When it comes to cars, what do we really need if we peel away all the layers of desire, image projection and driving pleasure?
What should we have in this country of archaic, largely dysfunctional, public transport? Effectively, a matchbox on top of a cigarette box, with four low-cost 14" steel wheels, relative fuel efficiency and good brakes.
It should seat four adults in relative comfort, have a boot that can swallow the monthly groceries for a family of four and sufficient reliability not to let us down at night on the N2 near Julius Malema's house.
It should be easy to manoeuvre, considering how we need to find our way around the country's lethally unroadworthy trucks and minibus taxis.
I'm not saying we should all go back to the Ford Model T, although I confess I would be happy to do so if said car were modified to include a fat modern V8 with lots of chrome, a Mustang differential and rear suspension and cross-drilled, ventilated double disc brakes front and rear.
However, there are quite a selection of such cars like those described above that would fill the needs bill quite nicely, with some mod cons to spare.
A Chevrolet Aveo LS sedan appeared in the Du Plessis driveway the other day and blessed the family with a few surprises.
One must not forget that, if it weren't for a takeover by General Motors, the Aveo today would have been called a Daewoo, hailing as it does from Korea. But now, in South Africa, it's a Chevrolet - my grandfather must be rolling in his grave.
Of course such sweeping badge engineering is not new to this country. Think back to the Chev/Holden thing of the 1970's, the Opel/Chev/Vauxhall connection shortly after that and the Ford/Mazda tie-up of the 1980's. And the Chev/Holden thing still rocks on quietly as the folks from Down Under sell their big V8 Outback cruisers here.
When the Aveo arrived on the market I immediately equated Aveo with bird - it has that ornithological ring to it. It was also at the time when the bird 'flu scare was sweeping the world. Not a good time to call a car Aveo, I thought.
And, with a 1600cc double-overhead camshaft, quad-valve engine producing only 77kW at 5800rpm and 145Nm of torque at 3600, one could not describe the car as having wings, a la Red Bull.
And I didn't have much respect for most Far East production - Japan excluded, of course. Well, you live and learn.
TIDY BODY LINES
I suppose the General must have had some input in the development of the car, too, what with Italian design house Giugiaro being involved in drawing a lot of the body styling.
Giugiaro's input is shown in the tidy body lines from tip to tail.
OK, so the car won't light up a petrolhead's passion, but it is neat, decent and altogether a car in which one should not mind arriving at the trendiest events in town.
There are no funny idiosyncrasies or weirdness in the design, contrary to some other automotive denizens that have reared their ugly heads from the East. Maybe some might describe it as a tad nondescript but I'd disagree. This car has a purpose in life other than to look like a lingerie model of whatever sex.
The car's interior is calm and sedate, retaining a feeling of reasonable quality. I've seen better in other vehicles of this car's price range,but it also depends a lot on taste and need.
DRIVING POSITION
The seats, while not exactly premium, should carry the average human body in a sufficient degree of comfort. The front seats are height-adjustable, a feature that has become more important with time.
As a result, the driving position is quite adequate too, allowing good control of the car under all driving conditions within reason.
Which brings us to handling. No matter how one sees it, this is no sports car and it comes with a wheel size that is meant for general passenger use. You want a boy racer? Buy something else. Once again, the Aveo maintains the average, the good enough, and doesn't harbour surprises in corners when driven/used the way it was meant to be.
Fuel consumption, while not mind-blowing, is a good average too, at about 8.5 litres/100km in mixed use.
At R125 900, it seems to be a good competitor in its market range, offering practical and even quite likeable transport.