Auto News is reporting that Chevrolet has told its dealers to resume Aveo sales after a week of a "No Sale" embargo.

Heres the article on it:

GM investigates five crashes involving new Aveo, says cars didn't contribute to wrecks

By JOHN PORRETTO
The Associated Press
2/19/04 3:03 PM

DETROIT (AP) -- Five crashes involving the new Chevrolet Aveo prompted General Motors Corp. to tell dealers not to sell the cars during the past week, but the automaker says it has determined the car was not to blame for the wrecks.

GM spokesman Jim Schell, who handles recall and product-safety communications, said the company issued a "stop delivery" notice to dealers late last week but lifted the selling ban Thursday following an internal investigation.

"The crashes captured the attention of General Motors because there were five crashes in a new product," he said. "We halted the delivery to avoid inconveniencing customers. An examination of the circumstances of the crashes and the vehicle involved indicated no vehicle condition was a contributing factor."

GM said the accidents resulted in injuries but no fatalities. A spokeswoman said she couldn't elaborate on the extent of the injuries.

The Aveo has been on sale in North America for only a few months. GM reported 1,559 Aveo sales in the United States in January.

With a starting price of $10,000, Aveo is designed to give GM a player in a highly competitive segment that includes the Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio and Toyota Echo. Auto executives and analysts say low-priced offerings are important because they often are a consumer's first experience with an automaker.

The Aveo, available as a four-door or five-door sedan, is built overseas by a joint venture called GM Daewoo Automotive & Technology Co., whose investors include Japan's Suzuki Motor Corp.

GM had said it expects to sell between 50,000 and 70,000 Aveos annually, which would place it near the top of the segment with the Accent and Rio.

"The Aveo is really a no-brainer for GM, assuming they can launch it," said Mike Wall, an analyst with the forecasting firm CSM Worldwide. "This is ideally what Daewoo was meant to assist with -- smaller, lower-cost offerings."

GM, the world's largest automaker, has had three recalls this month involving more than 2.5 million vehicles.

In afternoon trading on the New York Stock Exchange, GM shares were up 82 cents to $49.71.

 

f-bodies sold that and they cancelled them

 

yeah but the Canucks get paid more than the South Korens so that wrecks the profit margin.

a whole 1559 in Jan? Well on the way to meeting 50K a year....

 

ahhh, so close to not actually having to call that thing a chevy anymore, damnit


if "low-priced offerings are important because they often are a consumer's first experience with an automaker" do we really want people in an aveo? that seems to be the quickest way to keep them from ever coming back that I can think of

 

I was really wanting this "thing" to die!!

 

Wells thats actually good news. At least its not the cars fault for the accidents.

 

in unrelated news, imagine being the poor dumb smuck getting into an accident with your new aveo or civic hatch or any of those useless little econoboxes. can anyone say INSTANT DEATH. anything past the fender benders mentioned that started this sales halt would damn near crumble that car into nothing.
(ricer disclaimer: but they are light so they can be made fast )

 

What I find amusing is that Chevy has dropped the price of a base Cavalier big time, so that while there are no rebates, its cheaper than an Aveo!

I was at a local Chevy dealer Thursday, and $10,700 MSRP gets you an '04 Cavvy Coupe with a stick, AC and a CD. The car does not qualify for any rebates. Meanwhile, an AT Aveo with the same equipment is about $12,500, with a $1,000 rebate...making the Cavvy $800 cheaper.

For $800, the Cavvy can be had with an AT I am sure. So...which would you rather have for the same $$$?? Sure, the Cavalier is 9 year old technology, and may not have as nice of materials on the inside, but I'll take a 140hp coupe that still has something that appears to be styling (at least the sides...not so much the nose ) than the typical high roof, narrow little econobox that screams "I could have bought a nice used car for the same money, but I HAD to have a new one."????

 

I shudder when I hear about prices for those POS's being 10k, 15k when you could take that $ and get so much better of a car. better in terms of gas mileage (another small car but not such a small pos) or fun (I barely spend half of 15k for my camaro and some mods) or capability (used jeeps, pickups, etc eith 4x4)


so atleast if chevy wants to offer a reaaaally small car, make it not look like such junk. new cars shouldnt look like instant junk, but then again they didnt even make it

 

Yeah, some young kid in a Civic just died in a high speed crash near here, just a day ago. All that was left of the car was the rear quarters & hatch area, it was shocking to see how little of the car was left. I wondered how they I.D.'d the Body, it must have been a mess...
Come on Kappa, we need som REAL FRAMES..!