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The fat lady is warming up. If Chevrolet can`t successfully launch its new front-wheel-drive Beretta and Corsica compacts, you can expect to hear her sing.

At a time when General Motors Corp. is having a tough time selling its proven car lines, here come a pair of new models that the automaker optimistically has earmarked for sales of 600,000 units in the next 18 months.

And that`s 600,000 cars amid some fairly stiff competition. The Corsica sedan has to slug it out with the likes of the Toyota Camry, Nissan Stanza, Mazda 626, Honda Accord, Dodge Aries, Plymouth Reliant, Ford Tempo and Mercury Topaz.

Beretta bumps up against the Toyota Celica, Nissan Pulsar NX, Honda Acura Integra, Ford Mustang and the upcoming Chrysler LeBaron J-coupe among some of the outsiders. Plus there`s the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird and GM`s top-selling compact Pontiac Grand Am in the GM corporate family.

But maybe the biggest battle the two face is consumer confusion among those who find the compact Corsica/Beretta slightly larger than the subcompact Chevy Cavalier, slightly smaller than the midsize Chevy Celebrity.

Then there`s the challenge of getting consumers to forget that the last front-wheel-drive compact at Chevrolet was the infamous X-body Citation, last sold in the 1985 model year. There are those who insist that Chevy waited this long on Corsica and Beretta to put a couple of model years between them and the X-body and its alleged locking brake woes.

Beretta/Corsica begin appearing in dealerships this month as 1988 models; they don`t go on sale until March 12 after a date at the Chicago Auto Show beginning Feb. 7 in McCormick Place.

Beretta is a two-door sports coupe that comes in base and performance GT version; Corsica initially will be a base 4-door sedan, though a dressed up LT will be offered later.

The base Beretta starts at $9,555; the GT, depending on the optional packages, starts as high as $11,755. The base Corsica starts at $8,995. Beretta`s price spread over Corsica comes from more standard equipment.

Beretta was developed in the same design and engineering studio as the Chevy Corvette and Camaro; Corsica the same studio as the Cavalier and Monte Carlo and the heritage is evident in each.

We test drove the Beretta GT, a rather stylish cross between the Buick Riviera and the Ford Taurus. Riviera lines show up in the wide but low-slung nose, Taurus in the raised and rounded rear deck lid with built-in spoiler.

In fact, Beretta sports the same rounded aero look that Ford has become known for with Thunderbird/Cougar and Taurus/Sable and that will be even more obvious with the midsize W-body cars–Buick Regal, Olds Cutlass Supreme and Pontiac Grand Prix replacements–coming in 1988.

Beretta is built on the same 103.4-inch wheelbase as the compact N-body Pontiac Grand Am. Overall length is 187.2 inches (Corsica length is 183 .4 inches), considerably longer than the Grand Am`s 177.5 inches. Beretta slips in between the Cavalier (101-inch wheelbase, 172 inches long) and the Celebrity (105-inch wheelbase, 188 inches long).

Like the Cavalier, standard engine is a fuel-injected 2-liter 4 cylinder, optional is a 2.8-liter multi-port fuel injected V-6 ($660). A 5-speed manual from Getrag of West Germany is standard, a 3-speed automatic optional ($490). The GT version comes with only the 2.8 V-6, but a choice of 5-speed or automatic. The Environmental Protection Agency rating is 19 miles per gallon city/28 m.p.g. highway with 5-speed, 20/26 with automatic.

The GT we drove came with the 5-speed, a vast improvement over prior GM- built manuals but still not a perfectly smooth unit. The lever has a little stutter between gears, and we would like the clutch pedal about an inch more to the left.

The 2.8 V-6 is very impressive, in large part because Beretta curb weight is only abo t 2,600 pounds. Elapsed time on a less than scientific zero-to-50- mile-an-hour run was 8 seconds.

The first time we hit the pedal hard, we quickly realized why Chevy is considering replacing the Camaro with a Beretta offshoot, perhaps in 1989. With a few styling tweaks and perhaps the addition of a high-performance Quad Four engine Olds is developing, a Camaro built off the Beretta would scream.

The GT comes with a special Z-51 suspension package as standard with special shock/spring rates, stabilizer bars and 15-inch tires. The car gripped the road firmly and hugged the pavement in turns and corners.

It was especially nimble when we suddenly found that we had entered at speed a well camoflouged cul-de-sac with the road making a tight circle around a mini-forest. We whipped around the circle without tires squealing or our body or the car`s wanting to roll curbside. On early morning wet roads, however, Beretta acts a bit more gingerly and it`s best to ease off the accelerator.

Standard equipment includes AM radio with dual front speakers, power brakes and steering, dual sport mirrors, center console, gauge/tach package, trip odometer, tinted glass and 14-inch all-season steel-belted radial black- wall tires with wheel covers. The GT adds the 2.8 V-6 and blacked out front grille work, power outside mirrors, styled steel wheels and a fold-down rear seat armrest.

Inside, the car needs some work. The trunk is spacious. The mini-spare is hidden flat under the floor to allow lots of cargo room. But rear seat passengers will suffer from a lack of headroom. And though Chevy boasts of aiming for near perfection in Beretta assembly, the paint overrun and bubbling on the inside rear deck lid was horrible.

A pop-open hatch lid button is hidden in the center console compartment to make the chore easier for the driver. But the compartment top opens toward the driver, rather than the passenger, making it an obstruction.

Cloth bucket seats are standard, but with the hand adjustment as you move the seat closer to the wheel it rises and gets uncomfortable. Another annoyance is placement of the ashtray behind the gear shift lever, though there`s room in front, and a cup holder would be appreciated.

Lift the prop-held hood and you`ll quickly spot the three spark plugs up front, but will cringe when you look for the back three. Chevy advises using 5W-30 oil and to change oil and filter at 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first, which will give you ample time to find the filter.

Front-seat leg, head and arm room are more than ample, thanks to the fact Beretta is 3 inches wider than a midsize Celebrity. You`ll appreciate the massive side windows, which provide great visibility, but probably will make air conditioning a must in July and August.

Another feature we enjoyed is the exterior door handle built into the roof pillar. It takes some getti ng used to, but it`s easy to use and keeps the door clean of hardware. It also means car thieves and parking lot attendants can`t use a slim jim, the thin metal rod slipped through the window, to get at the interior lock.

All exterior body panels below the roof are two-sided-galvanized metal, so tell the dealer to hold the rustproofing.

In an unusual move, Chevy put Beretta and Corsica in rental car and lease fleets for the last couple of months before its sale. There were two reasons. Chevy wanted widespread exposure before putting them on sale, and it wanted to spot little troubles early, before the 48-month paying public got the cars. The idea worked. The secondardy hood latch on the two wasn`t always grabbing and has been fixed. On Corsica, the light switch required turning, but users were pulling it out; a change was made.