GM Provides Surprise Reveal of the Chevrolet Beat

Pummeled by a tough financial market and high gas prices last year, General Motors was pushed to the brink of bankruptcy but managed to avert collapse when the federal government intervened by lending the automaker some much needed cash. That event likely saved GM, at least for the short term, while signaling the company that they needed to restructure and do that quickly.

A few days prior to the beginning of the Detroit auto show known as the North American International Auto Show, GM revealed that three all new models would be displayed at this year's show, the granddaddy of them all: the Chevrolet Equinox, Buick LaCrosse and the Cadillac SRX, all being 2010 models.

But, GM surprised everyone by revealing that a fourth model, the Chevrolet Beat, would also go on display at the show, a production version of a car that the automaker once said would only be sold overseas, but will now be made available early in 2010, probably as a 2011 model.

The Chevrolet Beat was one of three concept cars first shown at the New York Auto Show in April 2007. Along with the Traxx and the Groove, the three models were well received by auto show visitors as well as industry analysts. However, GM maintained as recently as late last year that not one of the models would be sold stateside, dashing the hopes of Chevy faithful.

GM's about face for the Beat can be attributed to changing market forces, most notably fluctuating gas prices which has convinced consumers that they need to find affordable and fuel efficient driving. Although the details of the Beat are limited right now, the car will come with a small four cylinder engine and likely achieve fairly high fuel economy on the highway, perhaps topping out around 40 mpg.

Another reason for the GM change is that its competitors are now fielding several smaller, low cost models. Chevrolet is the foundational brand for the automaker, therefore making sure that the line is stocked with contemporary vehicles that buyers will want is essential to the brand's success. Kia is introducing the Soul this Spring while Nissan has the all new Cube. Mazda's next generation Mazda3 is ready to roll out and Ford has several new models on the way including the Fiesta and a new Focus.

Clearly, GM is demonstrating that they can move fast when it comes to gauging customer demand especially in light of new market realities. The Chevrolet Beat is an attractive model, one that should help Chevrolet maintain its presence in the US and abroad.