GM feeling the Beat? It may bring mini Chevrolet to U.S.

DETROIT -- General Motors is considering a Chevrolet mini car for the United States as it reworks its product lineup to cope with a dramatic shift from trucks to cars due to high gas prices, a spokesman said Thursday.

"It is certainly one of the things that is being looked at from a portfolio perspective," Allen said.

The Beat, to be built in South Korea, will be rolled out in other global markets faster than it would be in the U.S., Allen said. He did not know when the car might be sold elsewhere or in the U.S.

The car still must be engineered to meet U.S. safety and emissions standards, he said.

GM unveiled the Beat with two other ultra-small cars as concepts at auto shows last year, saying the trio was designed to attract young buyers in urban markets around the globe.

GM currently produces the Chevrolet Aveo sedan and five-door subcompact to compete in the growing mini car market.

The Beat is a front-wheel-drive three-door hatchback powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged gasoline engine.

The company has declined to put a price tag on the Beat, but Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said last year that GM mini cars ideally would start about $10,000 in the U.S. market.

U.S. mini car sales are up nearly 31% for the first half of the year, even though the total U.S. auto market is down more than 18%, according to Autodata.