We had already posted disguised as well as undisguised spy photos of the India bound MPV based on the commercial vehicle platform developed by the General Motors-SAIC merger. Its now official that GM would be looking to introduce these LCV’s by 2011. The MPV would be pitted against the Maruti Eeco
Karl Slym, President and Managing Director, GM India-
After the partnership with SAIC, GM in India has a wider menu to choose from with products from SAIC also available. By the end of next year or early 2012, we plan to launch LCVs in one-tonne capacity, which could be simultaneously followed by passenger cars.
GM has hinted developing 3 vehicles out of this platform. One is the pictured MPV, one could be a panel van derivative of the MPV and the third could be a sub 1 tonne pickup truck. The new range of LCV’s could come with the Fiat Multijet engine manufactured Talegaon.
GM would be manufacturing the new LCV’s at the Halol plant which has an annual capacity of 85,000 units. GM also plans to export these LCV’s to developing markets like South-America and South East Asia.
While the passenger car from SAIC would be given the ‘Chevrolet’ badge, GM hasn’t revealed anything regarding branding the new range of LCV’s. GM could give the commercial vehicles the ‘Tavera’ brand also considering the popularity of the name in the Indian market.
Source: Indiancarbikes
[...] With Toyota, Tata Motors, Maruti and several other car makers interested in exploring the inexpensive MPV market, GM has made the right move by making the Tavera available in major cities where people as well as fleet operators want practical, fuel economical, inexpensive and well-furnished products. General Motors is said to bring more MPVs in the future from the Chinese Wuling brand. [...]
[...] and the Aveo twins next year giving the ability to penetrate the market further. There are also a heap of Chinese cars that GM intends to sell in India at killer price tags. The Chinese vans from Wuling will be built [...]