I think this is pretty cool. All three of these concepts look much better than the Chevy Spark which is sold in Europe, and obviously better than the Aveo as well. Chevy will supposedly let public response dictate whether they produce one of these cars, and if so, which one. You can go to http://vote4chevrolet.com/ and click on the "VOTE FOR YOUR MICROCAR" link at the bottom of the page.

I voted for the Beat.

Of course, if they do build one of these, Chevy will probably manage to only have it get 32 mpg, thereby missing the whole point and guaranteeing that the car will be a flop.

Public response will determine if Chevy minis reach production

By Scott Burgess, The Detroit News | April 8, 2007

Chevrolet will let America decide whether it should hang its iconic bow tie on a U S minicar.

Chevy will use its introduction of three concept minicars -- vehicles smaller than subcompacts such as the Chevrolet Aveo or Honda Fit -- to gauge consumer reaction to the urban racers.

Designers at GM's studio in Inchon, South Korea, created the Chevy Trax, as well as two other minicars that made their debut Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show.

The four-door Trax is powered by a 1-liter engine. The flat-faced, burnt-orange concept includes a roof rack, sweeping headlights, and small engine compartment vents on its flared fenders.

The Trax resembles a muscular and boxy Mini, the BMW small car that's found a cult-like following.

The same day the cars were unveiled, Chevrolet opened voting on the vote4chevrolet.com website, asking people to pick their favorite of the three concepts.

Chevy will use the results to gauge whether to bring a production version to America.

Industry analysts see potential for carmakers to expand into the extra-small car market, especially if gasoline prices continue to rise.

"Pretty much everyone is looking at entry-level cars nowadays," said Stephanie Brinley of Southfield, Mich.-based AutoPacific Group, an automotive consulting firm.

The subcompact market has only a handful of choices for consumers, said Jesse Toprak, a senior analyst with Edmunds.com, an automotive resource tailored for consumers.

"It's a small market, but one of the fastest-growing markets," Toprak said.

Minicars are "becoming fashionable," she said. "There is a potential, especially in the big cities on the East and West coasts, to sell minis."

Minicars offer excellent gas mileage and are easy to maneuver and park, Toprak said. They will attract more customers if the price point can remain under $10,000, she said.

"People will be surprised with all of the options and amenities that can come with a minicar," Toprak said. "There's a lot of car you can get for not a whole lot." All three concept vehicles are built on GM's global mini architecture.

 

I voted for the Beat. As of now the Beat is at 40.6%, Groove is 43.9%
As far as I'm concerned, the third one is for the usual "undecided" voters.

I noticed the Groove has Porsche inspired front turn signals.

About time Detroit woke up.

 

I liked the groove, retro

 

So its a choice between a Fit, an xB, or that new Dodge hatch. Hmmm, I reckon I'll have to choose the Fit.

 

Didn't like ANY of them even slightly!!!

 

i like the green one and the one with the round headlights please.

 

Check this out, the Opel version shoulda been a contender.

 

^^ that looks like the choro-q version of the new G37C.

 

When did Chevy and Scion team up?