Chevrolet Kalos: Sporty new three-door body style

Fayence, FRANCE - The popular front-wheel-drive Kalos (Aveo, Wave) hatchback and notchback models will soon have a three-door hatchback sister in Europe and in some markets in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East (LAAM). The Paris Motor Show sees the world premiere of the sporty model, which will appear in European showrooms from February 2005 and in LAAM markets in the second quarter of 2005.

The design of the new Chevrolet Kalos (length/width/height: 3,880/1,670/1,495 mm) builds on the dynamic tradition of its four- and five-door siblings. The sporty appearance is underscored by a number of special features such as aerodynamically optimised add-on parts at the front and rear, modified bumpers and striking side sills.

The interior also has a fresh and modern appearance. Additional storage spaces and the two-color look of the dashboard are among the other new features.

In Europe, the sporty three-door will be available with a choice of three economical four-cylinder engines, ranging from the 1.2-litre gasoline unit with 53 kW/72 hp and the 1.4-litre 61 kW/83hp unit, to the even livelier 1.4-liter 16-valve version with 69 kW/94 hp. With its engine transmission combination, the three-door Chevrolet Kalos performs as well as it looks. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 11.1 sec and has a respectable top speed of 176 km/h. Even with this performance, owners will not have to visit a fuel station often. With the car's average consumption of 7.0 litres per 100 km (14.2 km/l), the 45-litre tank will take them 642 km without a stop.

Currently accounting for around 42 percent of the company's sales in Europe, the Kalos, first introduced two years ago, has become the most important model for GM Daewoo (in Western Europe) and Chevrolet (in Central and Eastern Europe). In the first six months of this year, some 40,000 European customers ordered the compact five-door car. In the United States, the model (which came onto the market there last year as the Chevrolet Aveo) has made its mark as well. In August more than 6,500 Aveos were sold, making it by far the best seller in its segment with a market share of 46.6 percent. Total sales in the first eight months of this year surpassed 32,000 vehicles.