Chevrolet's 3-Door Kalos Points Way to a Sportier Aveo

Nevertheless Chevrolet premiered its branding affixed to a new Daewoo-sourced (well actually GMDAT or General

The Kalos three-door is the cornerstone of a new generation of General Motors in Europe. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

Motors Daewoo Automotive & Technology Company sourced) production model at this year's Paris Motor Show. In case you didn't know, Chevrolet currently has three GMDAT-designed vehicles in its Canadian lineup, including the Optra compact, available in 4-door sedan, 5-door hatch and soon 5-door wagon configurations, the Epica midsize 4-door sedan, and the Aveo subcompact.

A new version of the latter model showed up on the Paris stand, dubbed Kalos in Europe which strangely enough was the same name given to it by Daewoo. As it seems GM is not even attempting to separate the Chevrolet model from its Daewoo past. Still, the Kalos (Aveo) has been a global hit for GM, also sold as the Suzuki

With 40,000+ units sold in the first half of this year, the Kalos is definitely a popular choice amongst Europeans. (Photo: General Motors of Canada)

Swift+ and Pontiac Wave in Canada, so some name recognition might help point new car buyers in its direction.

The new model is a formidable successor to the old Suzuki-designed entry-level Swift, also known as the Chevrolet Sprint and Pontiac Firefly in North America. Currently the Kalos (Aveo) is only available as a five-door hatchback and a four-door notchback sedan, but a sporty and stylish three-door version was what Chevrolet chose for introducing its brand to Europe, a model that is sure to show up in various incantations throughout the world in short order. The Kalos 3-door is expected to be in European showrooms as early as February 2005 in a series of new Chevrolet-branded dealerships.