Chevrolet Aveo
The Daewoo Kalos is a subcompact automobile manufactured by GM Daewoo (the South Korean subsidiary of General Motors) introduced in 2002 and marketed globally in 120 countries — prominently as the Chevrolet Aveo (ah-VAY-o).
Marketed worldwide under five GM brands and eleven different nameplates, the Kalos vehicles have evolved through two styling generations. The nomenclature of the two generations, T200 and T250, derive from the internal coding used by first Daewoo and then GM Daewoo, during the car's development, and both generations have been built on a dedicated platform sharing three body styles and five engine configurations — and shared with no other vehicles.
The nameplate "Kalos" derives from the Greek word kalos (καλός) for "beautiful".
First generation
T200
The original Daewoo Kalos is based on a GM Daewoo T200 platform, which replaced the T100 platform of the Daewoo Lanos. Models constructed on this platform debuted in 2002 to South Korea, North America, Europe and most other markets. They were available in all three body styles. Pre-production prototypes were shown at the Geneva Auto Show in April 2002. Manufacture of the Kalos began in early March of 2002 .
Under development before Daewoo's bankruptcy, the Kalos was the company's first new model introduction following its bankruptcy and subsequent takeover by GM.
Conception
Originally designed by Italdesign Giugiaro, the Kalos derives directly from the Kalos Dream concept vehicle presented first at the 2000 Paris Motor Show and then as a further developed concept at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, 2002 Geneva Auto Show, and 2003 at the Geneva Show. (Kalos Dream photos)
During this three-year gestation, Daewoo struggled financially, the ultimate fate of the company and the well-named concept vehicle remaining uncertain. Upon introduction, the initial European models carried an emblem reading "Design Giugiaro."
Referring to his firm's design of the Kalos, Giorgetto Giugiaro said:
The Italdesign Guigiaro T200 sedans and hatchbacks feature a swage line running along the lower body to the rear door, which kinks downward prominently on the hatchback. 5-door hatchbacks also feature a side window in the C/D pillar with a distinctively angled lower edge. Interiors feature a circular motif throughout. US Chevy Aveo, Canadian Suzuki Swift+ and Australian Holden Barina variants featured the same grille with slight differences; European versions and some Latin American versions featured a wider grille with larger slanted headlights.
Design development
Daewoo's now disbanded Worthing Technical Centre in the UK conducted the initial research and platform engineering, with Daewoo's main Technical Center in Bupyong, Incheon, South Korea completing the majority of the later development programme. Daewoo engineers refined the chassis in Britain, on the proving ground at MIRA near Nuneaton, UK.Long-term testing covered nearly 2.2 million kilometers with further testing outside South Korea on test sites in Arjeplog/Sweden, Granada and Idiada/Spain, Kapuskasing/Canada and Beijing/China.
According to an April, 2003 GMDAT press release, Daewoo built 119 prototypes during the Kalos's design and development, crashing 31 for research and data-gathering purposes, and manufacturing 39 pilot production vehicles to verify standards and quality.
Body and packaging
The Kalos vehicles meet subcompact (North America) and supermini or B-segment (per EuroNCAP) size classifications.
All Kalos iterations feature high H-point seating within a relatively narrow, short and high-roofed body that combines a long wheelbase with short front (81 cm) and rear (49 cm, hatchback) overhangs -- to maximize the visibility, interior space and maneuverability relative to the vehicle's footprint. Rear seat H-points are higher in all body types.
Available body styles
- 5-door hatchback - debuted 2002.
- 4-door sedan - debuted 2002, updated to T250, June 2006.
- 3-door hatchback - debuted 2005 (not available all markets).
Cargo volume
Per the German VDA standard, hatchbacks feature cargo space of 735 liters (5-door, rear seat flipped and folded), 175 liters (5-door, rear seat up, parcel shelf in place) -- and a maximum payload of 495 kg (1091 lb). Per EPA cargo volume ratings, Aveo's have cargo volume of 11.7 cf (5-door, rear seat up), 7.1 cf (sedan), and 42cf (5-door, rear seat folded & flipped).
Passenger volume
The EPA volume index for the Aveo calculate an interior volume of 102.7 cf (5-door) and 107.4 cf (sedan) -- giving the Aveo's sub-compact rating, despite meeting the volume criteria for a compact vehicle.
Headroom and theater seating
The Kalos' interior headroom was unmatched in it's class at the time of its introduction. The rear seat of the Kalos has a higher H-point than the front seat, giving the car theater seating
Concept vehicles
- Aveo Xtreme: Introduced at Auto Shanghai 2005, the Aveo Xtreme featured custom fenders, spoilers and rocker panels, lowered suspension, and a bold green paint scheme. While essentially a styling exercise targeted at young Tuners, the Xtreme included a Pioneer AVHP 6500 AM/FM stereo with CD, DVD and MP3 playback, along with XM Satellite Radio, 7-inch touch screen and a integrated PlayStation 2 game system.
- Chevrolet Beat, Groove, and Trax: Originally showcased at the 2007 New York International Auto Show[8][9] these three concept vehicles each highlighted a different direction the Kalos platform might develop. At the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show, General Motors announced the Beat will go into production for the world market, although not immediately in the United States.
- Aveo, Iron Man Edition: Appearing at the 2007 Auto Shanghai, a radically restyled five-door Chevrolet Aveo was on display at General Motors’ stand. The concept was nameless and featured orange paint, black front and rear cladding and a prominent black stripe from front to back. Windingroad.com's Art Director Nate Luzod labeled this Chevrolet the “Aveo Iron Man Edition”.
Design features
Aerodynamics
- drag coefficient of 0.35
- frontal area of 2.16 m²
- aerodynamic resistance of 0.74 m².
Construction
- 46% of the Kalos structural components are produced with high-strength steel.
- The body's sheet metal panel gaps are kept to 3 mm (0.1 in) and all but the roof panel feature galvanized steel.
- Tailor-welded blanks are used in the production of the vehicle to put strength where needed while saving weight.
- Front suspension features MacPherson struts with offset coil springs and a stabilizer bar.
- Rear suspension features a semi-independent torsion beam axle.
Equipment
- The interior features Isofix child seat anchorages.
- The T200 features a slot specifically for holding toll tickets in the instrument panel adjacent to the steering wheel.
- The optional four-speed automatic has a “hold” feature that causes the four speed automatic to behave like a three speed manual: that is, it 'holds' the transmission in the gear which is selected. Useful for engine braking down long grades.
- Kalos models and their variants are marketed as entry-level vehicles in various trim levels globally with options unusual at entry-level: including AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio, steering wheel mounted radio controls, power locks and windows, remote keyless entry, and heated sideview mirrors and power sunroof.
- Common equipment includes tilt steering column, six-way adjustable driver seat, rear-window defroster, remote fuel door and a 60/40 split-bench folding rear seat. The instrument panel includes a tachometer, speedometer, odometer, trip odometer, fuel gauge, coolant temperature gauge and lighting dimmer control. The IP also has a center storage tray, lighter, extra 12-volt outlet, digital quartz clock and lighted glove box.
Safety
The Kalos models have been tested in at least four international New Car Assessment Programs, the results reflecting varying equipment and the differences in the tests themselves. Based on market priorities and price point control, some safety equipment is either unavailable or available only as extra-cost options (including side airbags, ABS, foglights and a rear center position three-point seatbelts and headrests.)
Korea: models received four stars for both driver and front-seat passenger in crash tests conducted by the Korean Automobile Test and Research Institute (KATRI).
Europe: models received the following European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) ratings:
- Adult Occupant:
, score 17 - Child Occupant: , score 26
- Pedestrian:
, score 11
Australia: Holden Barina models received scored 2 stars (of 5) from ANCAP, a rating that is lower than the previous European-built, Opel-based Barina had scored, and the lowest ANCAP rating since 2004. Notably, the Australian Barina models do not feature the front-seat mounted side airbags offered in other markets (e.g., USA), nor are the ANCAP ratings directly comparable to the ratings of other NCAP programs.
United States: US Aveo models received a IIHS crash offset rating of "acceptable" as well as these NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov) ratings:
- Passenger:
- Driver:
- Side Impact Front:
- Side Impact Rear:
- Rollover Rating:
US Aveo safety features include available four-channel, four-sensor ABS system with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), and front (dual-stage) and side air bags with a passenger-sensing system. Beginning with 2008, Aveo standard equipment includes a tire pressure monitoring system.
Engines
S-TEC
- 1.2 L SOHC I4 - South Korea, Europe, India
E-TEC II
- 1.4 L SOHC I4 - Europe
- 1.4 L DOHC I4 - Europe, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, India, Philippines
- 1.5 L SOHC I4 - South Korea, Europe, South Africa, Philippines
- 1.6 L SOHC I4 - Ukraine
- 1.6 L DOHC I4 - North America, Venezuela, Australia, China, India
T250
GM introduced a revised sedan at Auto Shanhai 2005, designed in cooperation with PATAC. Bearing the internal code T250 and sold in South Korea as Daewoo Gentra, the revision comprised primarily interior and exterior styling changes, a new interior IP (instrument panel) and minor equipment changes, including increased sound deadening. 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.
A restyled version of the hatchback with the sedans updated IP (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.
Later iterations, including the Kalos, Aveo, Barina and Gentra sedans, the Gentra X hatchback and the 2007 "Frankfurt Show" hatchbacks were styled in-house and with the assistance of PATAC -- and depart notably from the original Giugiaro exterior and interior styling designs.
With launching Gentra X in South Korea, GMDAT had replaced engines of T250. 1.2L S-TEC II engine had updated with features such as double overhead camshaft(DOHC) and timing chain(older version has timing chain) system. 1.6L E-TEC II engine had replaced with ECOTEC(GEN-III) engine with new features such as variable valve timing mechanism.
| | 2009 Pontiac Wave from the Montreal Auto Show |
Awards
- 'Best Car for the Bucks' from forbes.com
- 'Inter-American Car of the Year,' Inter-American Federation of Automotive Journalists
- 'Most Well-Received Small Car,' News Express and Sino Trust
- 'Most Influential Car of the Year,' China Mainstream Media Association
- ‘Car of the Year-2006,' Business Standard Motoring
- NDTV Profit Car India Awards 2007,Small Car of the Year, Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, NDTV Profit, India's leading business news channel, in association with Car India and Bike India.
- The Aveo sedans and Aveo5 placed 12th and 8th respectively in Consumer Reports 2007 Least satisfying Cars, with 44% of owners expressing inclined to buy again.
- The Kalos won, twice consecutively (2003 and 2004), the Korea Design Power Index (KDPI) conducted by the Korean Management Association (KMA) and deriving from interviews and an internet polling of 20,000 consumers in Korea's six largest cities.
Global marketing and manufacture
South Korea
The T200 was sold as Daewoo Kalos; the hatchback named 'Kalos V' and the sedan 'Kalos S.' Daewoo began selling the T250 sedan in September 2005 as the Daewoo Gentra, replacing Kalos S. "Gentra" is derived from the English word "gentleman" and "transport(ation)".The tagline in the advertising campaign introducing the Gentra in Korea was "Are you gentle?", and the campaign starred Daniel Henny. In October 2007, the Kalos hatchback adopted the T250 underpinnings and was renamed Gentra X.
North America
2007 Chevrolet Aveo5, USA (T200)
Pontiac Wave, Canada (T200)
2008 Suzuki Swift+, Canada (T200) from the Montreal Auto Show
The T200 models were introduced to the US and Canada 2004 models at the 2003 (February) Chicago Auto Show as the Chevrolet Aveo. The US 5-door and 4-door models went on sale in November 2003, and as reported by the Boston Globe in November 2006, "the Aveo (was) the largest-selling subcompact in the United States".
The T250 sedan debuted in January 2006 as the 2007 Chevrolet Aveo at the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. Sales commenced in North America in August 2006. The Aveo 5-door hatchback has been marketed as the "Aveo5" in Canada since its inception and in the US beginning with model year 2007. The models are sold as Pontiac Wave (4-door and 5-door, since the 2005 model year) and Suzuki Swift+ (5-door) in Canada. The T200 Wave sedan was replaced for the 2007 model year with the T250, coinciding with the release of the 2007 T250 Aveo.
US model year changes
2005: Sidemarker lights change from orange to clear.
2006: Rear Spoiler changes from "hugger" style to pedestal style spoiler with several inches of clearance from body.
2007: Deleted: 4-door SVM equipment group, Aveo5 LT model. New Features: 6-disc in-dash CD player and MP3 playback audio system, restyled 4-Door Model, new neutral interior in clot and leatherette, steering wheel mounted audio controls, aux input jacks on all 4-door and LS radios, sedan instrument panel and door accents in wood appearance, metallic grain appearance or silver appearance trim on LS and LT models, manual lumbar adjuster on driver seat, driver seat armrest, back glass antenna on 4-door models. Changes: power outside mirrors now on both driver and passenger, Aveo 5-Door models are called Aveo5. Available Spring Edition in Maui Blue (metallic), with alloy wheels, power windows, power moonroof, upgraded stereo with auxiliary input, keyless remote access, power door locks, foglamps and interior silver accents.
2009: T250 2008.5 Aveo and sedan, Deleted: 15" 5-spoke aluminum wheels, E-TEC II 1.6L engine, Carbon fiber appearance accents. New: new exterior and interior design, Charcoal Perforated Leatherette seating surfaces, OnStar and standard on all models, available XM Satellite Radio, available Leather-wrapped steering wheel wand shift knob are now included with perforated leatherette seating surface option, Driver Information Center with outside temperature display and fuel economy/driving range function, new 15" 5-spoke aluminum wheels, GM Oil Life Monitoring System , ECOTEC 1.6L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder MFI engine with Variable Valve Timing and Dual Continuous Variable Cam Phasing (107 hp @ 6400 rpm, 106 lb-ft of torque @ 3800 rpm), 5-speed manual transmission to include shift indicator light. Changes: New good-better-best packaging strategy labeled as 1LS, 1LT and 2LT. Power Package called Power and Convenience Package, aux input included on all radios, front wipers variable intermittent, front doors, driver and front passenger seatback map pockets on all models, Alternator 95 amps. Deletions, Additions and Changes per GM's public online order guide.
US stop delivery order
In February 2004 GM issued a "stop delivery" order, to investigate five accidents that occurred in a tight time frame just as the Aveo was introduced to the US market. The order was lifted shortly thereafter, after an investigation revealed no connection among the accidents.
US marketing
The Aveo was introduced for its market debut in a 60 second television advertisement that first appeared on New Year's Eve 2003, created by the firm of Campbell-Ewald, directed by Michael Bay and featuring the song Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf. The advertisement was titled "An American Revolution, Car Carrier" and featured six yet to be introduced cars and trucks boarding a car carrier as it traversed the United States -- notably the 103hp Aveo descending the Twin Peaks of San Francisco and making an airborne leap highly reminiscent of Steve McQueen's Ford Mustang in the movie Bullitt — before boarding the car carrier.
Two other fifteen second TV ads also created by the firm of Campbell-Ewald , spotlighted the Aveo: "Pachyderm" showing an elephant, chased down a city street by an Aveo and "Big Little," in which four basketball players enter the car look appear tiny in big seats, highlighting the vehicle's roominess.
Mexico
In Mexico, the T200 is not sold, but the T250 sedan is sold as Pontiac G3. The Automotive News reported in October 2007 that GM would begin producing the Aveo model at the new San Luis Potosí Assembly plant in Mexico (400 km northwest of México City) when the plant is complete in June 2009. This Aveo would also be destined for the United States and Canada as well.
Central and South America
The T200 is sold as Chevrolet Aveo in Ecuador (3-door), Peru (3-door and 5-door), Venezuela, Colombia and Chile (all body styles). The T250 is sold as Chevrolet Aveo in Peru (4-door). A taxi version of the T200 sedan is available in Ecuador.
Western Europe
Until the end of 2004, the T200 was sold as Daewoo Kalos. In early 2005, the Chevrolet brand replaced the Daewoo brand and the Kalos was rebadged the Chevrolet Kalos, coinciding with the introduction of the 3-door. The new T250 sedan is marketed as the Chevrolet Aveo, replacing the Kalos sedan in 2006. A revised hatchback was introduced in the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, to go on sale in early 2008 as the Aveo -- replacing the Kalos.
Central and Eastern Europe
The T200 was sold as Chevrolet Aveo from its introduction in 2003. The T250 has replaced the T200 sedan in 2006, retaining the same name. Versions sold in this region had 1.4 L engines, and were available as both five-door hatchback and four-door sedan.
It was announced in November 2007 that FSO in Warsaw, Poland, would begin assembling the Aveo under a joint venture between GM and FSO's owner, the Ukrainian company UkrAVTO. GM plans to produce 70,000 Aveos at FSO during 2008, with production rising to 100,000 in 2009.
Australia and New Zealand
Holden Barina, New Zealand (T200)
The T200 model was available as the Daewoo Kalos before Daewoo's Australian operations ceased at the end of 2004 and was absent from the Australian market until re-introduced in December 2005 as the TK Holden Barina (3-door and 5-door). The TK Barina replaced the previous XC Barina, which was an imported and rebadged European Opel Corsa. The T250 sedan was introduced in February 2006, and both the T200 and T250 models are sold together as the Barina lineup. The switch from the Opel-sourced Corsa was criticized, given the Kalos' lower ANCAP safety performance.
Other markets
Indonesia: The T200 is sold as Chevrolet Aveo in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (5-door only), as well as South Africa and China (5-door and 4-door).
China The T250 sedan is sold as Chevrolet Lova in China.
India The T250 was launched in India in 2006 as Chevrolet Aveo along with the slogan "An Indian Revolution", referencing Chevrolet's An American Revolution ad campaign. The T200 hatchback has been sold in India since December 2006 as the Chevrolet Aveo U-VA. A taxi called Chevytaxi is based on the T200 sedan.
Assembly plants
Most Kalos/Aveos are assembled in the Bupyong plant in South Korea. In Ukraine, Russia and Venezuela, local versions of the Aveo are assembled from knock-down kits or CKD. For the Chinese market, Aveos and Lovas are manufactured by Shanghai GM Dongyue. In India, Aveos are assembled from Halol Plant. Also in Egypt GM assembly plant started in August 2007 producing the Aveo locally in 3 variants.
Beginning in 2009, Chevrolet Aveos will be produced at the new General Motors San Lois Potosi plant located in Mexico. Start of production is targeted at June 2009.
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