Indian Autos blog

While most Americans love their SUVs and pickup trucks, they are a bit dinosaur-ish now. With fuel prices skyrocketing, it is time to adopt smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. So Chevrolet has introduced our very own Beat in the US markets for a price tag of $12,995 (around 6.6 lakhs INR).

The Chevrolet Beat is re-named as Spark for the US markets. There are a number of changes that have been done to introduce it in the US markets. These include:

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Some cars are just made to be customized. Do whatever with them, they always end up looking funky and hip. The original Mini, Suzuki Swift, Honda Jazz, Citroen DS3 and even the Beat/Spark are designs just waiting to be customized by their owners. GM Korea has introduced two such examples of the Spark (known as Beat in India).

First is the Chevrolet Spark Tattoo which features some circle design vinyl on the exterior. The car is available with sapporo white with pink circles vinyl and Monaco Pink with white circles vinyl. The 1.0L petrol engine does not change but you do get 15-inch rims. This special edition Spark will appeal fairer sex.

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While topless cars hardly sell in India, they are a massive market in Europe. Chevrolet has launched a topless version of the popular hatchback Beat in Europe. Here’s an image of the Chevrolet Beat soft top/Chevrolet Spark soft top.

OK, its not completely topless, but allow us to explain.

GM India had the most numbers of show stoppers in their pavilion. No, we are not talking about the ladies (we are silly petrolheads remember) we are talking about the cool cars on display. There was a Volt, Stingray Concept, WTCC Cruze and the EN-V. No shortage of flashy new wheels as the MPV, Sail, Captiva 2.2 and Tavera Neo3 were unveiled in two separate press conferences.

But a few of them REALLY caught our attention.

First up is the Beat music edition which features:

• Custom Orange color with white graphics
• White alloy wheels
• A chrome tip muffler
• White OVRMS
• And as the name suggest, a custom Music System

GM said it was testing the response of the public to the orange color for the showroom models.

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If you recall General Motors tested the Beat EV in India back in June to understand electric car’s ability to acclimatize to our conditions. It was part of the global testing program which GM India, through the showcase, used to pump up the Beat’s brand equity.

Later GM India said the infrastructure to commercialize electric cars in India isn’t ready and a release was not planned anytime soon.

Read about the Chevrolet Beat EV for the Indian market

GM then showed a production model in America, redesigning parts of the car to meet safety standards for a 2013 release. General Motors could adopt a similar design direction on the petroleum-fueled Beat facelift that usually arrives 3-4 years into the model’s life.

Recently GM furnished information on the motive force of this urban runabout GM bets big on, not only in America but globally. It will be assembled using kits flown in from Korea at their facility situated in the state of Maryland.

The Beat EV generates 116PS, compared to the measly 60hp produced by the test mule that visited India. The Indian mule used the Volt’s battery pack that produced 20 kWH providing the Beat a range of 130 km under normal driving conditions. It takes about 8 hours to reach full charge from a 240V power socket. GM has not provided details on the range after this massive power increase.

American customers use powerful cars, giving performance precedence over fuel economy, viewed as the reason behind the power bump.

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The little autobot from Transformers has taken the Indian market with a storm. Its radical design coupled with Chevy’s unbeatable 3 year warranty means oodles of value for money for the prospective buyer. However, Chevy is celebrating its 100 birthday and on that occasion the company has decided to show a new Beat and announce ambitious plans for an EV variant as well.

As one can see, there are not many startling changes. The front fascia now features a polygon with a wide grill. This design trait we saw on the first on the Chevy Sonic and then on the new Captiva. Two chrome ducts on each side of the front bumper to integrate foglamps add a sporty touch to the front. The alloy wheel design is the most eye catching facet of the facelift. A rear spoiler along with some LED tail lamps also make it to the facelift.

The interiors have also received tiny touches. A new LCD screen and optional cruise control makes it to the new model. The overall interior quality has also been worked upon. New 1.2L ecotec engines will power this Beat. On the occasion, Chevy also confirmed that it will be launching the Beat EV, which was designed and developed by their Bengaluru research center, in the States.

Of course, this event was held in the US and thus was more US centric than India centric. The redesigned front-end could well be to meet pedestrian safety standards that are less stringent or absent in APAC region.

Considering Chevy USA plans to launch the new Beat in the US by 2013, there is a strong possibility that Chevy India will also the update the Beat in 2013.

GM has been developing some kickass innovative products in its research center at Bangalore. The recently launched Beat Diesel (the smallest CRDI diesel engine for passenger car in mass production globally) was one such staggering achievement. Another interesting product was the Beat EV unveiled in June. We have thoroughly covered the car’s development since the time it was conceptualized.

Codenamed as the (BEV), the Beat EV adopts a battery pack from the Chevy Volt. It is a 300 cell lithium-ion battery weighing 270kg and possesses an energy capacity of approximately 20 kWh.

The actual drive to the wheels is delivered by a single speed drive unit and an electric motor producing about 45kW of power.

It has a range of 130 kms under normal driving conditions. However, it takes 8 hours to be charged from a 240V outlet. But the good news is that the Beat’s battery pack is liquid cooled so it can operate smoothly between temperatures ranging from -20 degrees to 45 degrees.

Overall, it was a supreme effort from Chevy to give Indian families a practical EV, but sadly it will not be commercialized.

GM India is finally opening up to the reasons for not launching a fully functioning product and the main cause – the infrastructural bottlenecks in India, specifically power.

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As another month in 2011 flies by, auto manufacturers are excited about the spur in sales the festive season brings with it. Still worries are plenty as interest rates and fuel prices have seen upward revisions dampening buying spirit among customers. A diesel variant appears to be the superior option offering far superior fuel economy and lighter fuel bills.

There are equations showing that petrol is the better option for vehicles used largely for short commutes, but customers predict repeated hikes in petrol prices over the next three years will play into the advantage of diesel.

General Motors India launched the much-awaited diesel powered Chevrolet Beat last week and the response has been brisk. As the vehicle continues to be launched in many parts of India, GM predicts the Beat brand will have 7,500 takers every month.

GM has to bring in the Sail twins and fit them with Fiat Multi-jet engines. Though the Sails will not arrive in the next five months, an Auto Expo unveiling is a good possibility. These cars along with vans and mini trucks from a new commercial vehicle division will accelerate numbers for GM which plans to reach 300,000 units annually from 100,000 presently in the next few years.