The Chevy Aveo comes in four-door and five-door hatchback body styles, priced the same. It's available in three trim levels: Special Value, Base and LS. They all use the 103-horsepower inline-4 engine with a standard five-speed gearbox.
Least expensive is the Special Value model ($9,455), which comes standard with single-stage airbags, halogen headlamps, ventilated front disc brakes, child safety seat system, folding sideview mirrors, tinted glass, tilt steering wheel, 60/40 split folding rear seat, AM/FM stereo, two-speed intermittent variable wipers, rear window defogger and, on the five-door, a wiper/washer on the liftgate window. There are no options.
The base model ($11,150) adds air conditioning with cabin filtration, carpeted floor mats, and a few other convenience features, but you still get windup windows. With the LS ($12,045) you get convenience: power locks and windows and remote entry, heated outside mirrors with power on the passenger side, upgraded seat fabric, and a CD player with MP3 playback. Fog lights are standard on the five-door base and LS models.
Aveo comes in eight lively colors, including yellow and bright blue. Options include a four-speed automatic transmission ($850) and anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution ($400). A stereo with CD and MP3 players is available for base models ($300) and late-2004 LS models offer a six-speaker premium sound system and power sunroof. Appearance packages include fog lights, alloy wheels, and a spoiler for the five-door.
The body structure is designed to provide as much crash protection to occupants as possible. The cabin is built like a steel cage, with steel members running vertically from the door hinge up the A pillars to the roofline, then back to reinforced B- and C-pillars, and down to the rocker panels. Each of the four doors contains a side-impact beam which when hit directs energy up through the side rails to a large front longitudinal member, then through a flat crossmember to the front axle and wheelhouse and finally down to the fender-door support.