Chevrolet Beat Activ Spied; To Be Launched In India By 2017

Chevrolet will renew its campaign in India with the Beat Activ and Essentia. In fact, they've put the plans of introducing the Spin MPV on hold so that the Beat Activ could be brought in first. In fact the decision comes after the enormous response the car got when it was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo in February this year.

Chevrolet India has commenced testing the upcoming Beat Activ (New Generation Spark globally) in the country and the hatchback was recently caught testing in India. The Beat Activ concept is essentially a rugged version based on the new Beat with additional black body cladding, revised bumper and roof rails. With contemporary looks, the Beat Activ might just be the car to change GM's fortunes in India.

The Chevrolet Beat Activ gets completely revised styling which is less radical

Expected to go on sale next year, the new generation Chevrolet Beat Activ gets a more premium and sobered up design language which is a mix of old and new. Quite contrary to the outgoing model that is funky and radical, the hatchback gets elongated headlamps, wide two-part grille, mildly accentuated wheel arches and faux skid plates for a rugged look.

The camouflaged test mule that we see here gives away little but we expect the production version of the car to be very similar to the concept. Chevrolet has retained the pillar mounted rear door handle on the new Beat as well, a feature that is distinctive to the Beat.

The Beat Activ is likely to retain the same engine options as the current version

Inside, the Chevrolet Beat Activ will come with minor changes but it will still get the motorcycle inspired instrument cluster, complete with flashy fabrics and colour options. A touchscreen infotainment system is likely to be offered on the model, complete with Bluetooth, USB and AUX connectivity. Expect features like smartphone pairing and navigation to be part of the package.

Under the hood we'll see no change as the tried and tested 1.2-litre petrol and 1.0-litre diesel are both good powertrains. In its current state of tune, the petrol motor produces 79bhp at 6200rpm and 108Nm of torque at 4400rpm; whereas the three-cylinder diesel makes 57bhp at 4000rpm and 150Nm at 1750rpm. Both engines come paired to a 5-speed manual transmission but we'd love to see Chevrolet bring out an automatic variant at the launch itself rather than making it look like an after thought.

Chevrolet Beat Activ at the 2016 Auto Expo

Chevrolet India has significantly lost ground in the domestic market and the new Beat Activ will help the manufacturer establish itself once again in the highly competitive hatchback segment. Having launched the TrailBlazer last year and announcing a $1 billion investment in India, the American automaker will now introduce a range of products which include the Spin MPV, Beat Activ and Beat Essentia subcompact sedan.