikon, SX, Sport])

By Andy Enright

The Kalos was Chevrolet’s first offering in the supermini sector and although it campaigned predominantly on low prices, it was good enough to put a lick on some more mainstream names as well. Tracking down a used example shouldn’t be too difficult and nor should it prove a big risk.

First seen in the UK at the 2002 Motor Show, albeit badged as a Daewoo, the Kalos wowed the crowds with its avant-garde styling and neat interior detailing. The acquisition of Daewoo by General Motors and its subsequent demise, lead to the Kalos being reinvented as a Chevrolet from January 2005 onwards. If prices for the Chevrolets are too steep, you coulkd always seek out one of the older Daewoo models. Things kicked off for the Chevrolet Kalos with 1.2 and 1.4-litre engines offered in three or five door hatchback form. Trim levels ranged from entry-level S through SE to range topping SX but there was also a Sport option available with the 1.4-litre engine with nice leather seats and a naughtier-sounding exhaust but no extra performance. The Kalos Ikon was available briefly from August 2005 and there was also an SE Plus special edition which retailed for the same price as the SE but with extra equipment.

The styling is certainly eye-catching, although the exterior contours have not been penned at the expense of practicality. "When we designed it, we set out to produce an alternative to conventional lines and tread new paths in terms of design," says Giorgetto Giugiaro, explaining the philosophy behind the original design of the Kalos he did for Daewoo. You could say he hit that particular bullseye. The front end is quite unlike anything else on the road, the huge headlights striking in their clear glass lenses with indicators that are arranged almost like eyelids. The flanks of the Kalos are marked with three competing attention seekers. Firstly there’s a swage line across the front door that heads rapidly south as soon as it encounters the rear doors. The front wheelarches are rounded, but the rears have a squared off blister above them which really shouldn’t work but does. Finally there’s a strange, almost vestigial, third window at the side that it’s claimed, "optically loosens the rear of the car." Make of that what you will. The interior is not as striking as the bodywork but it isn’t bad. The quality of materials palpably isn’t as good as you’d find in the top superminis. You’ll find some low-grade plastic around the air-conditioning controls and the wide range of different textures and types of plastic used elsewhere on the fascia make it look somewhat thrown together. The layout of the controls, on the other hand, is very simple and accessible. You should be able to leave the manual in the glovebox during the few seconds it takes to appraise yourself of the basic functions. The instruments are easy to read and attractive with the two dials surrounded by chunky silver rings, while the leather-trimmed steering wheel feels good in the hand. The passenger compartment is extremely spacious, due in no small part to the 2.48 metre wheelbase - one of the longest in the supermini class. The 955 millimetres of headroom tshould be more than enough for most. The rear seat splits in the normal 60/40 manner but also has a trick up its sleeve. You can not only fold it down, but also jack-knife it forward and secure it to the back of the front seats. This little party trick frees up a cavernous 735 litres of available luggage space, in effect more than quadrupling the usual capacity of 175 litres with the rear parcel shelf in place. Safety is well catered for with all models getting anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, twin front and side airbags, three-point belts on all five seats and ISOFIX anchorage points for a child seat in the back. Otherwise expect to find power assisted steering, central locking with alarm, electric front windows, cup holders front and rear, an auxiliary power outlet in the back and a tilt adjustable steering column. The SX adds air conditioning, electric rear windows, a height adjustable driver’s seat, a tachometer, front fog lamps, a dipping rear view mirror and – last but not least – a picnic table on the back of the front passenger seat.

The first 1.2-litre S 3-door models fetch £4,600 with an SE or SX 5-door at between £400 and £500 more. The 1.4-litre cars up the anti with a 3-door SX available for around £5,000 - roughly the same as the 3-door Sport - and the automatic gearbox adding £800 to that total. Insurance for all Kalos models is eminently reasonable, starting at Group 3 for the 1.2-litre cars and rising to Group 6 for the 1.4s.

As with all cars that get used to ferry children back and forth, check for rips, stains and other damage to upholstery and minor trim parts. Also bear in mind that the Kalos will likely have been largely used as an urban scoot so check for parking knocks. Other than that, expect the usual Chevrolet reliability but check the service history to ensure it’s been looked after properly.

(Estimated prices, based on a 2005 1.4SX) Parts prices are hardly astronomical, a clutch assembly will be around £90 and an air filter should be close to £12. Brake pads are around £35 a front set with a water pump relieving you of nearly £60.

With 94bhp on tap, the 16v 1.4-litre Kalos is pleasantly punchy, accelerating to 60mph in 11.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 110mph. This car feels a good deal stronger than your average 1.4-litre supermini, especially in the upper reaches of the rev range. Drive the car in a more sedate fashion and you’ll eek out a reasonable return, the car clocking up an average of 40.8mpg. The 1.2-litre engine option is slower but only fractionally more economical with a 43mpg average. The driving experience isn’t sporty and the car rolls around a little too much in corners but the ride is very smooth and there should be few complaints about the amount of engine noise in the cabin. A four-speed automatic option is offered, making the car an even better city slicker. Of course, this takes the edge off the performance a little (11.7s/106mph), but for those who battle with the urban sprawl and crawl home every night, that will represent an acceptable trade off.

There’s no use pretending that the Chevrolet Kalos is on a par with the best superminis out there. It’s a solid little product but it’s up against some excellent alternatives on the used market. The best points are the looks, the interior space and the equipment levels and only the quality of the interior plastics is noticeably poor. The driving experience won’t offend too many people and if ride comfort is your top priority, you should be impressed. There is certainly value contained within the package and that’ll be more than enough to swing the balance for many cash-strapped families.