An Australian-designed concept car will star on the GM stand in Detroit. BUT Its A H

[csv8]

An Australian-designed concept car will star on the GM stand in Detroit.

An Australian-designed concept car will be the star of the General Motors stand at this year's Detroit motor show.

At its first hometown motor show since emerging from bankruptcy, GM will unveil a concept mini-car built at Holden's design centre in Melbourne.

While christened the Chevrolet Aveo RS for Detroit and wearing the famous Chevy bow-tie, the production version will head to Australia as the new generation Holden Barina.

The official photography of the one-off Aveo RS gives away the Australian link. The concept Aveo and the production car that will follow were both shaped by Holden designer Ondrej Koromhaz. He led the design program in Korea for the Aveo in 2006-07 and the RS in Melbourne in 2009. Anyone familiar with the Melbourne skyline will recognise the background to the exterior shots taken on the roof of Holden's corporate headquarters at Fishermens Bend.

In recent years Holden has designed and/or built several concept cars for major motor shows on behalf of other GM divisions.

The Aveo RS will be revealed in the metal on Monday afternoon Detroit time. Holden boss Alan Batey is expected to confirm then that the car is coming to Australia as the new Barina in 2011. He is also expected to announce the even smaller Spark is headed our way this year.

In preview information, GM has only confirmed the five-door Aveo concept car is longer, wider and more spacious than the current Barina, which is built in Korea by GM-Daewoo and based on the old Daewoo Kalos.

This car created controversy when it first went on-sale in Australia in 2006 because of its poor two-star rating in independent NCAP crash test rating. Engineering improvements lifted that to a four star result in 2008. That still didn't allay criticism of the car's quality and driving behaviour, which is a step back from the previous generation Barina, the European-sourced Opel Corsa.

Sales of the current Barina have been strong because of its low pricing, undercutting better offerings such as the Mazda2, Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris. Meanwhile, the Spark is a new venture for Holden, aimed at the Suzuki Alto in the emerging micro-car class.

There is no official forecast from GM of an NCAP star rating for either Aveo/Barina or Spark, the latter the replacement for another old Daewoo model, the Matiz. However, as per Holden policy, expect both to come fitted with standard stability control and six airbags.

Holden's versions of the new Barina and the Spark will be built by GM Daewoo in Korea, which is GM's designated small car development 'homeroom'.

GM's Detroit emphasis on small cars is indicative of just how important they have become to the survival of the now government-owned car company, as well as its struggling compatriots, Ford, and Fiat-owned Chrysler Group. In 2009 the recession-hit US market fell to its lowest level since 1982. Only manufacturers such as Hyundai with a broad range of cheap, small cars held up in the carnage. GM's share fell by 30 per cent.

The Aveo concept - which is said to closely mirror the look of the production car once you strip away its hot hatch-inspired 19-inch wheels and body adornments - is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged direct injection petrol engine.

The 103kW/200Nm four-cylinder engine is mated with a six-speed manual transmission in the show car. Like the Spark, the Aveo's underpinnings are based on GM's latest Gamma II mini-car architecture.

This engine already features in the US version of the Cruze small car and is expected to replace the ageing 1.8-litre petrol engine in the Australian Cruze later this year, possibly coinciding with the launch of the locally-designed and built hatchback version.

The mainstream Barina is likely to arrive with a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder engine around 1.5-litres, reserving the turbo for an RS if it makes it into production. The Spark is expected to be powered by a 1.2-litre four-cylinder engine.

Styling features of the Aveo concept include an aggressive face, headlights and tail-lights inspired by motorcycle design, rear doorhandles that disappear into the rear pillar and 'Boracy Blue' paint finish for the body and brake callipers. Inside the Boracy Blue theme continues in the trim materials while motorcycle design also inspires the instrument meter.

[chevypower]

Why is it unveiled at a car show? Did they miss the rollerskate expo? :-)

[g220ba]

There's a lot of mitsubishi in that front end.

[Iggypoppin']

.....chunder....

[Gaz]

holy crap someone has taken a fiesta and beaten it with the ugly stick, then rammed it's nose up the **** of a truck.

[Road_Warrior]

Move along people, nothing to see here. Head for the mountains.

[auxr]

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

Move along people, nothing to see here. Head for the mountains.

Totally agree - the front end reminds me of a nasty little pug dog - and I don't like nasty little pug dogs.

[388cube_edxr8]

Holy damn, its HIDEOUS. It looks like someone has belted it in the face with a frying pan while it was sleeping.

[Franco Cozzo]

I actually like it.

*flame suit on*

[Wretched]

Originally Posted by XCPWSF

I actually like it.

*flame suit on*

I agree, I don't think it looks that bad.

[fou_bleu]

Compared to the current Barina - yes - it's very nice! Hopefully the production Aveo/Barina doesn't loose too much to this concept...

[mrbaxr6t]

that big round black part at the front makes it look like its opening wide to suck an exhaust.... and as for the blue lights looks like its a very big exhaust...

:

[LeadFoot81]

VERY OTT concept car. Hopefully it will be a much better production car than the current 'Barina'

[The Snout]

Wonder if the bogans will put a Bow Tie on this one.

[Transfiguring R]

Looks too pumped up for a small car. Especially compared to the Fiesta. I guess it kinda looks like the VE commodore though, which is good for GMH, having that unified look between their vehicles.

[buggo]

It has the same side panel indent as the FG, coincidence?

[Fled74]

Looks like that green Autobot in Transformers 2, with a different (EVO-style) front end.

[Kamshaaft]

Too 'American', if you get my jist. Try-hard 'aggressive' looks and weird body proportions.

[greenfoam]

It's the best looking small car Holden have some up with, probably thanks to it being copied from the Fiesta and some other popular small cars

[Kamshaaft]

^I don't think so. Ever heard of the Torana? How about the revival, the Torana concept?

---


Anyway, as I was saying, it's too 'American' looking. It's ruined by the Try-hard 'aggressive' looks and thoughtless 1st grade-design-student-with-no-imagination styling.

[rant removed]

I mean looks are subjective as they say, but I think the catch is that if you think something like this looks good you having exceedingly tacky taste. It looks inveritabely like a . Couple that with the naturally weird looking body proportions of sub compacts and it just looks worse. It's not as bad in design as the Holden Cruze (which is the ghastly korean designed trash), but it's just not right either. Back to the drawing board for Ojanien, Chuck, and Hung-su.

Why can't we have the beautiful Opel Insignia OPC / Buick whatever?

I'm not ragging on Holden here, just their design from the last couple years since they've taken on their Korean and American influences more.

[ChemicalHorizon]

Originally Posted by buggo_gt

It has the same side panel indent as the FG, coincidence?

oi it does too! /complain loudly?

[Kamshaaft]

No offence, but BMW started that whole 'flame surfaced panels' ****ery. Everyone else copied them (including Ford).