The previous take on the car was the kind of horrible usually reserved for Third World taxicabs, so you would think that GM would want to sweep the Aveo name under the rug and keep on trucking. That’s not the case, though. The company just announced that it will display a show-car version of the 2011 Aveo at this year’s Paris Motor Show, and that it will be an all-new vehicle from the ground up.

Along with much more aggressive styling, the little Aveo will be available with a number of different engines all over the world. The most efficient of these is likely to be a tiny 1.2-liter 4-cylinder engine with a mere 70 horsepower, though chance are that American buyers will have a shot at either a 1.4-liter 100-horsepower engine or a 1.6-liter 115-horsepower power plant. Whatever winds up under the hood, it will be mated to a new 6-speed automatic or manual gearbox.

Chevrolet hasn’t released fuel-economy predictions for the Aveo, but we’re betting that the little car will easily be able to match the Ford Fiesta in that arena, even if it's less likely to compete in all others. The Blue Oval’s subcompact entry has already gained an impressive following thanks to a no-holds-barred social marketing campaign. Given the uphill climb ahead of the Aveo in terms of reputation, we’re guessing the Chevrolet team has its work cut out for it.