Chevrolet's Got The Beat: Global Online Poll Winner to Enter Production

November 16, 2007

A vehicle based on the Chevrolet Beat concept (which made its debut at AskPatty in our New York Auto Show Coverage as well as across auto shows around the globe and the Internet earlier this year) will go into global production, Chevrolet announced at the 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show.

An online poll that attracted more than 1.86 million voters helped influence the decision to take the cute little concept to final production. The distinctly styled A-class car will be initially targeted to markets outside of U.S. and Canada, starting in mid-2009. Garnering more than 877,000 votes, the Beat took nearly half of all the ballots cast; coming in at a close second, its sibling the Groove received more than 715,000 votes.

"The people have spoken. The vote count tripled all previous GM online consumer surveys, telling us the Beat resonated with customers all around the world," said Ed Peper, Chevrolet general manager. "Chevrolet was overwhelmed by the positive reaction to each of the 'triplets,' but the Beat was the clear winner." (As an aside, during the press release, GM's Vice President and "Car Czar" Bob Lutz said he was glad the democratic process agreed in choosing the car he liked best and had actually hoped would win.)

GM press materials say the production model will carry the spirit of the expressive Beat concept, promising compact, city-friendly dimensions, and a small-displacement engine meant to deliver excellent fuel economy. General Motors anticipates it will add further depth and breadth to Chevrolet's global lineup, which is sold in more than 90 countries around the world.

"Fuel solutions and great-looking cars are at the core of Chevrolet's values, and this new production model aligns perfectly with those tenents," said Peper. "It will be truly global, built around the world for a variety of diverse markets."

The Beat and the other concepts highlighted in the online survey were developed primarily at GM's Design Studio in Bupyeong, South Korea, with input from GM's global network of designers and GM's Korean partner, GM Daewoo. As South Korea is a primary market for this exciting new car, production will begin there.

Beat beginnings: Conceived to evoke the mood of a speedy micro import tuner, the Beat concept debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show, along with two other concepts, Groove and Trax. All were designed to appeal to young car buyers in urban markets, infusing the energy, diversity, and excitement of urban life into cars that deliver good-looking fun, fuel economy, and value.

General Motors promises the production car based on the Beat concept will incorporate these resources, quickly bringing to market a right-sized car, with a right-sized ecological footprint.