Chevrolet Might Rename the Aveo

Ever since it emerged from Chapter 11 and reduced the number of its core brands down to four, General Motors has tried to get closer to its customers, be them new or already owning one of its cars, using all kinds of marketing strategies. The latest news on this matter inform us that Chevrolet is looking into the possibility to rename the subcompact Aveo, but a final decision is yet to be made.

The reason is incredibly simple: Americans think that Aveo (ah-VAY-oh) is hard to pronounce. This only leads to more confusion, Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said in a statement, according to Autonews, but the official hasn't mentioned whether the company has already picked the alternative names.

The Aveo, already displayed at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, will greet its customers next year with four cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The lineup includes a 1.2l engine (86 hp) and a 1.4l unit (100 hp) and, for the first time, two versions of a 1.3l diesel engine (75 hp and 95 hp) with Start/Stop technology.

For the US market on the other hand, the 2011 Aveo brings a number of changes, among which we can mention standard cabin air filtration plus two new exterior colors, Silver Ice and Summit White. It comes with a 1.6 liter engine that develops 108 horsepower and 143 Nm of torque, with a manual 5-speed transmission available as standard.

A brand new Aveo is expected to be released for model year 2012, with production to be transferred from South Korea to the Orion Township plant in Michigan.