2004 Chevrolet Aveo
By Gary S. Vasilash

The lyric from the Police, “Tiny metal boxes,” comes to mind with regard to the ’04 Chevrolet Aveo vehicles – four and five door models – which are meant to be Chevy’s means to attract young buyers to its brand who otherwise might choose between buying used cars, or buying a Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, or Toyota Echo.

What do two of the three aforementioned vehicles have in common? They are manufactured in Korea.

Clearly, that is a price-sensitive buyer, a buyer for whom a Chevy Cavalier might be too dear – especially next year, when the new Cavalier rolls out, as it is to be in the so-called “premium small car” segment, or in its case, competitive with the likes of the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. But the people who may be interested in the Aveo want their cars with plenty of “stuff,” like a tilt steering wheel, intermittent wipers, and a rear defogger. And a warranty isn’t bad, either. Especially when you’re talking about a car in the price range of $9,500 to $13,000 or so.

How is General Motors doing this? By sourcing the Aveo from GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Company (GMDAT), which it owns along with Suzuki and Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp.

So what about the “tiny metal boxes” descriptor? First, the metal: galvanized steel. Then the tiny: the four-door is 166.8 inches long; the five-door is 152.8 inches long. Both are 58.9-inches high, 65.8-inches long, and have a 97.7-inch wheelbase. (Note the relationship between the length and height of these vehicles. Sort of brings to mind the sort of people packaging that’s now becoming more prevalent.)

“Wait a minute!” you insist. “There’s something familiar about the Aveo.”

That’s right. If you’ve seen the Giugiaro-designed Daewoo Kalos that was introduced in the fall of 2002, you’ve seen the Aveo with a different badge. It is the same car. The high roofline, low window edge, the third rear window on the five-door, the high wheel arches (for 14-in. wheels).

The Aveos are powered by a 1.6-liter, DOHC in-line four that provides 105 hp at 5,800 rpm, which is reasonable for vehicles weighing less than 2,400 pounds.

Chevy seems to have a lot riding on the Aveo. During the unveiling, Kurt Ritter, Chevrolet general manager, stated, “Aveo will play an important role in bringing new customers to the Chevy family and helping ensure our future successes.”

Although “Aveo” is a made-up word, it rhymes with “Geo.” Remember those little cars that were supposed to bring in new customers?

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