Incredibly ambitious & incredibly spacious - My Icy Blue Chevrolet Aveo U-VA 1.2 LS

rapidsnail · 11th March 2009, 10:43

Hi,

I finally got my U-VA LS on 9th march. Which also is my B'Day.

Its an ivory gold color. I totally second the description given by BenjiRoss. Its a wonderful car. Moving from M800 to UVA feels very good. I was almost buying i10 and now i think my decision of U-VA was wise.

I have not done any Mod on the car yet. It looks awsome as is. I have seen people gazing at the car because 1. its hardly seen 2. the color. Taking it to gurgaon from delhi, i could feel i am driving a stable car.

Benji, did you get the parking sesnors installed?
Also, it the roof antenna bougt saperatey? Its not in LS.

I will soon create a thread of my experience. Just cant find my camera cable!

--Ujjwal

BenjiRoss · 11th March 2009, 21:38

Congrats Ujjwal!
Ivory gold is a very rich color and is one of the better shades of white I have seen. It apparently has an extra coat of paint that gives it that rich look!
I did not get the parking sensors as it's become easier to part it now that I have used it so much. GM has a parking sensor for the U-VA or you can buy one from any auto shop - there is a thread on TBHP about the same.
I got my music system free with the U-VA and that had the antenna on it. I did not have to pay anything extra just for the antenna (Except 2000 extra as I preferred a pioneer with USB port to the one they offered).
Looking forward to your review about your U-VA.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rapidsnail

Hi,

I finally got my U-VA LS on 9th march. Which also is my B'Day.

Its an ivory gold color. I totally second the description given by BenjiRoss. Its a wonderful car. Moving from M800 to UVA feels very good. I was almost buying i10 and now i think my decision of U-VA was wise.

I have not done any Mod on the car yet. It looks awsome as is. I have seen people gazing at the car because 1. its hardly seen 2. the color. Taking it to gurgaon from delhi, i could feel i am driving a stable car.

Benji, did you get the parking sesnors installed?
Also, it the roof antenna bougt saperatey? Its not in LS.

I will soon create a thread of my experience. Just cant find my camera cable!

--Ujjwal

vijaythacker · 12th March 2009, 10:39

Benji, congrats on your chevy U-va, great smooth car and a good review from you, seems a big small car with its cool silent engine which i love it from GM. Keep updating and have a safe ride.
Ujjwal congrats on your buy and looking to see a new thread of your car.Also wishing you a belated happy birthday.CHEERS!!!

BenjiRoss · 28th March 2009, 22:12

Finished the 6 month free service.
The engine oil was changed. The car is definitely smoother now.
The rattles in the rear door are down by about 50% - it is not heard when I drive slowly inside the city at least!
Reverse gear - the GM guys say there's not much you can do about it - just carefully slot it in!
The ride appears smoother now.
The tyre was finally replaced as they got their hands on a ZVTS. So now I have a brand new tyre on the front left and the new spare wheel on my front right. Hence did not opt for a tyre rotation now.
A free wheel balancing and alignment was done and I feel the car handles better now.
The seat belt noise has not been fixed.
The service was good but they took 3 days to return the car - I told them to take their time as I did not need the car urgently. They dropped me back when I gave in the car and then brought the car home after everything was done with a technician and I test drove the car with him. The service station is about 20 KM away - well outside the city and you can't take an auto or a bus to get there!!

Conclusion:
Still love the car and looking for opportunities to take it out - not very often now as my apartment is in the same campus as my workplace and all malls etc are within 3 KM distance!!
The service has made the car smoother and better.
The GM guys are good, but a little slow and need a little reminding. But alls well that ends well. I love the personalised touch they add!

Total cost of service: Rs. 0 (not including the petrol cost!!)
Things done: Oil change, wheel alignment and balancing, setting right minor niggles, tyre replacement, washing and waxing (including interiors) and a free drop!
Will post some random pics over the next couple of days of my U-VA.

pradeep-ivon · 6th September 2009, 22:11

Hi friends,
I have taken delivery of my UVA base model in Cashmere color last week and have driven kms, except for the suspect fuel consumption, i faced no problems. even the notchy gear reports i heard in many forum seem to be a gone problem in the current version as i have not faced any problem in shifting gears. I am quite satisfied with it and waiting for a chance to take it on a long drive, so far i have only driven in city in heavy traffic and may be that could be reason for low fuel average. Do you think this will improve after some time. Sometimes i hear some noise somewhere, will show it on my first visit to the workshop.
So far my experience is great, it is wide spacious car and has adequate power, though pick up is not great but i dont know how it will behave after some thousand kms. Is there any specific precautions in this initial driving period.
I will post the pictures shortly.

the_maassk · 7th September 2009, 10:06

Congrats Pradeep! The performance of the car would be slightly better after run-in. During run-in, I would suggest that you do take it through the rev range on a few occasions - helps the run in process.

The FE should increase, esp. after the first service and the first oil change.

Have fun!

Firebird · 7th September 2009, 11:00

Congrats Pradeep...I am not sure there are many UVA Owners here.

During Run-in the FE is very low, what I experienced was like 9. It increased later

Now its consistent between 11 to 11.5 in city bumper to bumper traffic.

pradeep-ivon · 7th September 2009, 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by the_maassk

Congrats Pradeep! The performance of the car would be slightly better after run-in. During run-in, I would suggest that you do take it through the rev range on a few occasions - helps the run in process.

The FE should increase, esp. after the first service and the first oil change.

Have fun!

thanks for all those congrats! pl adv how to take it through the rev range as there is no rev counter in my model. Any advise on car audio?

the_maassk · 8th September 2009, 09:29

Taking it through the rev range does not necessarily need an RPM meter. It just means an occasional aggressive driving for a few minutes. For instance, while driving, you could delay shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear just a little so that the engine races. Even while cruising, you could hit the throttle to speed up for a few minutes and then come back to cruising speeds.

On audio - its purely a personal preference actually. I followed advice from a lot of people on the forums and it helped. But finally it was down to what I heard and liked. Right now I have 6 1/2" JBL components in the front doors, a 12" JBL woofer in sealed enclosure in the boot, a Blaupunkt Mk II amp and the Clarion DXZ785 HU. I even have a rear fill on the parcel tray but I keep it switched off most of the times. I had to do a lot of DIY with the installers to get my setup just right (live in a small city)!

BenjiRoss · 8th September 2009, 21:49

Pradeep - congrats on a great buy!
FE - I get an average of 12 kmpl inside city. I tend to shift gears a little late - changing it earlier will improve my mileage.
pickup is sluggish compared to the Swift and smaller cars owing to the engine and car weight. However with the right gear changes you can extract adequate performance.
I will post pics and details a little later - my car has completed 1 year. i've done only 6000 KM though.

pradeep-ivon · 14th June 2010, 21:51

Hello friends,
are you still driving your UVA and have any long drive experience to share with me. i plan to drive manali, leh etc. this summer and could really use your advice about this car's performance on rough mountain drives.
so far i have just driven in the city delhi, had no problems (done may be 7000kms, sorry i still have to post my review with pictures), not even any gear shift problems, though it stalls sometimes and have to restart in first gear. once i drove to agra and back and entire journey was smooth like knife on butter!
but i have yet to drive it hard and need your views!

the_maassk · 15th June 2010, 09:29

Replied to your PM. The car should be a breeze to drive. I suggest you take your adventures one step at a time. Do a drive to the mountains so that you get a grasp of how to handle mountain sections. It is totally different from driving on the plains. There are even a different set of rules while passing vehicles on hills and most of the roads are single carriageways (two-way). One good drive should tell you how the car performs in the hilly terrain.

11th March 2009, 10:43	#46
rapidsnail BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 69 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi, I finally got my U-VA LS on 9th march. Which also is my B'Day. Its an ivory gold color. I totally second the description given by BenjiRoss. Its a wonderful car. Moving from M800 to UVA feels very good. I was almost buying i10 and now i think my decision of U-VA was wise. I have not done any Mod on the car yet. It looks awsome as is. I have seen people gazing at the car because 1. its hardly seen 2. the color. Taking it to gurgaon from delhi, i could feel i am driving a stable car. Benji, did you get the parking sesnors installed? Also, it the roof antenna bougt saperatey? Its not in LS. I will soon create a thread of my experience. Just cant find my camera cable! --Ujjwal
	() Thanks

12th March 2009, 10:39	#48
vijaythacker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 1,499 Thanked: 75 Times View My Garage	Benji, congrats on your chevy U-va, great smooth car and a good review from you, seems a big small car with its cool silent engine which i love it from GM. Keep updating and have a safe ride. Ujjwal congrats on your buy and looking to see a new thread of your car.Also wishing you a belated happy birthday.CHEERS!!! Last edited by vijaythacker : 12th March 2009 at 10:40.
	() Thanks

28th March 2009, 22:12	#49
BenjiRoss Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tamilnadu Posts: 1,070 Thanked: 1,335 Times	Finished the 6 month free service. The engine oil was changed. The car is definitely smoother now. The rattles in the rear door are down by about 50% - it is not heard when I drive slowly inside the city at least! Reverse gear - the GM guys say there's not much you can do about it - just carefully slot it in! The ride appears smoother now. The tyre was finally replaced as they got their hands on a ZVTS. So now I have a brand new tyre on the front left and the new spare wheel on my front right. Hence did not opt for a tyre rotation now. A free wheel balancing and alignment was done and I feel the car handles better now. The seat belt noise has not been fixed. The service was good but they took 3 days to return the car - I told them to take their time as I did not need the car urgently. They dropped me back when I gave in the car and then brought the car home after everything was done with a technician and I test drove the car with him. The service station is about 20 KM away - well outside the city and you can't take an auto or a bus to get there!! Conclusion: Still love the car and looking for opportunities to take it out - not very often now as my apartment is in the same campus as my workplace and all malls etc are within 3 KM distance!! The service has made the car smoother and better. The GM guys are good, but a little slow and need a little reminding. But alls well that ends well. I love the personalised touch they add! Total cost of service: Rs. 0 (not including the petrol cost!!) Things done: Oil change, wheel alignment and balancing, setting right minor niggles, tyre replacement, washing and waxing (including interiors) and a free drop! Will post some random pics over the next couple of days of my U-VA.
	() Thanks

6th September 2009, 22:11	#50
pradeep-ivon BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 41 Thanked: 6 Times	Wide bodies big hatch back my UVA! Hi friends, I have taken delivery of my UVA base model in Cashmere color last week and have driven kms, except for the suspect fuel consumption, i faced no problems. even the notchy gear reports i heard in many forum seem to be a gone problem in the current version as i have not faced any problem in shifting gears. I am quite satisfied with it and waiting for a chance to take it on a long drive, so far i have only driven in city in heavy traffic and may be that could be reason for low fuel average. Do you think this will improve after some time. Sometimes i hear some noise somewhere, will show it on my first visit to the workshop. So far my experience is great, it is wide spacious car and has adequate power, though pick up is not great but i dont know how it will behave after some thousand kms. Is there any specific precautions in this initial driving period. I will post the pictures shortly.
	() Thanks

7th September 2009, 10:06	#51
the_maassk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vadodara/ NG7 2QP Posts: 205 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	Congrats Pradeep! The performance of the car would be slightly better after run-in. During run-in, I would suggest that you do take it through the rev range on a few occasions - helps the run in process. The FE should increase, esp. after the first service and the first oil change. Have fun!
	() Thanks

7th September 2009, 11:00	#52
Firebird BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai / EC1M 3NH Posts: 469 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	Congrats Pradeep...I am not sure there are many UVA Owners here. During Run-in the FE is very low, what I experienced was like 9. It increased later Now its consistent between 11 to 11.5 in city bumper to bumper traffic.
	() Thanks

8th September 2009, 09:29	#54
the_maassk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vadodara/ NG7 2QP Posts: 205 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	Taking it through the rev range does not necessarily need an RPM meter. It just means an occasional aggressive driving for a few minutes. For instance, while driving, you could delay shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear just a little so that the engine races. Even while cruising, you could hit the throttle to speed up for a few minutes and then come back to cruising speeds. On audio - its purely a personal preference actually. I followed advice from a lot of people on the forums and it helped. But finally it was down to what I heard and liked. Right now I have 6 1/2" JBL components in the front doors, a 12" JBL woofer in sealed enclosure in the boot, a Blaupunkt Mk II amp and the Clarion DXZ785 HU. I even have a rear fill on the parcel tray but I keep it switched off most of the times. I had to do a lot of DIY with the installers to get my setup just right (live in a small city)! Last edited by the_maassk : 8th September 2009 at 09:32.
	() Thanks

8th September 2009, 21:49	#55
BenjiRoss Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tamilnadu Posts: 1,070 Thanked: 1,335 Times	Pradeep - congrats on a great buy! FE - I get an average of 12 kmpl inside city. I tend to shift gears a little late - changing it earlier will improve my mileage. pickup is sluggish compared to the Swift and smaller cars owing to the engine and car weight. However with the right gear changes you can extract adequate performance. I will post pics and details a little later - my car has completed 1 year. i've done only 6000 KM though.
	() Thanks

14th June 2010, 21:51	#56
pradeep-ivon BHPian Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 41 Thanked: 6 Times	Hello friends, are you still driving your UVA and have any long drive experience to share with me. i plan to drive manali, leh etc. this summer and could really use your advice about this car's performance on rough mountain drives. so far i have just driven in the city delhi, had no problems (done may be 7000kms, sorry i still have to post my review with pictures), not even any gear shift problems, though it stalls sometimes and have to restart in first gear. once i drove to agra and back and entire journey was smooth like knife on butter! but i have yet to drive it hard and need your views!
	() Thanks

15th June 2010, 09:29	#57
the_maassk BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Vadodara/ NG7 2QP Posts: 205 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage	Replied to your PM. The car should be a breeze to drive. I suggest you take your adventures one step at a time. Do a drive to the mountains so that you get a grasp of how to handle mountain sections. It is totally different from driving on the plains. There are even a different set of rules while passing vehicles on hills and most of the roads are single carriageways (two-way). One good drive should tell you how the car performs in the hilly terrain.
	() Thanks