Chevrolet Aveo 5dr (2011) first official pictures

Following the Aveo RS concept’s appearance at Detroit eight months earlier, Chevrolet has revealed the new Aveo at the 2010 Paris motor show. It’s a homegrown model this time, too, replacing the rebodied Daewoo original of 2008.

The supermini takes on the aggressive family face deployed so strikingly on Chevy’s tiny Spark and compact Cruze, and there are shake-ups in the engine and transmission departments, too.

We’d say so. The production car isn’t as sporty as the concept, as you’d expect, but the new car still packs plenty of poise into its modest footprint, and has touches of flair carried directly from the RS such as rear door handles integrated with the C-pillar, Alfa-style. While not as deep as that of the RS, the road-going Aveo’s split grille maintains a robust look, and we reckon those elongated headlamp clusters and chunky stance echo the VW Polo’s sharp, neat image.

There are nice touches on the inside, too. Apart from added room thanks to a stretched wheelbase over the current model, the new Aveo also sports what Chevy calls a “motorcycle-inspired instrument cluster” mating a digital speedo with a conventional rev counter. The centre console is backlit in blue to lend some sophistication to the interior space.

No such luck. Well, not yet anyway. The current car’s naturally-aspirated 1.2- and 1.4-litre engines remain, while a new 1.3-litre common rail diesel option is available in 74bhp and 94bhp iterations, with stop-start. A six-speed auto ’box is optional on the 1.4, while the other units are mated to 5- or 6-speed manual transmissions.

There is potential for sportiness, though, as the Aveo packs one of the most rigid structures in the supermini class, and ESC is a standard feature across the range.

There’s life in the old Aveo yet, though - the sharp-suited new car won’t hit our streets until autumn 2011.

By Richard Webber