Frankfurt motor show 2007 - Chevrolet

Chevrolet is giving visitors to the show a preview of its next supermini as well as a chance to influence the company's future small-car policy.

Aveo
The Aveo is the company's new supermini, which replaces the Kalos next spring. And, although it is based on the Kalos, there's been a thorough reworking of the exterior styling, interior trim and engines and gearboxes.

The characterless face of the Kalos has been replaced by something much more striking, with curved clear-glass lamps and a large split grille that makes the company's bow-tie logo a styling feature. Clear-glass lamps are also carried through to the rear.

There's been an even more dramatic improvement inside, with soft-touch plastics and higher-quality fabrics giving the car a more upmarket look and feel than the Kalos.

The 1.2-litre engine has been uprated from 71 to 83bhp, while the 1.4 now churns out 97bhp rather than 93. Both are said to be particularly fuel-efficient. An automatic gearbox is again optional with the 1.4.

Concepts
If Aveo is a reworking of the company as we know it, three concepts on show – Beat, Groove and Trax – are the future of sub-supermini Chevrolets.

They were introduced at the New York Show in April to give American buyers a chance to vote on which they prefer. Now Europeans are being offered the same opportunity.

The likelihood is that two of them – the funky three-door Beat and tough-looking five-door Groove – will form the basis of production models to replace the Matiz in 2009. Beat was favourite with visitors to the show, winning 43% of the vote on the first day.

Less likely to appear is the Trax, a small urban 4x4 crossover that has a petrol engine to drive the front wheels and an electric motor to drive the rears.