Kadett Beat

The **Kadett Beat** is a compact car produced by the South Korean manufacturer Kadett since 1986, currently in its sixth generation. Historically Kadett's best-selling model, the original Beat was introduced in 1986 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as the replacement for the Concorde, going on sale later the same year.

The Beat has been available exclusively as a 3-door (until 2006) and a 5-door hatchback with the Beat-based saloon branded as the Kadett Dash. Other variants include the Beatbuggy convertible, Beat Casa compact MPV and Beaterra compact crossover.

## Powertrain

### Engine

1.2l I41.6l I4

1.8l I4

1.8l I4 Turbo

### Transmission

4-speed Manual5-speed Manual

4-speed Automatic

Development of the 1st generation Beat started in 1983 as a replacement for the Concord and intended to be a world car. The Beat was designed by Michael Buckingham, with input from Kadett of Europe and Kadett of America, with the model officially launching in 1986 in Korea, the US and Europe with Australia and New Zealand following in 1987. The car was a hit, quickly becoming the brands best selling car in America but lagging behind the Club in terms of sales in Europe.

At launch, 3- and 5-door versions were available with the Sport Coupe liftback added to the range in 1987, available exclusively with the 1.8l inline-4. The base model 3-door featured a 1.2 liter engine, the mid-trim using a 1.6 and the highest end model having the 1.8.

#### **Beat GTS**

In 1988, Kadett launched the GTS sport version. Kadett of Europe assembled a team which would be tasked with turning the Beat into a competitor to the likes of the Contendiente Enemigo and Žnoprešk Zest. The team used the 1.8 I4 engine as a basis and tuned it for more power. The suspension was stiffened up for better handling and ABS was equipped as standard. The Beat GTS went on sale in early 1988 exclusively as a 3-door model and was heavily marketed in the US, as an attempt to make give the Beat name a sporty and upmarket feeling. Despite high projections, the GTS did not sell as well as Kadett had been hoping for, with 80,000 units produced in total.

## Powertrain

### Engine

1.4l I41.6l I4

1.8l I4

### Transmission

5-speed Manual6-speed Manual

4-speed Automatic

## Dimensions

### Wheelbase

2,410 mm (94.9 in)

Development began in 1988, two years after the original model had gone on sale, with the styling work continuing until 1990. The design was frozen later that same year. Featuring many smoother surfaces and rounder design features, the new model was an extensive evolution next to the outgoing car and reflected the brands new, changing image. Two bodystyles were introduced, 3- and 5-door hatchbacks, with the Sport Coupe being discontinued and partially replaced by the Beatbuggy. Due to the Avancer sedan being cancelled in 1990, a replacement was introduced in 1993 under the Kadett Dash nameplate and being based on the Beats C02 platform.

Sales were once again strong, beating out total sales of the first generation model after five years on the market. By the end of production in 1999, nearly 4 million units had been produced worldwide.

#### **Engines**

The engine options ranged from a 1.4 to 1.8 liter inline-4s. All but the top-of-the-line GX models were equipped standard with a 5-speed manual, a 4-speed automatic was available for the mid-trim GL and standard on the GX.

#### **Beat GTS**

The GTS nameplate returned for the 1996 model year, 4 years after the original model had been discontinued. As with the previous model, a 1.8 was re-tuned for the GTS but unlike its predecessor, the Mk2 GTS did not include a turbocharger. The tuned engine produced 127hp 157 Nm @ 4000RPM, leading to a 0-100km/h time of 8.4 seconds. The 5-speed manual transmission was replaced by a 6-speed unit.