Patent Drawings Show 2012 Chevy Aveo Almost Identical To RS Concept

When we first laid eyes on the all-new 2012 Chevrolet Aveo at the 2010 North American International Auto Show, we only saw the new subcompact in hatchback form. Given America’s insatiable thirst for sedans, however, it would only make sense for the Gamma II-based Aveo to be available in traditional sedan form as well. Lucky for us, the good folks at Autoblog have uncovered patent drawings that give us a sneak-peak at the three-box Aveo.

B-pillar forward, the sedan looks to be exactly the same as the hatch. However, there are a few noticeable differences. For starters, the tail lights play on the triangular theme started by the Aveo RS Concept, but don’t end in such a sharp edge as those on the hot hatch. Furthermore, the sedan has a conventional pair of rear door handles instead of the hidden units found in the C-pillar of the RS Concept. And we can’t miss the sedan’s enormous rear overhang that seems to be almost as long as that of the front. Overall, the roofline of the Aveo sedan is very similar to that of the larger Cruze, which is definitely a positive.

We expect to see a production-intent version of the all-new Aveo sometime this auto show season, with manufacturing commencing in the first half of 2011 at GM’s Lake Orion assembly plant. The facility is rumored to build a Buick CUV/MPV based on the Gamma platform, but this has yet to be confirmed.