Chevrolet Matiz: A Purely City Car

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The Chevrolet Matiz arouses anything but emotions with its design. But the small car can convince with its price and space, reports Sebastian Viehmann.

The new car segment under 10,000 euros is mainly divided between the Daihatsu Cuore, the Dacia Logan and the identical triple pair Citroën C1, Toyota Aygo and Peugeot 107. But even Chevrolet's tiny Matiz bites off a piece of the pie. The official sales prices of 8490 to 10,790 euros are more of a theoretical nature. With strong dealer discounts, you can get a new Matiz with a 0.8 liter engine (52 hp) for 6500 to 7000 euros. Since the last design change, the Matiz has lost some of the individuality of its cuddly predecessor, but remains a respectable car - apart perhaps from the bulky frog-eye lights at the rear.

Trunk volume 170 liters

The tailgate has to be opened with the key or unlocked with a lever in the footwell. With 170 liters (845 liters with the rear seats folded down), the luggage compartment has a clear capacity, but larger than the C1 (139 or 751 liters) or Daihatsu Cuore (157 or 421 liters). Inside, the space at the front is completely sufficient, but for tall adults it only gets a little tight at the knees at the back.

The interior is simply designed and with its plastic surfaces in three different boring colors looks a bit careless. The Matiz offers plenty of practical storage space for small items: in the center console, in the doors and even in two small galleries under the glove compartment and under the steering column. What is annoying, however, is that the instrument panel is placed in the middle of the dashboard. Behind the steering wheel there is only a small strip with indicator lights that probably only the designers know what to do with.

A pure city car

The Matiz is a purely city car, although the phrase "city runabout" is one of those. only goes with difficulty on the lips. Although the 1.0-liter with its 67 hp is more powerful than the Cuore 1.0 (58 hp), for example, the Chevy engine is slower and tougher. While the Cuore sprints to 100 in 12.2 seconds, the Matiz takes two seconds longer.

When you step on the accelerator, the engine reacts only half-heartedly, and it is hardly impressed by high speeds. Overtaking maneuvers can be knocked out of your head right away. Speeds of up to 170 km / h are possible with a little running-up, but are hardly recommended to protect the ears. The spongy steering and the limp five-speed gearshift don't exactly sweeten the ride with the Matiz.

Good driving comfort

In return, driving comfort and road holding are okay. In fast corners the Chevy leans a little to the side and understeers as expected, but all in all it is more confident on the road than the restless Cuore. You won't find ESP in the Chevy, but that's not (yet) common in this vehicle class either. In terms of consumption, the Matiz is frugal with an average of 5.6 liters. However, the competition shows that with 1.0-liter engines, even better values are possible. Both Citroën C1 and Daihatsu Cuore consume less than five liters on average. The Matiz also wants to be fed with premium gasoline.

The bottom line is that the Chevrolet can only score with its comparatively good amount of space, the practical interior and the low price - there it deserves the small car crown. The equipment in the SX, which costs 10,490 euros, is very decent. Among other things, front and side airbags, power steering, fog lights, central locking, roof rails, air conditioning, CD radio and power windows are all on board. Like every Chevrolet, the Matiz can also be ordered with an LPG system. The retrofit actually costs 2150 euros, but until May 15, Chevrolet is offering a free upgrade.