GM updates the Beat, adds silver inserts and seat height adjustment
Chevrolet hasn't made many changes to the Beat ever since it was launched in India. That is, apart from adding a diesel engine under the hood. Now, the company has quietly added a seat height adjuster for the driver in the Beat models. Also part of the refresh are silver inserts in the dashboard which match the inserts on the steering wheel. These are the only changes in the car. The engine and powertrain have been left untouched. This means buyers get a Smartech II petrol/CNG engine which makes 80PS of power and a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder diesel engine which, until the Amaze was launched, claimed the highest fuel efficiency figure of any car in India (25.44kmpl).
The refreshes can be seen as GM's way of heeding customer feedback and more importantly, stealing some of the Micra Active's thunder. The Chevrolet India website has a limited offer price for the Beat at Rs 3.39 lakh while the Micra Active's base price starts at Rs 3.50 lakh, ex-Delhi. Just last year, GM showcased the updated Beat. However, that Beat will come to India only at the Auto Expo 2014. The facelifted Beat, on the international model, had a dual-port grille, new headlamps and reworked fog lamps. There are new alloy wheels on offer (14- and 15-inch options). At the rear, there is a new LED stop light which has been neatly integrated into the spoiler.