No brainer of the day! GM to bring Chevy Beat to US market
by Sam Abuelsamid on Jul 3rd 2008 at 4:51PM 
In perhaps the most obvious move of the decade, MarketWatch is reporting that GM will in fact bring the upcoming Chevy Beat to the U.S. market. The Beat was one of a trio of mini-car concepts that appeared at the New York Auto Show in 2007. GM announced last November in Los Angeles that the Beat would be produced but refused to commit to bringing it to the US market. What GM has said is that all new models from anywhere in the corporation are being engineered using a global development process to meet all regulatory requirements around the world. At its debut, the Beat was listed as having a 1.2L turbocharged engine. If GM does indeed bring it here it could be powered by an upcoming turbocharged direct injected three cylinder set to be produced at the Flint engine plant. GM desperately needs a car like this to compete in a $4/gallon market and meet new CAFE requirements.
[Source: MarketWatch]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
BillySharps 5:10PM (7/03/2008)
Finally! Best news I've heard all week. It's this or the iQ, I swear!
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Joce03 7:14PM (7/05/2008)
Except, I wouldn't be surprised if Daewoo built it for Chevrolet and it turns out to be a (mechanically) terrible car like the Aveo/Wave.
robert morris 9:15PM (9/02/2008)
what an overpriced grotesque piece of crap. is there an ugly award? a riding lawnmower has more metal!
the "smog controls" which are overblown by oil co sucks and detuning of engines cause gasoline waste. ca college took an 80 something honda and removed the "smog controls" and retuned the engine. it got over 140 mpg.......people that own cars also own oil...........duh!!!!!
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Brad 5:25PM (7/03/2008)
GM will not last unless they bring a GREAT hybrid or fuel cell car to the US.
http:///www.goeasyeco.com
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Joseph 8:36PM (7/04/2008)
Thank God, something to replace the terrible Chevy Aveo.
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Cameron42985 10:50PM (7/04/2008)
It's smaller than Aveo. It's more similar to the Toyota iQ concept and Smart.
wave54 11:58AM (7/05/2008)
It isn't supposed to replace the Aveo, which is scheduled for a major redesign in the next few years. Maybe that's why the Beat wasn't planned for North America.
Where does GM bring it in price-wise, with the Aveo and Cobalt starting at $11-14K. This car won't be cheaper than the Aveo, and it may be hard to price it at mid-teens unless it's marketed as a premium small car, like the Mini.
Luke 6:19PM (7/03/2008)
It's a start. Woohoo!
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Nick 7:11PM (7/03/2008)
Looks good ! And that's rare for a Chevrolet compact car.
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JimBo 11:41PM (7/03/2008)
turbocharged 3 cylinder direct injection? Sounds like it'll be pretty easy on gas, I'm interested.
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Rick 6:58PM (7/03/2008)
Too bad they are bringing only a 3 door. There is small and then there is too small for a family.
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Smog 8:03PM (7/03/2008)
Am I the only one thinking GM will offer the BEAT in America but only with a v6 or a v8 engine ?
forget about a 1.2L ; most American Buyers will think they can't carry the 2 bags of groceries with it.
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Jared 8:57AM (7/04/2008)
You are the only one. The Beat engine compartment is far too small for a V6 or V8. It will come with a small 4, smaller than the 4 in the Cobalt.
MadScientistMatt 3:52PM (7/04/2008)
GM building it that way? Not going to happen. Some psychopath with a welder and Sawzall building a V8 powered Beat? I'd expect that to show up a month after it goes on sale.
bosyphyllus 1:07AM (7/04/2008)
This thing is ugly. Go back to the drawingboard.
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thegruntman 6:28AM (7/05/2008)
About time. Its cool looking too. I wonder what kind of fuel economy it has.
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DJL 6:54PM (7/06/2008)
Prediction:
The beat will have front and side airbags, stability control, 2.5 mph bumpers, side door beams, etc.
As a result, its mpg will only be about 1 mpg better city and highway than the iteration of the Cobalt XFE (or other Delta variant) that is sold alongside it.
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Thomas 9:23AM (7/04/2008)
That's the kind of thinking that got GM into its current predicament!
I'd bet 10 shares of GM stock (e.g. not much) that this guy is Minimum Bob himself!
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Matthew 9:31AM (7/04/2008)
Wouldn't it be awesome if they called it the Chevrolet Metro, and bring back a car name EVERYONE knows is synonomous with FUEL EFFICIENCY! The Metro name is well known and attributed to being a gas miser, and if the General were serious, they would do themselves a favour and do it!
Besides they had to bring to N.America, its in the Transformers Movie for pete's sakes! Haha! Love the look, hope the interior does not rival my Rubbermaid Hamper for quality plastics though!!!
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tankd0g 12:35PM (7/04/2008)
Will this be before 2012? You know, when the "game changer" will already be out for 2 years and the price will be coming down and pigs will be flying out my butt.
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