NAIAS Preview: Chevrolet Aveo RS Unleashed

Chevrolet has just presented the Aveo RS show car to be displayed at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. As you can see for yourselves in the adjacent photos plus in the pictures included in the photo gallery, the car is longer, wider and more spacious than the current production flavor of the Aveo, boasting a much sportier and more aggressive look than the base model.

It is finished in Boracay Blue and comes with styling elements such as a dual element grille, round taillamps and fender flares as well as brushed aluminum surround for the headlamps.

Although you might expect more power, the car is actually equipped with a 1.4-liter I-4 Ecotec turbocharged engine that develops 138 horsepower. It is mated to a six-speed manual transmission.

Inside, the car features the same Boracay Blue theme, with accent stitching across the dual cockpit instrument panel, front and rear door insert, steering wheel rim, gear shift boot, parking brake, leather seat bolster and even the floor mats.

"We hope the Aveo RS show car will demonstrate that we are as serious about redefining the Aveo and its place in the small-car segment as we were about reinventing the Malibu," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager.

"The Aveo RS show car demonstrates how progressive design can inject personality into a small car," said Michael Simcoe, executive director, North American Exterior Design. "We want customers to see it and have an emotional reaction to it."

The Aveo will be built at Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Mich., in 2011.

❐ Check out the NAIAS Preview: Chevrolet Aveo RS Unleashed photo gallery