New Car Profile of the 2004 Chevrolet Aveo Sub-Compact Sedan and Hatchback

Description: Sedan and Hatchback
Base MSRP Range: $11,150 - $12,045
Invoice Price Range: $10,425 - $11,262

A new itsy-bitsy economy car is heading to Chevrolet, arriving later in the model-year in formats of a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback.

Called Aveo, the new model comes together in South Korea under a joint-venture arrangement between GM and Daewoo. Despite the assembly in Korea, styling for the curvy Aveo looks downright Italian due to handiwork of stylists at the Italdesign studios of Giorgetto Giugiaro in Turin. And cabins of both models seem far more spacious than the sub-compact dimensions imply. Seatback folds flat in the sedan to boost cargo capacity, but on the five-door hatch the rear seat folds and flips forward to forge a generous cargo bay with 42 cubic feet of room.

Two trims -- base and LS -- go to both models, but there's only one powertrain. It's a frisky 1.6-liter in-line four with twin cams and a rating of 105 hp with standard five-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic.