At NAIAS this year, General Motors introduced a redesigned Chevrolet Aveo. With the even smaller Spark on the way, the Aveo is growing a bit. The car was introduced in concept RS form, with large brakes, even larger wheels, upholstered instrument panel, and centrally-mounted dual exhaust tips. The concept is powered by a 138-horsepower turbocharged four. This engine seems much more likely for production than the brakes.

We’ve seen the overall shape before in the Toyota Matrix, Pontiac Vibe, Mazda3, and so forth. But the proportions and detailing of this exterior are very nicely done–and better than in the cars just listed. That said, will anyone notice? Inside, even though the upholstered IP is unlikely to make it to production, the new Aveo is clearly much more stylish than the current one.

Continuing with the Aveo name could be risky, as Aveos to date have been relentlessly panned by the automotive press. Chevrolet has, after all,, decided to create a new name, Cruze, for the Cobalt’s replacement. And “Cobalt” was itself a replacement for “Cavalier.” Well, I never liked the idea of junking a model name and starting over. At some point you’ve got to stop pretending you can just ball up the old one and start fresh, and instead dig in your heels and fight. Perhaps Chevrolet is finally doing this.

Will the new Aveo be good enough that we’ll forget the current one? That they’re even bothering to display a sport version is a good sign. I’ll gladly reserve judgment until I can drive one. The production version should arrive at dealers this summer.