2012 Chevrolet Aveo RS Puts Fiesta in its Sights

2012 Chevrolet Aveo RS Puts Fiesta in its Sights

2012 Chevrolet Aveo RS Puts Fiesta in its Sights

2012 Chevrolet Aveo RS Puts Fiesta in its Sights

2012 Chevrolet Aveo RS Puts Fiesta in its Sights

2012 Chevrolet Aveo RS Puts Fiesta in its Sights

A heavy hint at the 2012 production Aveo, it’s slightly longer and slightly wider than the current model. More importantly, while Ford’s new b-segment four-door sedan and hatchback goes for a cute, softly surfaced look, the Aveo is all sharp edges and creases. The RS concept also features 19-inch wheels and center-dual exhausts, a nod to the sport compact tuners’ market Chevy hopes to capture with the new car. It’s a four-door hatchback, although Chevy also has a sedan in the works, as with the current car.

The concept previews the production car’s separate headlamps and dual-round taillamps (signature Chevrolet), large brake ducts in the lower front fascia, rear door pulls concealed in the c-pillars, integrated rear spoiler, and a dual-cockpit interior with a motorcycle-style mini-cluster, and blue stitching on black leather. Chevy Design Director Mike Simcoe describes it as “a little more room, a lot more refined, and a lot more attitude.”

The engine in the RS is a 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec four mated to a six-speed manual. It begins production early in ’11 in Orion Township, Michigan. It can’t launch quickly enough. Right now, Ford is eating Chevrolet’s lunch on the sales front, with the Fusion and not the Malibu making the top-10 vehicles by sales volume list for ’09, and the Fiesta beating the new Aveo to market by about a year. At least Chevy has a slight lead over Ford for Cruze-vs.-next Focus production.