Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015) Review

Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015) At A Glance

Nice looking hatchback. Good value for money. Decent handling. Good legroom in the back. Reasonable bootspace. Diesel has stop/start.

Petrol engines not particularly efficient. Automatic gearbox saps power. Interior plastics could be better in places.

Real MPG average for a Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015)'s top 3 rivals

Mitsubishi Mirage

Smart styling, spacious interior and strong three-cylinder 1.2 petrol engine. Emits less than 100g/km...

Dacia Sandero

Unbelievably cheap for this size of car, generous interior space and a big boot, reasonably comfortable...

Hyundai i20

Easy to drive and refined. Very well built. Five-year warranty as standard. Neat and tidy styling. Decent...

Inside of the Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015)

• Boot space is 290–653 litres
• Euro NCAP rating of five stars

Chevrolet has tried hard to make the Aveo stand out and this continues inside with neatly designed, albeit not especially distinctive interior. The main focus is the the instrument cluster above the steering wheel. Similar to the one found in the Chevrolet Spark, it is inspired by a motorbike speedo and combines a traditional analogue rev counter with a neat digitial display for the speedo, fuel gauge and trip computer.

The display is backlit blue (something which used to be a Volkswagen trademark) as are the buttons and dials on the centre dash - all designed to give the Aveo a more upmarket and stylish appearance. The three-spoke steering wheel looks nice as do the circular air vents on either side. We also like the easy to use stereo (not the one on entry LT models though, which looks a bit cheap) but we're at a loss as to why there are two strange thin storage areas either side. They're not particularly useful and seem like an afterthought, especially when the ventilation controls are placed so low down.

On the plus side, for a small hatchback the interior of the Aveo is pretty spacious. Two adults can happily travel in the front without bashing elbows every time the driver goes to change gear while there's good storage too. There's a double level glovebox (although the top one isn't particularly generous) along with large door pockets, two cupholders in the central console and a pull-out drawer under the front passenger seat.

For passengers in the back there's a surprising amount of legroom, helped by the Aveo's squared off rear design. The seats are comfortable, although you will struggle to get three across and the roof slopes down at the sides, which means taller people can hit their head when getting out. The boot is a good size at 290 litres and features a hidden storage area below the boot floor.

The Aveo is well equipped as standard, and there are three trim levels - LS, LT and LTZ. All models get cruise control, air conditioning and a USB port as standard.

LS spec models come with air conditioning, cruise control with speed limiter, CD player, electric front windows, electric mirrors and rear spoiler. 

LT spec adds 15-inch alloy wheels, steering wheel mounted audio controls, four-way adjustment for the drivers seat, Bluetooth with music streaming, chrome gear knob detail, sunglasses holder and a driver information centre.

LTZ spec adds leather steering wheel, front fog lights, six speaker audio, rear parking sensors and automatic headlights on top of LT equipment. 

Child seats that fit a Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Driving Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015)

• Engines range from 1.2 to 1.4
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 29–69 mpg

The Aveo is one of those cars that may not excel in any area but performs more than adequately in most. It's reasonably refined and rides very well for a small car, which helps with comfort levels, although taller drivers will find that the driver's seat is set a little too high. But all round visibility is good which makes it an easy car to drive in town or manouvre into tight parking spots.

Of course it's town and city driving which these sorts of cars are really designed for and the Aveo is happy nipping in and out traffic thanks to its light steering and responsive throttle. The gearchange on the manual cars isn't the best - it's positive enough but feels a little sticky at times but it's a far better option than the automatic.

This is a new six-speed auto called 'Hydra-Matic' which has been designed with efficiency in mind. It's fine as long as you don't rush it, but more often than not it's a frustrating gearbox to use as it saps power from the engine while asking for all-out performance results in high revs and lots of noise. Not pleasant. It does come with a button on the side allowing you to shift gears manually, but this makes little difference to how it performs.

The entry-level engine is a 1.2-litre petrol with 86bhp and 115Nm of torque. Those figures look respectable on paper, but  the four-cylinder is a lacklustre engine that lacks character. There's not much in the way of 'get up and go' about it and even with your foot to the floor, it fails to deliver even respectable performance. At least economy is respectable - the claimed figures say it will do 60.9mpg with CO2 emissions of 111g/km.

The 1.4-litre petrol is a better bet if you're doing any distance driving. It produces 100bhp and more torque, which helps it feel slightly more sprightly, if not exactly sparkling in terms of performance. It's certainly not as noisy at high revs as the 1.2-litre and unlike the smaller engine, is available with the automatic gearbox. Emissions are a 125g/km in the manual while opting for the auto sees this rise to 147g/km - a figure that is really too high for a car this size.

There is also a new 1.3-litre diesel offered with two outputs - a standard five-speed with 75bhp along with a special eco version that has 95bhp, a six-speed manual gearbox and an engine stop/start system. Both emit below 100g/km of CO2, making them free to tax and exempt from the London congestion charge.

On the motorway the Aveo is fairly quiet, although with any car this size there will always be a fair amount of road and engine noise. It's decent in corners too and there's not too much body roll. However, ultimately the Aveo is competent but nothing more. That's not a criticism, after all, the best cars at this level - like the Ford Fiesta - are considerably more expensive and not as well equipped for the money. But as the Suzuki Swift proves, you can have a value for money car that's still fun to drive, good quality and refined.

Chevrolet Aveo (2011 – 2015) Models and Specs

On sale until June 2017

On sale until October 2015

Good

Model History

• January 2010
• September 2010