Chevrolet Beat LT

The Beat comes with a fresh 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine which is a completely different unit from the UV-A’s  1.2-litre engine. This twin-cam, four-valve-per-head motor is well specced but in the present company of 1.2 petrols doesn’t really break any new ground. It develops 79bhp at a peaky 6200rpm and max torque comes at a high 4400rpm. While the power output is not quite as good as Japanese 1.2-litre motors, it is pretty respectable. But what blunts the Chevy’s ultimate performance is its above-average weight. At low revs the Beat is incredibly refined and near-silent at idle. The baby Chevy has a perky throttle response, which is useful in stop-and-go traffic but depress the throttle more than halfway and you instantly notice the lack of mid-range  punch.  It’s not a particularly effortless motor but if you work it hard, it will deliver respectable performance. The dash to 100kph is dispatched in a smart 14.8 seconds and in-gear acceleration is more than adequate as well. The top three gears are quite short, which makes highway overtaking quite easy and even with a full load the Beat doesn’t feel sluggish. The short fifth gear means highway cruising isn’t very relaxed but if you stay below 3000rpm (or 95kph) the Beat feels wonderfully refined. The 1.2 motor has a decent top end and pulls strongly to its rev limit but its thrashy and raucous nature at high revs doesn’t encourage visits to the redline. This engine feels best at low revs and on part-throttle and is better suited for ambling along than full-bore acceleration. The gearshift has a long throw and, though light and easy to use, doesn’t have the crispness we would have liked. A small engine in a heavy body has to work hard, more so when the mid-range performance isn’t great. Hence, fuel efficiency is far from class-leading but it’s respectable all the same. In the city, the Beat returned a decent 11.5kpl while on the highway, the relatively short top gear made the engine spin more to record a modest 15.3kpl.