Under the bonnet, there’s a choice of 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engines, which are borrowed from the older generation Vauxhall Corsa. Both units are excellent around town and careful on fuel – the 1.2-litre returns 52mpg. Queuing and pulling away at traffic lights is made easy by the manual gearbox, which favours slower crawls and quicker darts of speed than sustained time on the motorway.

The smaller 1.2-litre, in particular, is strained and uncomfortable at 70mph and above. The Aveo comes with a five-speed manual gearbox, while a four-speed automatic transmission is also available on 1.4-litre five-door models.

The Chevrolet isn’t particularly fun to drive, but then again the Aveo wasn’t designed for hair-raising rallying. Instead it does a good job in the city and maintains its composure at speed. Road and wind noise is muffled and uneven road surfaces are absorbed surprisingly well. Body roll is still evident on tight turns and roundabouts but overall it’s more accomplished on the road than the Kalos.