Shanghai GM, one of General Motors’ Chinese joint ventures, has previewed the refreshed Aveo family ahead of its sales debut in June. Confirming the spy photos we presented last month, both the hatchback and the sedan get a new face inspired by the 2016 Cruze that ditches the motorcycle-style headlights of the current model for more conventional units.
The front end has an upper chrome grille and newly designed front fascia featuring Chevrolet’s signature dual-port grille, which is higher and wider than in the present model. The grille features the same gold bowtie as the new-generation Cruze, while the fog lights have chrome accents as well as a matte black base.
Other exterior changes include body-colored side mirrors with built-in turn signals, 16-inch eight-spoke wheels with Bridgestone tires, butterfly-shaped taillights and concealed exhaust pipe design.
Interior upgrades concern the tweaked instrument panel that gets an integrated cover and flowing light elements as well as an all-new polygon tachometer integrated into the LED display, a 7-inch touch screen that discards some of the buttons on the center console, and the latest Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system.
The facelifted Aveo for China retains the DVVT engine and six-speed automatic transmission. GM says the vehicle was jointly created by its global design network, including the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) in Shanghai. “Designers factored in input from current Aveo owners and small car buyers,” GM says, adding that the result is a “refreshed model with a clean yet sporty exterior.”
The release also says that the refreshed Aveo is the first model featuring Chevrolet’s new signature design language – “Design with a Heartbeat.” It remains to be seen whether the Aveo will get a similar makeover in the U.S. and Europe.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
