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Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks test drives the Chevrolet 3-door Kalos
In an act that surprised many in the industry, General Motors re-branded all its European exported Daewoo cars to Chevrolet. Nargess Shahmanesh-Banks tested the first of the bunch, the new Kalos three-door Chevrolet.

It's hoped that the new three-door Kalos will appeal to a new and younger buyer

The Kalos already has a five-door model, but a sportier one with three-doors should, according to GM's marketing folks, appeal to much needed younger buyers. The five-door, more mature sibling, has seen relative success in Europe, as well as in the US where it is sold under the name of Chevrolet Aveo. The car has sold over 43,500 units since its launch at the end of 2003, taking first place in the small car segment there.

The sporty packaging on the three-door Kalos gives the car a more agile feel. Styling cues include newly designed bumper mouldings at front and rear incorporating an air dam at the front, modified rear monosides with new rear wheel arch profile and additional rocker panel mouldings.

The Kalos needs to be compact and the three-door is definitely small with length/width/height at 3,880/1,670/1,495 mm. The relatively generous height and one of the longest wheelbases in its class (2,480 mm), allows for a bright and roomy interior. The front headroom of 955 mm and rear legroom of 900 mm add to the spacious feel inside.

Standard equipment includes a 70/30 split folding rear seat backrest. Rear seat can be folded up and fixed in position behind the front seats using a special belt attached to the passenger's seat headrest. In this case, the VDA standard cargo space is a highly respectable 980 litres. With all the seats and the rear parcel shelf in position, the rear cargo space is 220 litres. As the maximum payload is 430 kg, the storage capacity can be used to the full.

The tailgate opens wide to allow easy loading, while an inside handle facilitates closing and keeps fingers clean. The cargo space features lighting and full felt carpeting. The space-saving spare wheel is stowed under the cargo area cover while the spare wheel well is large enough to take a full-size wheel in the case of a puncture.

The new model is available with two petrol engines - a 1.2 litre unit with 72 ps (53 kW) and a lively 16-valve 1.4 litre developing 94 ps (69 kW). The more powerful engine takes the SX model to 100 km/h in only 11.1 seconds and on to a respectable top speed of 177 km/h.

Standard active and passive safety features include driver and passenger airbags as well as a four-channel ABS system, five 3-point seat belts and simple Isofix attachment points for child seats. In addition to the comprehensive standard safety features, side airbags at the front (capacity 21 litres each) are standard on the SX model.

All-in-all there is little to criticise and not a lot to praise on the new Kalos. Chevrolet badge may help woo a younger buyer, as well as some who see Daewoo as a tainted brand (see Last Note). Yes more importantly, the car does what it aims to do: perform well as an entry-level motor vehicle.