Chevrolet Cars reviews at reviewmirchi.com | Chevrolet Beat (M300) has an average customer review rating of 3.5 out of 5|  Email This Post | View all reviews for Chevrolet Cars | | Discuss Chevrolet Beat (M300) |

The Chevrolet Beat also known as M300 seems to be a successor to the M100 Matiz and M200 Spark, the all-new M300 is a clean sheet design car sold in India. More expensive than the Spark but cheaper than the U-VA, the car will be the first to be produced at GM’s all-new plant in Talegaon, near Pune.

GM has big plans for the Beat. Designed to be small and efficient however not boring and staid, the car is meant to deliver a custom feel to the owner. The look is tagged ‘micro import tuner’, after the modified small hatchbacks that are so popular in the US at the moment. Styled at GM’s Incheon design centre in South Korea, the company’s specialists in small car design, the look is radical for a small car.

The cowl of this semi mono-volume design is massive by any standards. Its imposing presence dominates the look of the car and the grille sits high in the nose. The car has a wedge-shaped profile and the details are sharp and edgy. A deep front air dam with a two-piece grille and honeycomb mesh screams aggression. In fact, the cowl-to-windscreen ratio is so high that it is reminiscent of a Japanese Bullet train. Sharply defined wheel arches front and rear, elongated headlamp clusters and a rear similar to the new Mercedes A-Class or Peugeot 1007 make this a thoroughly modern design. The double-barrel tail-lights are interesting as well. Of course, while the show car is a two-door prototype, the production car will have four doors.

The interiors are just as radical, almost Star Trek-like in the ambience they create. The central console is back-lit, the instrument panel sits in an ovoid pod and there are digital controls on the steering wheel. The dashboard is twin-layered and there is mood lighting for the insides as well.

The open backed seats are also very interesting. They provide good ventilation for the occupants and look cool at the same time. The modern look is further enhanced by the matt carbon black fabric used. The pop-up juke box, six- speaker system with a trunk-mounted sub-woofer are also sure to make the Beat a fun place to be in.

The prototype is finished in a bold shade called Vertigo Green and features chunky 17-inch wheels and low-profile tyres. Displayed at the recent New York Auto Show, the Beat prototype will help GM finalise the design according to the feedback it receives from showgoers. The wheels and LED lights might not make it into final production, nevertheless the Beat represents the future of small car design. Bold, unapologetic and in your face. With more attitude than your everyday sports car. Now, ain’t that something. When it is put into production at GM’s Talegaon facility, the Beat will be powered by a 1.2-litre motor. GM has showcased a turbo-charged version of the motor, and this could be sold in addition to a normally-aspirated version as well. It certainly will make for an interesting option.

With an overall length less than four metres and an engine which is less than 1200cc, the Beat will qualify for excise cuts in India which should ensure an aggressive price. Added to this is the fact that GM’s state-of-the-art plant in Talegaon will also be the global production base, meaning heavy localisation of parts and generous economies of scale. GM might really have something here. Click here to view Chevrolet beat photos

This post was submitted by Ashutosh Agarwal.