The Morning Call and Mcall.com's view

There’s no denying that Chevrolet is pushing very hard to keep being number one. In fact it is pushing so hard that it just pushed 1988 into the 1987 model year. The rest of the world may be in February but Chevrolet already has some 1988 models available for sale; the Beretta, the subject of this week’s report, and its brother model the Corsica.

The Beretta is quite an unusual car in more ways than one. Besides being the first of the 1988s, this sporty coupe is the result of one of the most extensive market research initiatives in General Motors history – a car that had literally millions of miles of product evaluation.

The Beretta isn’t really a copy of any car in the Chevrolet lineup, but let’s say it is more Camaro than Cavalier. Styling touches include a low nose, raked windshield, flush glass, flush door handles, streamlined side mirrors, composite headlamps and a unique upswept tail with a bold taillamp treatment.

Somewhat surprisingly, it is an exclusive Chevrolet model with no counterpart in other General Motors divisions. I’m not quite sure what Chevrolet intends to do with all of its models. Even before the introduction of the Beretta, Chevy had the most extensive lineup in the industry with 10 cars – Celebrity, Cavalier, Caprice, Chevette, Sprint, Spectrum, Nova, Camaro, Monte Carlo and Corvette. Now with the Beretta and the also equally new Corsica, there are 12 cars.

But even despite this extensive lineup, Chevrolet has big plans for the Beretta and Corsica. Some 230,000 unit sales are forecast from now until September when production capacity will reach the 500,000 rate level. One thing is for sure, though, we in the Lehigh Valley shouldn’t have any trouble getting a hold of one of these cars since we are located between the two assembly plants where it is being produced – Linden, N.J., and Wilmington, Del.

Right now though, you aren’t going to hear too much hype about the Beretta, even though the car is available for immediate sale. A full-scale marketing blitz won’t start until the middle of next month when Chevrolet’s 5,000 dealers are expected to have about 30,000 cars in stock. But if someone wants to bet you that they drove one of these cars several months ago, hang onto your money. A somewhat unusual ”pre-launch” phase began last fall with rental companies and Chevrolet dealers using early production models as rolling billboards before their official public introduction. It seems to just go on and on an on.

The test car (supplied by Scott Chevrolet, 3333 Lehigh St.) proved to be an interesting car that did everything Chevrolet promised it would do and managed, even in this age of eye-catching cars, to turn a couple of heads. Chevrolet said the car was designed to appeal to ”trend-setting young people” but I’m sure that many other people could enjoy it.

Built on a 103.4 inch wheelbase, the front-wheel drive Beretta has an overall length of 187.2 inches, width of 68 inches, height of 52.6 inches and curb weight of about 3,000 pounds, and is rated as a five-passenger compact. As is the case with most coupes, front seat room is very good and drivers and passengers of all sizes should have no problem getting comfortable. And surprise, back seat room is decent; not great, but decent. The trunk measures 13.6 cubic feet. Decent though hardly cavernous.

The first thing anyone notices about the Beretta when entering, is the position of the door handles. They are positioned vertically on the door sill. I’m not sure there is any great advantages to this location but it doesn’t look like there are any disadvantages. Slipping behind the wheel, the driver finds a manual controlled seat that can be moved in a number of different positions. The range is almost like a power seat only you do the moving. Instruments and controls are conveniently laid out and shouldn’t present any probl ms or need any interpretations to those driving the Beretta for the first time.

The test car was equipped with the optional multiport fuel-injected 2.8- liter/173-cubic-inch V-6. This engine not only runs great but, with all of its brushed aluminum and bright work, looks great under the hood. An interesting feature of this engine is its single drive belt. Modeled after the design found on the Corvette, the single serpentine belt system drives the alternator, air-conditioning compressor, power steering and water pump. Rated for 100,000 miles, the belt includes an automatic tensioner that maintains the proper belt tension throughout the life of the vehicle. In fact, there’s no need for tension checks or adjustments.

The V-6 is rated at 125 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 160 foot pounds torque at 3,600 rpm. This is a good amount of power for a car this size, so it’s no surprise that performance is quite decent. The test car was equipped with the optional three-speed automatic transmission, which worked quite well and didn’t present any problems. Sports car buffs would probably prefer the standard five-speed manual transmission. The engine has a single exhaust system with a Y-type manifold crossover and two outlets. The end result of this is that when you stomp on it, there is a pleasant throaty roar. A remembrance of things past in the muscle car days.

The test car produced 18 miles per gallon for city driving and 25 mpg over the highways. The five-speed, of course, would provide better highway mileage.

Standard engine is a 2-liter/121-cubic-inch four that is rated at 90 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 108 foot pounds torque at 3,200 rpm. This engine should provide adequate performance for all Lehigh Valley driving conditions.

The Beretta is an absolute snap to drive. It also has a very solid and tight feeling about it. Handling should satisfy all but the very demanding. But the very demanding can order the optional GT model and Z51 performance handling package.

Base price on the Beretta is $9,555 and includes (besides the 2-liter engine and five-speed manual) sport suspension, power steering, all-season steel-belted radials, power brakes, gauge package with tachometer, tinted glass, sport mirrors, AM radio with dual front speakers and side window defoggers. The test car had a bottom line of $12,848, including a destination charge of $370. The biggest option was the Option Package No. 3 at $1,377, which included air conditioning, cruise control, front and rear floor mats, tilt steering and electronically tuned AM-FM stereo with seek and scan and digital clock. Other options included automatic transmission, $490; V-6, $660, and rear defogger, $145.