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General Motors has finally plonked in a diesel engine in the Beat. The company will offer the Beat Diesel in four variants, possibly PS, LS, LT and LT (option). But does the TCDi motor in the Beat have what it takes to set the sales chart on fire. Time to review the car and find out the same.
The Chevrolet Beat uses Fiat's Multijet engine to its advantage, except that it loses a cylinder. The 3-cylinder motor has been tuned to eliminate vibrations and harshness. General Motors has done it very well and reduced NVH levels drastically. The car is barely audible when revved hard and vibrations are very well cut out from the interiors. The 936cc engine produces 58.5 bhp at 4000 rpm and 150 NM of torque at 1750 RPM. Turbo lag is minimal thanks to a small turbo, making the Beat Diesel the idle car for city driving. Initial response is excellent whereas top end power is decent. The SDE (Smartech Diesel Engine) ensures the Beat will reach 100 kilometers per hour in less than 17 seconds and on to a top speed of 150 kmph. This may sound slow but is more than adequate for the city jaunt.
Other than the engine, everything in the diesel version is the same as its petrol counterpart. The only difference is the availability of AUX plug and USB slot on the center console. The audio system has been tweaked too, ensuring better sound quality. The hydraulic power steering is absent in the car and the Beat Diesel now features an Electric Power Steering. The EPS is very quick and makes parking a breeze in small and tight areas. The suspension has been tweaked, due to the heavier weight of the oil burner. Comfort was on the minds of GM's engineers and the Chevy is more suited for comfort than out and out handling. Something which seems to oppose that of the Maruti Suzuki Swift (the current segment leader).
Now the two main questions which arises in everyone's mind – the PRICE and Fuel Economy and your not going to get disappointed. The Diesel powered Beat will return a mileage of 24 kmpl as per ARAI and GM engineers have tried their best to stretch that figure close to 28 kmpl. The pricing will start at Rupees 4.49 lakhs for the base PS (power steering only model) with the top version priced all the way at Rupees 5.49 lakh.
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Source by Faisal Ali Khan
