Optra to Cruze
Chevrolet’s fans now get ready for the latest model of Optra, which will hit the India roads by 2009. The new Optra will carry the name Chevrolet Cruze and will be expensive than the Chevrolet Optra with the price tag of Rs.12-13 lakh.
The Chevrolet Cruze expected to fall in the Civic and Jetta category in terms of build as well as performance level. Coming to its size, this car is larger than the Volkswagen Passat or Hyundai Sonata.
The car will be available in both petrol and diesel version. The petrol version will be powered by a 1.8 litre engines, whereas the diesel engine will be propelled by a 2 litre engine. The diesel variant is anticipated to be the best performing version in its class offering mind blowing drive. The Cruze will also bag the credit of being the first car model to roll out from the General Motors's new plant at Chakan near Pune.
Labels: Chevrolet, Hybrid-Cars, Sonata, Volkswagen-Jetta
Automatic Captiva
Chevrolet Captiva the most appealing SUV will be soon seen in an automatic transmission version without compromising on performance and fuel economy. The rocking SUV has won millions of hearts and is doing well on Indian roads. Presently, its available only with a diesel engine. Captiva carried pretty impressive sales by selling nearly 200 units last month which is second only to the Honda CR-V. Now with the automatic transmission option, it’ll definitely attract more buyers. Another plus point is that this model will be enhanced by a four wheel drive feature. The new features on the Captiva might add to the cost of the car but spending a little extra is worth it for such good features.
Labels: Chevrolet, Honda, new car launch, New variant, SUVs
Spark to get his younger brother in two years
The ‘Spark’-ling success of Chevrolet seems to have created new hopes for General Motors in India. The company is set to come up with a new small car exclusively for India with a cheaper than GM's current lowest priced car in India. It will be a new addition to the already crowded portfolio of Chevrolet which currently has cars for all segments like Spark to Tavera to Optra Magnum.
Surprisingly, General Motors is doing well when others are witnessing low sales performance. The company is planning two huge facilities and is now planning a small car. Nothing seems to be stopping the Generals’ growth.
Labels: Chevrolet, General Motors, India, Optra Magnum, Small Car, Spark, Tavera
Spark will get a younger brother in two years
The recent success of the Chevrolet Spark seems to have rekindled the spirit of General Motors in India. The company is coming up with a new small car exclusively for India. But not immediately. It’s going to take some time – 2 years. They already have a decent line up of small cars like the Aveo U-VA, the SRV, and the one we just mentioned - the Spark. The car they are planning will be a refreshing new addition to this already crowded small car portfolio.
Labels: Chevrolet, General Motors, launch, new car launch, small cars
Drive home a Spark without down payment
Grabbing the market and attracting customers has become a challenge for
car manufacturers in India. Many car companies are coming up with new ideas to get a good hold on sales. General Motors is one among them and it has gone a step ahead of the others this time. Buying a
Chevrolet Spark is now easier. You can drive one home without any down payment at all.
Don't worry about saving up to buy a car and you don't need to have a fat bank balance. If you have a decent salary, you are eligible to buy it. A copy of your salary slip and a few other documents are all you need!
Labels: Car competition, Car sales, Chevrolet, Customer offer, Spark
Women with a Spark
The
Chevy Spark sold over 2000 cars in February 2008, a majority of which are owned by women drivers.
Spark has charmed its way into women’s hearts posting an 80% increase in sales and topping the list of highest-sold cars for the month of Feb. The other car that has women swooning is the cute Chevy
Aveo U-VA.
The sudden rush to buy the Spark has increased GMs market share beating that of its US rival Ford. This may very well be the first step towards women turning into major car market swingers – something that was pre-dominantly considered to be “a guy thing”.
Labels: Car competition, Car sales, Chevrolet, Ford, Spark
Spark has No Spark of Imagination
The other day I chanced to see a
Chevy Spark on road. I was taken aback by the
car design. From what I had seen in papers and magazines, I had imagined it to be a beautifully designed car. But what I saw was completely different.
The whole car looked like it has been designed in a hurry with no attention to aesthetics. The front looks pathetic as the bonnet slides down on an already low platform. The sides of the car are uncomfortably shaped giving it a vague bulgy look. The most awfully designed round shaped taillights seem to be jutting out of the boot.
After seeing the car, I have decided that I will never buy this car or recommend it to anybody. I wonder what Chevy was thinking!
Article submitted by BC
Labels: Car Design, Chevrolet, Spark
General Motors Turns to Green Motors!
You hear about the news that
General Motors is launching close to 50
ethanol cars by 2012? Can anyone confirm if this is a rumor? I heard that 11 ethanol-enabled cars will be brought out this year in 2008 and 15 in 2009. I hope that GM considers their launch in India along with its international launches.
Pollution levels in urban India are reaching unbearable levels – seen the news lately! Smog and heavy toxins are having a damaging effect on kids’ health. And as far as I can tell, the best solution would be to reduce carbon emissions on roads. My 10 year old son suffers from asthma and all these masks and filters for the mouth and nose don’t help much. Trucks and autos and vans are the government’s responsibility, but atleast we the people of India can do something about our bikes and cars!
I support GM and any other
manufacturer that will help keep the environment clean. I hope that GM launches these ethanol cars in full scale in India without looking for profit motives as a boon to the next generation.
Article Submitted by SwamiLabels: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hybrid technology, Hybrids in India
Captiva-ting Competition
Big is big! The 2008
Auto Expo saw the launch of a new
SUV from Chevrolet into the Indian market.
Over the past two years, SUVs have gained a lot in popularity. From Tata’s Safari to Maruti Suzuki’s Grand Vitara or from Honda’s CR-V to Mitsubishi’s Pajero, almost every car manufacturer has one or more SUV models to boast of. Even the luxury brands haven’t left anything to imagination. BMW with its X3 and X5 models, Audi with Q7, Mercedes-Benz with M-Class and Volvo with the XC90 are a few examples.
Chevrolet has brought in the Captiva at a time when the competition in the SUV segment is really rough. With a price tag of around Rs. 18 lakh, the Captiva is pitted against popular models such as Honda CR-V, Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Tucson, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Mitsubishi Pajero and Nissan X-TRAIL. And those are just the models already present in the market. A lot of new SUV models are being considered for launch by many manufacturers and will arrive in the country soon. Hyundai has already showcased its new SUV - the Santa Fe at the Auto Expo and Volkswagen is eager to launch the Tiguan SUV.
Though loaded with a good array of features, the Captiva is priced a little too high at Rs. 18 Lakh. It’s more expensive than many of its competitors and is priced nearly equal to the very popular CR-V and Pajero. The Tata Safari with its good list of accessories and standard features and attractive price tag of Rs. 11 Lakh has lured many SUV buyers. GM hopes that the Captiva’s captivating looks, thoughtful interiors and new generation diesel engine will see it through.
Labels: Auto expo, Chevrolet, General Motors, New launch, SUVs
MapmyIndia Navigation on GM Cars
MapmyIndia has tied up with General Motors to provide its navigation system as a standard accessory on all premium
Chevrolet cars in
India. The MapmyIndia PND (Portable Navigation Device) is a satellite-connected in-car GPS device that provides voice-guided turn-by-turn direction instructions and is considered one of the best products on the market.
The PND is a perfect fit for cars and can show the way to any destination across India. It allows safe and hassle-free driving. The driver doesn’t have to worry about being lost anywhere as the car can be tracked well through satellite-linked technology. The gadget determines the car’s location through 18 major cities and 55,000 towns and villages.
The device is not just about tracking and direction finding. It also entertains with movies and music playback on a large colour touch screen. It will be available for sale as a genuine GM accessory at all 75 GM dealerships soon.
Labels: Accessories, Chevrolet, General Motors
GM to ‘Spark’ up with new variants
General Motors is having another go at the
small car segment by introducing new variants for its
hatchback model ‘Spark’.
Hoping to ride on the popularity of Daewoo’s Matiz, General Motors (GM) had introduced the small car ‘Spark’ in the middle of 2007. The Spark retained most of Matiz’s exterior styling but had better features and improved handling compared to the Matiz. But the much-hyped model saw very slow sales initially and didn’t entirely live up to GM’s expectations.
Now GM plans to launch newer variants of the Spark. They are concentrating on the development of a second manufacturing plant at Talegaon in Maharashtra. New variants of the Spark will be produced here and will hit the roads later this year. We hope the new variants are available in more colours and with more interior space.
Labels: Chevrolet, General Motors, Hatchbacks, New launch
Chevy’s new SUV ‘Captiva’ launched
Chevrolet has experienced great success with the
Aveo Sedan,
Aveo U-VA,
Optra Magnum,
SR-V, and
Tavera. GM has offered cars in all segments in India. Now, with the unveiling of the Captiva SUV at the 2008 Delhi Auto Expo, they have become strong contenders in the
SUV market.
The Captiva is a compact SUV empowered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged diesel engine that features common-rail direct injection technology delivering 150 bhp. The ergonomically designed interior makes driving in the Captiva a joy. GM will prize the Captiva at around Rs.18 Lakh. The commercial launch of the Captiva is expected to take place in September 2008.
I can’t wait to get my hands on this model. However, the Tavera wasn’t all that great, so I am definitely going to go for a test drive before I pull my money out.
Labels: Chevrolet, Expansion in Indian auto industry, New launch, SUVs
There are some things technology can’t do, for everything else there is GM!
Waiting for you car to break down and then to take to take it to the service station will soon be a passé. Now, car owners have to pull up their socks, your car will complain of its bad health immediately. The launch of a well advanced
technology will give you a complete “health report” of your car.
General Motor’s
Research and Development reveals a futuristic technology for the automotive world. This technology enables your car to send you an ‘e-mail’ telling you it is time to drop by the closest service station. You don’t have to disappoint anyone by turning down a long drive, because your engine service remains good for a long duration. This latest
technology will inform you about even the smallest problem well in advance, so that you can pre-empt its service and enjoy the benefits of a four-wheeler for longer.
However, this technology is by no means affordable to the general people, because the electrical changes to be made to incorporate such sophisticated software will most probably be available only in high end cars. It is estimated that the cost of the vehicle may increase by 40 per cent. Seeing as everyone wants to appeal to the general public, the product may be launched at a much more affordable price especially if competition increases.
Labels: Advanced technology, Automatic car service report, Automobile research and development, Chevrolet, GM, Growth in Indian auto industry, Technological inventions for cars
GM’s Research lab in India
Indians who are concerned about pollution levels, but can’t do away with cars, can now breathe easy and let out a cheer. US auto maker
General Motors, after its recent success with its
Chevrolet models in India, is now planning to release its hybrid and electric cars. Over 98 per cent of cars run on fossil fuel products, but global environment concern is driving auto companies to look for renewable, alternative power sources. GM plans to introduce these cars to India within the next five years.
Initially, the
Hybrid and electric cars (including Volt) will be put on display at the 9th
Auto expo in New Delhi held between 10 January and 17 January.
Research in the areas of Electronics, Controls, and Software (ECS) will be conducted by
General Motors in a tie up with IIT Kharagpur to make the car user friendly and also cost productive. The company is planning the cost-structure for its hybrid and electric vehicles and putting other parameters in place to have a well-organized and productive R&D centre by 2010.
GM has allocated more than $1 million for research to be done over the next five years within this new Collaborative Research Lab (CRL).
Labels: Automobile research and development, Chevrolet, Corporate social responsibilties, Economical buy, Electronic cars, Environment friendly cars, GM, Hybrids
Another hit from GM
As said in the previous blog,
General Motors is finally getting on the right track. Committed, optimistic, and competitive in India. It seems as though the judges of
JD Power Asia Pacific gave a quick inspiration to GM. The archetype swing in Indian automotive is about to happen. General Motors has opened the first car design studio in India.
This week’s episode focuses totally on GM. This first car design studio has a capacity to employ 70 peoples by the end of this year. Also the main focus of GM will be on small car designing. Anyway, GM has caught my interest especially because of its commitment to small car manufacturing in India. It looks like it is deep into the importance of small cars and adding this new studio in Bangalore, General Motors now has a total of 11 such studios across the world.
I am sure many of you are now waiting to hear about the product contributions from the Bangalore design studio. Speculations say by 2012 we can expect some hot little GM vehicles from Bangalore. This is surely a creative way to get people interested in Chevy designs.
Labels: Automobile research and development, Chevrolet, General Motors, GM, Ratings on JD Power Quality Study, Special design unit in India
GM trios win JD power honors
Why not us! Maybe this would be the reaction of GM when
Chevy scored hat-trick at the Initial Quality Study released by automotive research firm
JD Power Asia Pacific. In the statistics
Chevrolet Spark leads with a score of 127, followed by
Aveo, and
Optra with 109 and 97 points respectively. Truth on time: that’s what I felt when I heard about this rating. Am sure General Motors is unquestionably on a roll. GM is coming out with some solid stuff that serves the complete needs of a Chevy owner.
Even if Chevrolet cars must not be very well sealed in the Indian market, it has proved its quality in the studies. The JD Power Asia Pacific has ranked Chevy trios based on customer experience after two to six months of ownership. The major factors of the studies are the problems encountered, quality of design and the quality of production. In fact this is the first time three Chevrolet models have ranked highest in their respective segments in the survey. GM’s premium compact car
Chevrolet Aveo U-VA and
MUV Chevrolet Tavera topped second best in their respective segments.
This is GM, world’s largest auto company by production volume, and now they are selling hotcakes in the Indian auto market.
Labels: Car competition, Car manufacturers in India, Chevrolet, GM, Ratings on JD Power Quality Study
Facelift for Tavera from GM
The Indian
SUV market is so competitive that the big boys make no delays.
Tata has recently launched the new
Safari to keep the existing demand of
Safari going and the answer for that from
Mahindra was quick, announcing the launch of the
Scorpio 2.2L Eagle before the end of this year. Now it’s time to see GM defend itself in this hard core competition. GM has announced plans to launch the new
Chevrolet Tavera.
While competition is heating up, GM is right in the firing line as ever before with this limited edition
Tavera. As reports say GM has no plans to launch an all new Tavera with a new engine. It will be a face-lifted version of the existing Tavera with additions in the exterior and interior features. This new Tavera will come out as a limited edition.
This new Tavera has all sort of unique features. Despite the existing features of Tavera the face-lifted Tavera offers a larger grille with a bigger
Chevrolet bowtie and an elongated air dam. Inside, a three spoke steering wheel replaces the existing two spoke and it gets a new instrument panel and a projected central console. The space above the glove box is now covered and is made as an additional glove box. I am sure the other SUVs in the market will line up soon with their new versions to continue to keep themselves in the market.
Labels: Chevrolet, Improved interior features, Limited Edition launch, Mahindra, SUVs, Tata
