Chevy Beat: Nice looking microcar

The Chevy Beat is one of those concepts that might have a shot at niche market. A 1.2 leter engine is hooked to an automatic transmission.

If that sounds familiar, you’re right. The now defunct Chevy Metro had a 1.0 liter engine in the three cyclinder model, and a full 1.3 liter in the 4 cyclinder version.

I’ve logged a few miles in a Metro, which get 44 miles a gallon highway, and about 40 mpg mixed driving. Chalk it up as basically a 60 mph machine for short commutes.

The Beat’s a lot better looking and is expected to be loaded with high end technology.

But on the other hand, you can buy a used Metro for about $3,000.

By way of comparison, Tata Motors recently introduced the Nano, a 0.623 liter, 2 cylinder gem that goes for $2,500 new. It won’t meet U.S. safety specs. But the U.S. could help the green movement by granting exceptions to such microcars, letting families accept their own level of risk.