Chevy shows off three new concepts Beat, Groove and Trax aimed at the young and the restless

6 April 2007 15:25 GMT / By Jonathan Goddard

Making their all-singing, all-dancing debut at this week’s New York Auto Show, a trio of new concept cars proves that Chevrolet has gone a bit loopy.

The Beat, Groove and Trax are a trio of urban yoof cars, created at GM’s design studio in South Korea. The most butch-looking of the trio, the Trax, is an urban-crossover concept – a car that Chevy says would be equally at home tootling round town as it would rocking over rougher terrain. Powered by a small but punchy 1.0-litre petrol engine, it features knock-resistant moulded bumpers, a rear-mounted spare wheel and 16in alloys.Its all-wheel drive system features an independent battery pack and electric motor to drive the rear wheels, providing a low-cost, easy-to-fit four-wheel drive set-up with no negative effect on fuel consumption.

The Groove, a more retro-styled affair, takes its styling cues from 60s hot rods. The 1.0-litre diesel car’s 17in alloys are in the extreme corners to help create a practical, spacious cabin, and some decent driveability.

Completing the trio is the Beat – aimed at an even younger (pre-school?) audience. Powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine, the three-door Beat has LED headlamps that run the entire length of the car’s bonnet. There are fibre optics all over the interior and the standard stereo is actually a pop-up juke box, which rises from the dash and incorporates its own sat nav system.