Showing posts with label Chevrolet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chevrolet. Show all posts
Monday, August 31, 2015
New Chevrolet Cruze is worth the money but new Volkswagen Jetta a dampener
General Motors India, in order to give a fillip to the somewhat stagnating sales of the Chevrolet Cruze, has rolled out a refurbished version, which has better styling as well as additional safety features, the price of which starts from Rs 13.75 lakh but the Volkswagen new Jetta may be a dampener.
The Cruze comes with a 2.0-litre VCDi engine, which belts out 166 PS and 380 Nm torque. The Cruze gives a choice of either a 6-speed automatic or a 6-speed manual gearbox version.
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| The new Chevrolet Cruze. |
The new Chevrolet Cruze is offered with a new dual-port front grille that sports a neatly tucked ‘Gold Bowtie’ logo of the brand, a redesigned front and rear bumper and new dual bezel headlamps.
The new Cruze also comes with a set of newly designed alloy wheels and chrome bezels around the fog lamps. The new styling makes the Cruze wear a ‘sporty’ look.
On the interior, the Cruze has features such as blue ambient lighting along with a set of black leather inside.
The Cruze has an integrated infotainment system and premium speakers. This, along with three spoke steering wheel with steering mounted audio controls, give a luxury edge to the car.
The Cruze also comes with a push-button start along with an auto-dimming inside the rear view mirror. On the safety side, the Cruze has two front and two side airbags, beefing up safety in case the car collides.
The price of the new Chevrolet Cruze versions (ex-showroom Delhi) is as follows:
Chevrolet Cruze LT (MT): Rs 13.75 lakh
Chevrolet Cruze LTZ (MT): Rs 15.25 lakh
Chevrolet Cruze LTZ (AT): Rs 16.15 lakh
New Volkswagen Jetta
Volkswagen Jetta’s refurbished version is set to hit the Indian roads soon. Unfortunately, even after two years, VW could bring in minor changes compared to the existing Jetta.
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| The new Volkswagen Jetta. |
The new Jetta may have new headlights, which are ditto to the ones offered with the Passat, with LED daytime-running lamps along with new alloy wheels.
On the inside, all versions of the Jetta will be equipped with automatic climate control, which is one of the USPs of the new car as the current model doesn’t have this feature, even in the top variant.
Unfortunately, there would be no change on the mechanical front and the new car will also come with the same 2.0-litre TDI engine diesel and the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engines. Both would be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox, while the diesel engine also has an automatic option.
The new Jetta is set to vie with the new Skoda Octavia and the Hyundai Elantra, which leads the segment, along with the new Chevrolet Cruze.
So, even as the Chevrolet Cruze can buoy sales of General Motors, the new Jetta may be a disappointment for Volkswagen.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Chevrolet Beat diesel comes with price advantage
A diesel car has always been greeted with cheer from India’s car buyers and with General Motors or GM launching a diesel version of its already popular car, the Chevrolet Beat, the only outcome can be a spurt in sales and a surge in earnings for GM, especially in the wake of its intelligent pricing.
A diesel car can find many takers in India as it is a substantially cheaper fuel compared with petrol.
GM has aggressively priced the Chevrolet Beat and is also offering a slew of models including: Chevrolet Beat PS (priced at Rs 4.29 lakh), Chevrolet Beat LS (Rs 4.59 lakh), Chevrolet Beat LT (Rs 4.99 lakh) and Chevrolet Beat LT (option pack) for Rs 5.45 lakh.
The diesel Beat has been positioned in between the B1 and B2 hatchback segments of the country.
According to GM, the car returns 24 km per litre in the ARAI Indian driving cycle test. The 957 cc, three-cylinder diesel engine offers 57 bhp and about 15.2 kgm of peak torque.
The Beat diesel is believed to be the smallest common-rail diesel engine power plant in a car in the world and can only be pipped by the Tata Nano diesel (which has not rolled out yet).
The new diesel engine has been developed by GM’s technology centre in Bangalore along with the car maker’s powertrain department in Europe.
The Beat diesel powertrain is made and assembled at GM’s plant in Talegaon, near Pune, from where it can produce 1.5 lakh engines every year. Beat diesel’s engine is conceptualised from the Fiat Multijet diesel engine.
Beat currently sells nearly 2,500 cars a month and sales is set to more than double, owing to the Indian customer’s desire for diesel cars.
But GM is targeting sales of 7,500 for the diesel Beat and will need some aggressive ad blitz and may have to offer discounts to achieve its goal.
If GM manages to achieve that figure, the auto giant could end the year with nearly 1.5 lakh sales. Compare this with last year’s overall sales of 1.12 lakh. That’s a growth to reckon with and will spur GM’s earnings substantially.
GM, which is upbeat on the Indian market, has lined up a litany of launches in the next one year from the stable of its Chinese partner.
GM India is a part of a 50:50 joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation or SAIC of China. The joint venture is planning to launch a slew of LCVs, MPVs, people carriers and cars in the next few years.
One of the utility vehicles slated for launch will be seen at Delhi’s Auto Expo next year.
GM India currently has 250 sales centres and almost the same number of service outlets across the country. Moreover, there are 61 Chevy OK points.
The American auto major plans to ramp up production at its Halol unit in Gujarat from 85,000 to 1.10 lakh cars.
Beat diesel is set for a headstart compared with its peers, especially owing to its judicious pricing which will have a phenomenal impact in a market like India.
With a price of Rs 4.29 lakh, the diesel Beat has a substantial price advantage compared with the Swift diesel, which starts at Rs 4.99 lakh, the Ritz at Rs 4.86 lakh and the Ford Figo, which comes for Rs 4.60 lakh.
Monday, August 24, 2015
Chevrolet must bring Beat electric vehicle to India soon
Chevrolet Beat had given a lease of life to General Motors India and, for instance, logged sales of 2,144 cars in May but despite a slowdown in the auto market (the growth being the slowest in two years) General Motors or GM, owner of the Chevrolet brand, is upbeat on India, unveiling the electric vehicle or EV of the Beat in the country.
Propelled by a 300 cell lithium-ion battery with energy capacity of nearly 20 kWh, the Beat can be powered by the 270-kg battery for nearly 130 km under normal driving conditions.
The liquid cool battery can operate in temperatures that range from minus 20 degree Celsius to 45 degree Celsius. The charge time is around eight hours with a 240 V outlet.
Moreover, the automaker is coming out with a diesel variant of the Beat next month. “The car will offer a mileage of a whopping 24 km for a litre,” President and managing director of GM India Karl Slym averred.
Slym sounded upbeat on India saying, “We’ll grow at double the market rate. If the market grows at 12 per cent, then our sales will surge 24 per cent from 110,000 cars that we sold last year.”
In India, car buffs will have to wait a while before getting their hands on the electric Beat as the car will take some time to come to India.
Slym added, “Only tax incentives will not allow us to bring the Beat electric variant to India. We also need suitable infrastructure upgradation such as power supply, car parking and consumer education.”
Speculation is rife that the technology used to develop the Reva is similar to what the Beat uses. But Slym said, “This mini car is very different from what we were developing with Reva. This project was going on simultaneously.”
GM sought feedback on the Beat electric and potential buyers are likely to give thumbs up as the cost of fuel — both petrol and diesel — has hit the roof and the electric Beat could slowly become a viable option.
Sumit Sawhney, vice-president (sales and marketing), GM India, echoed Slym’s view saying, “We are not looking at an immediate launch as we do not have the appropriate infrastructure for EVs in India.”
An upbeat GM is also planning a slew of roll outs in the country. It said it will launch five products and 14 variants in India in the next one and half years, all of which will be under the Chevrolet brand, including two light commercial vehicles.
These vehicles are likely to be available in a range of price points.
GM had earlier planned a car that would have competed with the Nano in India but scrapped the project as the company felt it wasn’t viable.
“It (the small car) was on our radar when the Rs 1 lakh Nano rolled out. We have reached a decision where we now think that it is not right for us to go on with the plan,” Slym said.
The small car would have been even cheaper than the American giant’s compact car, the Spark.
“We did have some kind of a plan, but we don’t have it any longer. We do not want to get into the segment any more,” he said.
GM has infused nearly $1 billion in India and sells around 9,000 cars every month. Its production capacity is 140,000 cars at the Talegaon plant and it is 85,000 cars at Halol.
If GM manages to roll out the Chevrolet Beat electric vehicle in India early, that is in the next six months, it could find many potential car buyers flocking for its Beat EV and this would ramp up earnings of the American car major as petrol and diesel prices have almost hit the roof, prompting potential buyers to look for EVs as an alternative.
Friday, August 21, 2015
Maruti Celerio could be the next Alto but the new Chevrolet Beat may be a dampener
The Maruti Celerio has set the market on fire with 1,000 bookings a day, and as things stand now, this car may become the future Alto (the sales figure of this car is the highest in India) for the Japanese major but the new Chevrolet Beat may be a dampener as Chevrolet is rigid on the price front.
Earlier priced at Rs 3.9 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi), the Maruti Celerio LXi now comes for Rs 3.76 lakh. The AMT or Automatic Manual Transmission is offered in the base LXi and VXi versions.
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| The Maruti Suzuki Celerio. |
These were earlier priced at Rs 4.29 lakh and Rs 4.59 lakh, and after the Union Budget, the prices have been revised to Rs 4.14 lakh and Rs 4.43 lakh respectively.
The Celerio comes with AMT, a technology introduced for the first time in the basic hatchback category.
The Maruti Celerio is propelled by a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre K-Series engine, which belts out 68 PS at 6,000 rpm and 90 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm. The hatchback comes in four trim levels and seven colours.
The top-end ZXi model is offered with features such as dual front airbags, ABS, alloy wheels, 2-DIN stereo system and steering integrated music controls.
The Celerio is also good on the mileage front and offers 23 km to a litre under ideal conditions and this could be one of the reasons for the car’s roaring sales.
Like every Maruti car, the interior cabin of the Celerio is mind blowing. The quality levels are top class and the design and layout are simple, yet mind boggling. The central console wears a smart and a snazzy look and is surrounded by chrome bezel within, where the music player and the air-condition controls lie.
Chevrolet new Beat
The Beat facelift carries a price tag of between Rs 4.06 lakh and Rs 6.10 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).
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| Chevrolet new Beat. |
The Beat petrol variant is propelled by a four cylinder 1,199 cc in-line DOHC engine, belting out 80.5 PS @ 6,200 rpm power along with 108 Nm @ 4,400 rpm torque.
The Beat diesel comes with a three cylinder 936 cc TCIC engine. It produces 58.5 PS @ 4,000 rpm power and 150 Nm @ 1,750 rpm torque.
The LPG version has a four cylinder in-line DOHC, 1,199 cc engine, which belts out 80.04 PS @ 6400 rpm power and 104 @ 4,400 rpm torque.
The all-new Beat is offered with refurbished style with a new chrome-accentuated grille along with an upgraded exterior. It comes with fresh headlamps and reworked taillights.
The new Beat has new fog lamps with chrome surrounds and a newly designed rear spoiler along with LED light with the stoplight. It also has reflectors on the dual-tone rear bumper.
The Beat comes in eight colours – Super Red, Cocktail Green, Sandrift Grey, Switch Blade Silver, Summit White, Misty Lake, Linen Beige and Caviar Black.
Steering mounted audio controls on select variants and a new silver interior along with height-adjustable driver’s seat form a part of the new Beat’s makeover.
So, even as the new Maruti Celerio could trump the Alto’s sales soon, the new Chevrolet Beat is not likely to make a deep impact on car buffs, owing to its pricing.
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
With judicious pricing, Chevrolet Enjoy could storm the market
With Maruti Suzuki rolling out the Ertiga and Nissan the Evalia, General Motors India has also entered the multi-purpose vehicles or MPV space in the country with the Chevrolet Enjoy, and even though a virgin market now, the MPV segment could grow by at least 80% in the next few years and Chevrolet could cash in with a price advantage but must improve the new MPV’s performance for it to storm the Indian market.
The Enjoy will be offered at an introductory price of between Rs 5.49 lakh and Rs 7.99 lakh (Delhi showroom price), which is substantially less than the Ertiga, which comes for between Rs 5.98 lakh and Rs 8.7 lakh.
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| The Chevrolet Enjoy MPV. |
The Chevrolet MPV will be available in both petrol and diesel variants.
The petrol variants would be propelled by a 1.4 litre engine and price ranges of these models are from Rs 5.49 lakh to Rs 6.99 lakh. The diesel variants have a 1.3 litre engine and are priced between Rs 6.69 lakh and Rs 7.99 lakh.
The Enjoy will have 7 and 8-seater options. Prices of petrol variants will be:
Enjoy LS (8-seater): Rs 5.49 lakh
Enjoy LS (7-seater): Rs 5.64 lakh
Enjoy LT (7-seater): Rs 6.31 lakh
Enjoy LTZ (7-seater): Rs 6.99 lakhDiesel versions would be priced:
Enjoy LS (8-seater): Rs 6.69 lakh
Enjoy LT (7-seater): Rs 7.42 lakh
Enjoy LTZ (7-seater): Rs 7.99 lakh
The Enjoy would be one of Chevrolet India's three products the cues of which are taken from China's GM-SAIC joint venture.
Chevrolet Enjoy, which was originally dubbed the Wuling Enjoy MPV, will vie with the likes of Mahindra Xylo, Tata Winger along with the Maruti Ertiga. The Enjoy would be propelled by the 1.3-litre multi-jet engine from FIAT and will also feature 175/65 R14 tyres, which the company claims would be ideal for Indian roads.
The engines, which include the four-cylinder 1.3-litre diesel motor and a four-cylinder 1.4 litre petrol motor, come with 77.5 PS and 104 PS of power respectively. Both engines types are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.
“The Enjoy will slug it out in one of the fastest growing car segments in the country. We expect that this model will be a success, considering its features along with the judicious pricing,” GM India president and managing director Lowell Paddock averred.
The Chevrolet Enjoy is not as contemporary looking as the Toyota Innova but has almost the same ‘boxy’ looks as the Nissan Evalia and also wears a ‘bulky’ garb.
On performance, Maruti’s Ertiga may be a tad better but the Enjoy beats it hands down on the pricing front. In comparison, the Innova’s performance and comfort as well as safety levels are top class but the Toyota vehicle is also priced much higher around Rs 10 lakh. Even Mahindra Xylo is priced around Rs 9 lakh and is high on performance.
But with many models (especially in the diesel range) to offer and with judicious pricing, the Chevrolet Enjoy could become a runaway hit and storm the market in the medium term.
Monday, August 17, 2015
Diesel engine may not spur Chevrolet Cruze sales
General Motors or GM has seen roaring success with its Chevrolet brand of compact cars, namely the Chevrolet Spark and the Chevrolet Beat, and is now ready to rev up in the Rs 13 lakh to Rs 15 lakh-category with the roll out of a new variant of the Cruze diesel, but such an engine may not be a big factor in this category as customers in this bracket are usually not very cost conscious.
The all-new Chevrolet Cruze has a new 2.0-litre diesel engine, claimed to be the most powerful in its segment, along with a new manual transmission and added features.
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| The new Chevrolet Cruze. |
The new Cruze will be available in three variants – Chevrolet Cruze Manual for Rs 13.85 lakh, Chevrolet Cruze LTZ Manual at Rs 14.77 lakh and Chevrolet Cruze Auto Rs 15.67 lakh (offer prices in New Delhi).
General Motors has upgraded powertrains to ensure better performance and higher fuel efficiency which is commendable but could it buoy the Cruze’s sales in India?
The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze comes with an upgraded diesel engine of 2.0 VCDi which will offer 15 bhp more than the previous model (the new model will offer 163 bhp and 360 Nm torque).
The peak torque generated by this powertrain has revved up from 327 Nm at 2,600 rpm in the old car to 380 Nm at 2,000 rpm in the new one.
The Chevrolet Cruze can reach from 0 to 100 km per hour in less than 10 seconds and comes with a top speed of 220 km per hour. The new car’s acceleration as well as stability have improved manifold.
So, with a diesel engine variety, GM plans to rope in diesel car buffs in the wake of a preference for such cars in India.
But buyers in the above Rs 13 lakh bracket may consider ergonomics as well as comfort and safety as more important factors rather than just a diesel engine, which only brings down the running cost of a car (owing to a huge difference in the prices of diesel and petrol in India).
Despite a slew of changes, the exteriors come with almost the same features.
General Motors has a mix and match of manual and automatic type cars in its new variants, the LT and LTZ (with next-generation six-speed manual transmission) and LTZ (with automatic transmission). The variants will come in seven body colours. The new versions are already available at Chevrolet dealerships across the country.
“The Cruze has got an overwhelming response from customers across the country, since its launch three years ago,” said Lowell Paddock, president and managing director, General Motors India. He added, “We expect the newest member of the Cruze family to meet expectations of car buyers also and stand out against the intense slugfest in its segment.”
The new Chevrolet Cruze will compete with the likes of the Honda Civic, the Volkswagen Jetta, Maruti Suzuki’s Kizashi (which is though in a higher price bracket) and the Toyota Corolla.
With the Rs 13 lakh-Rs 15 lakh category car buyers not really being pinched by a surge in petrol prices, the question remains whether customers who prefer cars in this price bracket will turn euphoric about the new diesel Chevrolet Cruze.
Chevrolet Sail U-Va may create quite a Spark
General Motors or GM has created quite a spark in India with the rollout of the new Sail U-Va but that may not be the case with the new Spark.
General Motors India has rolled out the new version of its high-end U-Va hatchback christened Chevrolet Sail U-Va, which carries a price tag of between Rs 4.52 lakh and Rs 6.74 lakh (ex-showroom). The car will come in four variants in the 1.2 litre petrol version and three types in 1.3 litre diesel.
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| Chevrolet Sail U-Va. |
The petrol option will be priced between Rs 4.52 lakh and Rs 5.68 lakh and the diesel models would come for between Rs 5.97 lakh and Rs 6.74 lakh.
The exteriors have been overhauled with the Sail U-Va looking somewhat like the Cruze. The looks are no doubt better compared to the previous model.
The new Sail U-Va comes with a dual-port grille with a gold bowtie, snazzy-styled headlamps and fog lamps, bigger side windows and the rear door opens wider. The legroom has also gone up significantly at 1,134 litres.
The power is 78 PS@ 4,000 rpm and torque is 205 Nm@1,750 rpm. Mileage of the diesel variant is around 22 km to a litre, which is commendable.
The Chevrolet Sail U-Va also offers enhanced safety features. The Safe Cage structure rids 80% of the force during front impact and its three-point resistance structure prevents congregate force from entering the cabin space.
The Sail U-Va comes with remote keyless entry, dual airbags, anti-lock braking system or ABS, electronic brake force distribution or EBD and child protection.
New Spark
GM also launched an upgraded version of its small hatchback, the Spark. The car carries a price tag of between Rs 3.26 lakh and Rs 4.10 lakh.
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| Chevrolet new Spark. |
The hi-tech SMARTECH engine of the new Spark offers maximum power and torque at lower speeds.
The engine’s operation is smooth and is suitable for a long drive even on rough roads. The mileage of the new Spark is a tad disappointing at 18 km to a litre.
The looks of the new Spark have been improved and comes with a stylish bumper grille in the front.
The new Spark offers premium fabric seat upholstery and comes with youthful design inserts along with a distinct colour upgrade to light and dark urban.
The ‘quotation style’ front headlights and the rear lights wear a snazzier look. The new instrument cluster, inspired by a ‘wing design,’ also enhances the looks of the new Spark.
The Sail U-Va could create ripples in the premium hatchback market but the new Spark is a tad disappointing, and so, it seems only the new U-Va could create a spark post Diwali.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
GM SUV Chevrolet Captiva may come with price advantage later
SUV sales have seen an impressive growth in the last couple of years and General Motors or GM is betting big on the new Chevrolet Captiva, which has not only been refurbished with an overhaul in both the exterior as well as the interior but also got a powerful 2.2-litre diesel engine (as a standard fitment) with the SUV being priced at Rs 23.49 lakh for the manual gearbox variant and Rs 26.49 lakh for the automatic option (but later it may come with a price advantage).
Prices of the overhauled version of the LT 6 Speed Manual version with 2 WD is around Rs 23.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) while the top end LTZ 6 Speed Automatic with Adaptive All-Wheel Drive will carry a price tag of Rs 26.49 lakh.
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| The GM Chevrolet Captiva. |
Even fuel economy has gone up from around 10 km per litre in the previous model to 14 km for the manual version and 12 km for the automatic.
The 2,231 cc four cylinder VCDi engine of the Chevrolet Captiva, which was last year only offered to buyers of the AWD version, now comes as standard across all variants of the car in the country.
The engine comes with 186 PS power and 424 Nm torque at 2,000 rpm, which is incredible.
GM is ramping up in the SUV space ahead of the festive season even as other car makers concentrate on the volumes market – that is, the small or compact car (hatchback) segment, in a bid to rev up earnings.
In the new Chevrolet Captiva, the front grille, front and back bumpers, rear fog lamp and LED tail lamps do have an enhanced look in comparison to the previous car.
The twin rear tailpipe along with other body parts like door handles, rear garnish, widow sash and the surround on the front grill have chrome linings.
The interior gets even better on comfort with refurbished ambient lighting options, a reinvented multimedia screen, very well lit keyhole along with steering wheel switches, better finish on the dash and a 2 DIN audio system, which comes with eight speakers.
Now, there is enhanced safety in all the models against only the top variant in the earlier Chevrolet Captiva. All versions of the new Captiva come with front driver, passenger and front side along with curtain airbags. So, the car’s passengers are protected from all directions.
Then there is the Anti-Lock Braking System with Electronic Brakeforce, Descent Control System, Traction Control System, Electronic Stability Program and other safety features, which make the Chevrolet Captiva highly safe compared to what others offer in the same price bracket.
Now, the new GM Chevrolet Captiva is offered in a completely-built unit or CBU form and once it comes as a completely knocked down or CKD unit, import duties, and hence prices will plummet and give the Captiva a price advantage over Ford Endeavour and Toyota Fortuner, which along with a host of features (especially safety ones), could give the GM SUV a leg up in the segment.
Tuesday, August 11, 2015
GM to drive in Cadillac; Beat LPG launched
With the Indian luxury cars market hotting up, General Motors or GM, which has seen a buoyant response to its Chevrolet brand, plans to drive in its Cadillac luxury brand of cars to the country’s market in the next couple of years.
Last year itself, the luxury cars market, comprising cars such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi grew at a mind blowing 70 per cent and buyers in this category seem to have a belly to experiment with the new. So, GM could hope for a good show by its Cadillac range in India.
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| The Cadillac CTS Coupe |
As of now, GM sells the Spark, UVa, Aveo Optra, Tavera, Captiva and the recently-launched Beat in the country.
An upbeat president and MD of GM, Carl Slym, said, “Every eight seconds, someone picks up our Chevrolet cars. India is a surging market and we will bring in our premium Cadillac brand soon.”
The Cadillac range was first rolled out in 1902 and is available across 39 countries. In India, GM could price its Cadillac cars between Rs 60 lakh and Rs 70 lakh.
Besides the Chevrolet and Cadillac, some other well-known brands of GM are Buick, Opel and Vauxhall.
Currently, GM India’s highest-selling car is the Spark and the company may be looking to make the Beat its highest seller, just like Hyundai, whose i10 range sells more than its lowest-priced car, the Santro.
Similarly, Maruti-Suzuki’s Alto has also trumped its cheapest car, the Maruti 800, becoming India’s highest-selling car.
Beat now comes in LPG variant
General Motors India rolled out the LPG variant of the Chevrolet Beat, which will come in two versions — the LS and LT — and will be propelled by a new locally-developed Smartech engine.
The new LPG variant of Beat will carry a price tag of Rs 4.53 lakh. The diesel one will roll out around the second quarter of the year.
The Beat comes with hi-tech multi-point sequential LPG injection technology type kit, according to the company. The Beat can operate in two modes, petrol and LPG, which can be selected through a sensor-based button. The car can automatically shift back to petrol when the LPG is exhausted.
When in the LPG mode, the Beat can generate 80.04 PS power at 6,400 rpm and torque of 103.8 Nm at 4,400 rpm and comes with a mileage of 13.29 km/ltr. It offers a range of 349 km on LPG and 1,000 km on LPG and gasoline combined.
The Beat LPG on-road price will most likely be Rs 4.7 lakh (Delhi). Both the LPG variants have a three-year warranty.
Meanwhile, the Cadillac brand, even though in the luxury category, is not steeply priced, and considering GM’s huge dealer network and brand presence in India, the US car maker could be a major contender in the luxury segment which could grow at nearly 80-100% in the next few years.
With its share of constant innovations (like the new Beat LPG variant), GM could help propel the Cadillac cars although upstaging BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi could be a far cry, even in the medium term.
Monday, August 10, 2015
With Sail, Chevrolet may pave way for Aveo phase out
Unfazed by the slowdown in auto sales, General Motors or GM, after rolling out the Chevrolet Sail U-VA hatchback in India recently, has brought in a sedan version of this car, which it has termed the Chevrolet Sail, to take on the likes of Renault’s Scala, Maruti Suzuki’s Swift, Toyota Etios, Volkswagen Vento, Hyundai Verna along with Nissan’s Sunny, among others, and apparently pave the way for phase out of its sedan, the Aveo.
The pricing of the Sail has been done very astutely and comes for Rs 4.99 lakh, making it among the cheapest sedans in the country. However, the top diesel variant is priced a tad on the higher side at Rs 7.6 lakh.
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| The Chevrolet Sail. |
The Sail sedan, in both the petrol and diesel versions, will come with the same engines used on the hatchback.
The sedan will have a 1.3 litre turbo-charged diesel engine and a 1.2 litre petrol engine.
The Sail sedan offers 86 PS @ 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm @ 4,400 rpm, while the diesel car is propelled by the Fiat 1.3 litre Multijet engine, which comes with 78 PS @4,000 rpm and 205 Nm @ 1,750 rpm.
The Sail is believed to have a fuel efficiency of 22.1 km per litre, which is simply great for a sedan.
The width and the wheelbase of the Sail sedan and Sail U-VA hatchback are the same, and hence, there is no additional space in the Sail sedan.
However, the Sail sedan has spacious interiors, enough boot space (370 litres) and offers a comfortable ride along with stability. It comes with more than adequate power in both petrol and diesel versions and all these factors could make it a favourite among entry-level sedan buyers.
The Chevrolet Sail sedan is based on the same platform as the hatchback Sail U-VA, which was rolled out just three months ago and is part of the high-end hatchbacks in the country, with a price of over Rs 4.3 lakh (ex showroom).
The Sail U-VA was designed and developed by General Motor’s Chinese joint venture firm SAIC at the Pan-Asia Technical Automotive unit located in Shanghai.
But there were a number of alterations in the Indian version to suit customer requirements in the country.
The Chevrolet Sail sedan has impressive safety features like speed sensitive auto door locks, anti-lock brake system (ABS) and electronic brake force distribution (EBD).
It has a string of other safety features like airbags, seat belts with pre-tensioner, crumple zones, collapsible steering system and side impact beams along doors.
With most auto companies bringing in new cars and phasing out old ones amid the slowdown (like it could be end of days for the Aveo), Chevrolet has brought in the snazzy-looking Sail, which could ring in the cash registers for GM (owing to its judicious pricing), if the American auto giant launches a proper ad blitz.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Chevrolet Volt may add spark to electric vehicles
General Motors (GM) is set to surge ahead in electric vehicle technology when it rolls out the new Chevrolet Volt, that can generate its own electricity, in the US market.
Although electric vehicles have revolutionised car technology, there is one bump that was hindering their progress: the problem of recharge in case long distances needed to be travelled. But with GM leapfrogging with the new technology, things could change. In fact, the ability of the Volt to generate electricity could pave the way for an electric car not needing a recharge at all!
However, it may be hard for the average citizen to flock for the Volt as it could come with a whopping price tag of $41,000.
There is a 1.4L generator that charges the battery while driving and allows a driver to travel over 300 miles at one go. A diesel variant of the Volt is slated for launch in about two years.
For 40 to 80 km, the Volt is fuelled by electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery is exhausted, a 1.4-litre gas-powered engine/generator propels the Volt till about 500 km on a full tank.
There are a litany of safety features such as airbags and StabiliTrak present in the Chevrolet Volt. Parking is almost effortless with features such as front and rear parking aid with camera. The electric car can reach maximum speed of 100 mph. While speeding, there is no need to worry as the electro-hydraulic brakes allow the driver to take total control of the speed.
Some other features include: touch-sensitive infotainment system, movie player backed up by 60 GB hard disk Bluetooth, humidity sensor, automatic climate control, keyless ignition, high resolution 7” coloured LCD instrument cluster display, navigation radio, DVD and mp3 player, among others.
GM is set to achieve the feat of producing the first electric vehicle that will witness mass production in the US. The Volt can be driven for over 40 miles at a stretch on one charge and its 16 kWh battery is a liquid-cooled one. Since it accepts 120-240 VAC, there is no need to worry about charging as it can be done anywhere.
According to president Chevrolet (Europe), the Volt is all set to make electric driving intuitive and fun. Recently, Chevrolet Volt’s semi-finished models were taken to the Michigan unit’s assembly line, which is a clear signal that the car is all set for commercial launch. The new Volt is likely to be rolled out in the US towards the year end and hit Europe’s roads early next year.
GM is currently making semi-finished electric cars and plans to deliver them in November next year. Chevrolet Volt is an emission-free car that will have to vie with the Nissan Leaf in the US market. Chevrolet may hope that the Volt will see car buffs make a beeline, especially in the wake of stringent pollution norms in the US, and if that happens, GM will have to scale up production in a big way to meet demand.
GM is currently making semi-finished electric cars and plans to deliver them in November next year. Chevrolet Volt is an emission-free car that will have to vie with the Nissan Leaf in the US market. Chevrolet may hope that the Volt will see car buffs make a beeline, especially in the wake of stringent pollution norms in the US, and if that happens, GM will have to scale up production in a big way to meet demand.
Though the Chevrolet Volt may take GM miles ahead in technology, the steep price is likely to be the only factor that can come in the way of the Volt and its customer.
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