GM India’s little Chevrolet Beat gets a new diesel heart that seems to have the potential to create further ripples in the small car segment. Let’s take a close look
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN AFFORDABLE diesel hatchback, look no further, for General Motors India have recently launched the Beat with a diesel engine and the prices start at Rs 4.96lakh (OTR Pune for Base model). The new Beat is powered by a 1.0-litre diesel engine that has the potential to give a tough fight to the cars in the same price bracket. So how good is the car? Let’s find out.Visually the car is identical to the petrol Beat. Nothing new has been added to make it stand out except the TDCi badge on the rear left side. It retains the same radical exterior and jazzy interior that were discussed in the February 2010 issue of this magazine. So, let’s talk about the engine.
The Big Small Heart
The new 936-cc, three-cylinder diesel motor in the Beat diesel is a completely new engine from GM. It has been developed by GM’s technical centre in India and GM Powertrain Europe especially for the Indian market. GM also claim that the power and torque figures of this engine are the highest in the segment. However, we don’t see any other 1.0-litre diesel engine car out there in the market. GM India also claim a fuel efficiency of 24 km per litre for the diesel Beat. We were not able to test the car for fuel efficiency. However, going by the performance characteristics of the tiny motor, we believe that it has the capability to deliver a mileage close to the claimed figure, because it has a torque output of 150 Nm, a figure that is almost similar to cars in a higher segment. All of this torque is available from 1,750 RPM, which means that one can drive this car in a higher gear, but at a lower RPM, which results in lower fuel consumption, making for better fuel efficiency. The power output of the Beat diesel is rated at 58.5 PS at 4,000 RPM, quite good for a 1.0-litre engine once again. The gear shift is slick and the gear ratios are well matched to the power and torque curves, which make driving the car within the city and on highways a delightful experience.
Is It A Performer?
Well, if you want a diesel that performs well in the city and also serves as a reliable machine on the highways, then the answer to the question is ‘yes’. The 150 Nm of torque and 58.5 PS of power is quite adequate for a car that weighs just over a ton (1,067 kg, to be exact). Since the main purpose of the Beat has always been to serve as a city car, the usual 0-100 km/h sprint and quarter-mile timing may not be to the liking of an enthusiast. Anyway, the car did 0-100 km/h in 20.55 seconds and its quarter mile timing was 21.86 seconds. What makes the Beat diesel a performer is its ability to pull from a low speed in a higher gear. Even though it is a turbo-charged diesel engine, there is hardly any turbo lag to be noticed. It starts pulling right from 1,500 RPM and manages to do so even in the third and fourth gears. Quite an achievement for such a small engine. Because of this the roll-on fi gures are quite good for the size of the engine. The third gear roll-on fi gures clearly indicate this – the car took just eight seconds to go from 40 to 80 km/h.
The handling of the diesel variant is slightly better than its petrol counterpart and it won’t be too much to say that this Beat is built for congested city traffic. It can manage to weave its way through clogged roads and zip past those slow-moving lorries and public transport buses with utmost ease. Moreover, it is fun to drive it around the city.
As mentioned earlier, the main purpose of the Beat is to behave like a city car and it does so very easily. What’s more, the diesel variant is quite capable of being one’s highway companion, too. Although it may feel a little underpowered to some, it is quite capable of handling those occasional long drives with your family without protest.
Is It Worth The Investment?
Of course, yes. GM India have come up with a nice little diesel car. It is just right for people looking forward to their first car, which will fulfil their demand for a fuel-efficient, affordable, contemporary and fun-to-drive diesel hatch. So if you propose to buy such a car, the Beat diesel makes perfect sense.
