Chevrolet Kalos (05-08) - Review

The Kalos is comfortable enough for town driving, but the seats don't offer enough back support for long distance jaunts. Air conditioning comes as standard on SX and Sport models while the five-door is surprisingly spacious - its tall shape means there's plenty of headroom, while legroom in the back is adequate for a car of this size. It's bit tighter in the three-door, but still acceptable. Noise from the engine is quite a concern, especially at higher speeds.

At 220 litres, the boot is big enough for a modest family shop. Fold down the seats (which are split 70:30) and load space increases to 980 litres which, when combined with a wide opening tailgate, gives enough load space for everyday tasks. Aircraft-style flip-up trays in the back are useful for the drive-thrus.

The interior feels modern, but you can see where Chevrolet has skimped on costs - it lags behind the standards set by the Honda Jazz, Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo. Even against its chief rival - the Hyundai Getz - it looks plasticky and rather cheap (there are far too many blank switches, for instance). On the plus side, the controls are simply laid out, there are some attractive instruments and the driving position is comfortable for about-town trips. The gearchange is rather lifeless, but the steering is light enough for easy parking.