A larger, better-equipped, redesigned version of Chevrolet’s small-car sales leader, the Korean-built Aveo, debuts at the upcoming Los Angeles show. The 2007 sedan, which arrives in dealerships this summer, is longer, wider and taller and offers standard equipment such as an iPod jack.

Chevy officials say pricing should stay in the $10,000 to $14,000 range for the sedan. Note to buyers: If the five-door 2007 Aveo looks similar to the old model, don’t be confused. Only the sedan gets the makeover; the five-door is carryover for now.

DETROIT -- General Motors launched its redesigned 2007 Chevrolet Aveo today and says it will market it aggressively in urban areas, targeting young minorities.

Chevrolet redesigned the Aveo sedan just 2½ years after its introduction. It has a new exterior and a roomier interior, says Ed Peper, Chevrolet's general manager. The vehicle will have features such as standard side-impact air bags, tilting headrests, steering wheel audio controls and an available power sunroof.

The Aveo has a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine rated at 103 hp. Peper says Chevrolet is trying to balance performance with fuel economy. EPA estimates for the sedan with a manual transmission are 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway.

The base price is $12,395, including destination charges.

"It's really important that we have this vehicle," Peper says. He says that 75 percent of Aveo buyers are new to Chevrolet. "We have to get them used to what we do at Chevy and to the brand. It's the idea of get them and grow them."

Cheryl Catton, GM's car marketing director, said the advertising blitz begins next month.

"We'll begin our media launch in mid-September, when we can make sure dealers have more inventory in stock," she said.

Chevrolet plans to build 60,000 to 80,000 Aveos for the United States. GM sold 56,642 Aveos in 2004 and 68,085 in 2005 in the United States.

GM says it will update the five-door Aveo hatchback but has not disclosed a timetable.

The marketing effort will target urban areas where there has been large population growth and Chevrolet has struggled with sales. Target markets include Miami, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Chevrolet will target African-American, Hispanic and Asian consumers in those areas, Catton says.

In July, GM hired Translation Consultation and Brand Imaging to work with its longtime advertising agency, Campbell-Ewald, to help it improve its image in those markets.

"The target audience for the Aveo sedan has grown up with the Internet, and 75 percent of this audience spends at least two or more hours each day online," Peper says. "To reach this digital generation, we need to go where they are."

GM hopes to court young buyers with celebrity tie-ins, a specialty of Translation.

Chevrolet today announced the world debut of the Aveo RS show car at the 2010 North American International Auto Show. It features a European-inspired hot hatch look designed to appeal to young enthusiasts, and hints at the next-generation Aveo.

Longer, wider and more spacious than the current production Aveo, the Aveo RS showcases the car’s upscale-looking design cues both inside and out, and presents the many personalization options potentially available on the next-generation car.

“We hope the Aveo RS show car will demonstrate that we are as serious about redefining the Aveo and its place in the small-car segment as we were about reinventing the Malibu,” said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet general manager.

First impressions

The Aveo RS show car, finished in electric Boracay Blue, wears global Chevrolet design cues such as the dual element grille, round taillamps and fender flares, but designers turned up the attitude on the show car with low openings and a lower mouth trimmed in a combination of brushed and polished aluminum. Outboard fog lamps are integrated into an exaggerated brake-cooling inlet that flows into the front fender flares, creating an aggressive-looking face.

Exposed headlamps, with their brushed aluminum structural surround, are inspired by the designers’ affection for motorcycles. The sleek side profile is characterized by uninterrupted body side lines, a high beltline and low roofline. The side mirrors with amber-colored turn signal indicators carry the same shape as the car and seemingly disappear into the profile. At first glance, the car actually looks like a three-door hatch because the rear door handles are discreetly located in the “C”-pillar area.

“The Aveo RS show car demonstrates how progressive design can inject personality into a small car,” said Michael Simcoe, executive director, North American Exterior Design. “We want customers to see it and have an emotional reaction to it.”

No performance-minded car earns its street cred without large wheels and tires. The Aveo RS show car’s wheels are 19-inch, five-spoke with a gun metal metallic finish Chevrolet logo. The wheel openings reveal large Boracay Blue brake calipers.

The rear of the show car continues the sport theme, with an integrated spoiler that flows from the roof, a center-mounted exhaust and chrome exhaust tips. The exposed motorcycle-inspired rear taillamps feature tinted aluminum housings and a discreet Bowtie logo.

Spacious and stylish interior

With its matte black interior highlighted by gloss black, metallic and blue accents, the Aveo RS show car reflects as much attention to detail as the exterior. The Boracay Blue theme continues inside, with accent stitching across the dual cockpit instrument panel, front and rear door insert, steering wheel rim, gear shift boot, parking brake, leather seat bolster and even the floor mats. The integrated center stack holds the gearshift, HVAC controls and the sound system, including a USB port. Ice-blue backlighting on the audio display, telltale indicator screen and knobs augments the blue stitching.

The motorcycle inspiration also carries inside, with a round, analog tachometer set within an asymmetrical LCD readout also trimmed in milled metal with round cutouts; and round, aluminum-trimmed side vents.

The interior is as functional as it is stylish, with storage compartments in the center stack and doors. The rear seats fold flat for carrying larger items.

Efficient performer

The Aveo RS show car is powered by the same highly efficient 138-horsepower (103 kW) 1.4L I-4 Ecotec turbocharged engine that will be available in the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze.

A six-speed manual transmission is designed to ensure the car will provide a spirited driving experience.

For the show car, designers created a special engine cover in graphite silver with a brushed aluminum insert. The coolant and power steering fluid fill caps are rimmed in ice blue, and the honeycomb vents flanking the center of the cover are matte-finished in shadow chrome and designed to match the wheel color.

Chevrolet has previously announced the new Aveo will be built at Orion Assembly in Orion Township, Mich., in 2011, a move that will restore 1,200 jobs to Southeast Michigan. Timing for retooling Orion Assembly for Aveo production is anticipated to begin in late 2010.