Our reader Vikas Gor spotted the Etios slayer from Chevrolet on the Eastern Express highway near the Mumbai. General Motors has been spotted testing this car dozens of times around the Mumbai-Pune area and this is by far the most important launch for the company since its inception.
The reason is clearly the B+ segment is growing steadily and the availability of diesel technology is seen as one of the main reasons. The Hyundai i20, Maruti Ritz and Swift models have made considerable progress in the last two years and the demand for these cars, especially in diesel, has peaked.
General Motors unveiled the Sail hatchback at the Delhi Auto Expo and we were told by our sources that GM is preparing to launch the Swift rival in mid-2012. Then came spyshots of the Sail sedan, and many readers wrote in requesting the Indian plan for this vehicle. To address that, moments ago Kaustubh posted an update on GM India commenting on the model’s late-2012 launch date.
Now Indian Autos Blog reader Anjeesh spotted the Sail sedan testing in Pune. We’ve provided you a comprehensive look of the car’s interiors very recently through Satyajeet Bhaskare’s pictures of a mule from a parking lot.
According to a high ranking official who spoke to DNA on the company’s short-term goals, General Motors India is planning to introduce the two products it showcased at the Delhi Auto Expo, Sail and MPV, at different points in 2012.
The first launch is the Sail after June followed by the MPV in the last quarter of 2012. The GM official has not disclosed whether the Sail hatch will precede the sedan. The details on the MPV’s branding were withheld.
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Soon after Ford, Maruti and Renault made their plans official, General Motors is the latest to believe that compact SUVs are the way forward in India. Financial Chronicle newspaper is carrying a story with the newly appointed president of the Indian operations on record about their interest to build one. Is GM going to build a Sonic-based SUV similar to the Encore or body an SUV on the Sail? Lowell [ Read More ]
Pune reader Anish Bengiri spotted a taped up Chevrolet Sail hatchback near his residence. The Sail hatch was displayed at the Auto Expo in Delhi a few weeks back and by the festive season (October-November) it will be launched in the market.
See high res interiors shots of the Sail
The Sail twins will replace the age old Aveos and the very important difference is the incoming models use Fiat’s 1.3-liter Multi-jet diesel engine manufactured at GM’s Talegaon plant.
Indian Autos Blog reader Satyajeet Bhaskare sent in high resolution pictures of a lazily camouflaged Chevrolet Sail sedan exposing its interiors for the first time. The Sail sedan is a product of the collaborative efforts of General Motors and its Chinese partner SAIC. The latter owns a fat stake in GM India cited as a key reason for the Sails to precede the Sonic siblings into India. The Sail was developed in China and is one mild facelift old already in its native place!
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Speaking to IndianAutosBlog.com at the Delhi Auto Expo, an animated Vikas Jain, Director of sales at GM India, gave insights into the future of existing and future GM nameplates. Let’s dive straight into what Mr Jain had to say to IAB’s queries.
Is there plans to transplant the 2.2-liter engine from the Captiva facelift into the Cruze?
No, it (2.2-liter VCDI) is only on Captiva. It is not coming on the Cruze.
When do you plan to bring the Cruze facelift to India?
Last year in February we came out with black interiors for Cruze. Change is a continuous process. Its (Cruze facelift) in the pipeline but when and how it is still to be decided. It is not in the immediate future.
Do you plan to introduce a petrol engine on the Cruze?
No, we’re not going there.
Will the Tavera brand form an umbrella and cover the MPV concept shown here at the show?
The name of the MPV is still to be decided. There are lots of ideas. The point is branding, concept and marketing strategy get frozen three months before launch and there is still time to reach there.
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