Chevrolet Beat Diesel: First Drive

It has been about a year and a half since GM India introduced the Chevrolet Beat in the Indian market. Launched with a 1.2 petrol engine, the Beat proved to be a worthy contender in the cutthroat hatchback segment and with time the car has witnessed a substantial fan following and has re-written GM India’s fortunes to a certain extent. It’s quirky new age ‘edge’ styling, frugal nature and spot on pricing may have done the trick, however GM India didn’t intend on resting on those laurels and have decided to up the game a notch with the introduction of a diesel heart under the Beat’s bonnet.

The car itself remains largely unchanged, especially in the looks and features department. The Beat might be over a year old; however its new age styling still looks fresh. The large headlamps, edgy sheet metal and tall boy stance ensure that the Beat stands out in the crowd and even with the introduction of a number of new hatchbacks in the segment, the Beat still stands out for its inherent good looks.

The interiors are a familiar place as well and I mean this in a good way for the Beat came with some fresh ideas at the time of its launch and even today those haven’t been replicated by other manufacturers. The most striking feature being the innovatively designed instrument cluster, which gels with the young image that the car portrays. The plastics are at par with industry standards and there hasn’t been any customer complaint on that front either. Thanks to the tallboy stance, the Beat also boasts of ample interior space, despite being a tad bit smaller in length than its prime competitor, namely the Ford Figo.

Where the real story lies is at the heart of the matter and in this case that would be the 1 liter diesel engine that has been fitted in under the hood of the Beat. Developed by engineers in India as well as GM’s powertrain facility in Europe, the 936cc XSDE Smartech  turbocharged 3 cylinder diesel engine has been ideally tuned for Indian driving conditions. It might be smaller than other diesels in the market, but don’t  go with what you see on paper for this diesel mill is capable of churning out 58.5 PS@ 4000 rpm and more importantly it generates a very commendable 152.9 Nm of torque @ 1750 rpm. Mated to a five speed manual transmission, the Beat Diesel happens to be a formidable offering in the small diesel hatchback space.

CHEVROLET BEAT DIESEL

The three pot liter engine with a fixed geometry turbocharger is a pleasant little package that does the task of powering the Beat rather well. It might be a little noisy on the outside, but inside the diesel is barely audible.  Moreover, the vibrations that a diesel engine generates have also been kept in check as the car doesn’t even show a hint of such vibrations thanks to the robust engine mounts. Thanks to the low gear ratios, the Beat is content at puttering around in city traffic and has the spunk to be quick off the mark at red lights. In order to ensure better overall drivability rather than just a great low end, the turbocharger does the trick when it kicks in close to 1600 rpm. This boost gives the Beat the necessary ability to take on highway traffic as well as cruise easily in 3 digit territory for lengths together. Having said that, the engine does get a little noisy at higher speeds, but then, that is a small bargain for a vehicle that runs on diesel and is set to offer you an ARAI claimed 24 kilometers to the liter!

Thanks to the introduction of the  one liter diesel mill, GM had to change the front suspension to new gas charged shock absorbers as well as offer a wider tyre size of 165/65 R14. These two changes have been carried out to compensate for the increase in engine weight, however they also have enhanced the ride comfort substantially over the petrol Beat. The new electronic powersteering is a lot better as it offers better driver feedback and it doesn’t possess that inert ‘flat’ feeling that many electronic power steering systems tend to offer. 

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The one liter diesel engine has opened new doors for GM as the engine provides the best of many worlds in terms of great drivability, decent power and enhanced mileage. Considering the way that fuel prices are spiraling skywards, the diesel Beat couldn’t have been introduced at a better time. Set to take on the likes of the MSIL Swift diesel, Ford Figo and MSIL Ritz, the Beat has its sights set on a larger piece of the hatchback pie and judging from the car, it surely has the potential to change the game in this segment provided that the pricing is right.

CHEVROLET BEAT DIESEL