India is one of the key markets in GM’s worldwide plans. The company after having emerged from bankruptcy, has been on a roll and has drawn up aggressive plans to launch new models in international markets to drive sales and growth further. The company plans to launch 70 new or upgraded models across international markets by the year 2014. India is definitely one of those markets.
The company will be launching new models such as the all-new next-generation Aveo Sedan and Hatchback, Chevrolet Sail Sedan and Hatchback and the Chevrolet Orlando MPV. The company will also be launching new engine or fuel variants of its existing lineup in India like the Beat Diesel, Beat LPG, Bharat Stage IV Complaint Chevrolet Tavera (we learn), Chevrolet Cruze Petrol and the facelifted Chevrolet Captiva.
GM will also be entering the Indian Commercial vehicle market with its Chinese partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC). The company will be launching the Wuling N 200 and 300 series of vans alongwith a pick up truck offering to takes on the likes of the Tata Ace and the Mahindra Maxximo.
With GM having lined up so many models and variants for Indian consumers, it remains to be seen as to how GM prices and positions these products in the Indian passenger car market.
General Motors India is coming strong & confident in the Indian market. India’s 1st 4 door electric car the E-Spark will roll out from the company’s plant at the end of this year. It does not stop there. GM India would be introducing electric vehicles based on the lines of the upcoming Chevrolet E-spark.
GMI tied up with Bangalore based electric car company REVA last year & made it clear that they are exploring the possibility of incorporating electric drivetrain technologies in several Chevrolet models. Karl Slym (President & MD GMI) said the success of electric cars both in India and globally would depend on its affordability and its eventual utility for the end consumer.
The company will gauge the success of the e-spark in India after which it would bring in more electric products. Slym said that the idea behind e-Spark was to see the viability of replicating the same model on its other cars as well. The aim is too see if such products find market acceptance.
Karl Slym in a press statement said that they would want to fully support the customer who buys such a product & plans are in place in terms of supporting consumers for setting up charging points within their own premises.
The company is also in talks with the Government on incentives such as making charging points for EV’s in parking lots, free parking for EV’s & having pay & charge stations. Some state governments have recognized this fact & thus the e-spark will initially be launched in Delhi-NCR & Karnataka only.
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We saw this one coming. Today, the press gathered in the country’s capital to witness a one of kind partnership between two very different auto companies.
It was to convey that GM India and REVA have joined hands to bring out electric vehicles.
The companies will also work with the government to setup the required infrastructure for these vehicles. GM’s platform’s will be handed to REVA who will fit it with their technology. The end product could also be shipped to European countries, which are better prepared to handle electric vehicles.
No word on the vehicles that will enjoy the result of the partnership. The earlier report stated it will be the Spark. We think the new Spark would also be a good idea.
Our sources add within twelve months from this notice, GM India will roll out its first EV.
Let us see.
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General Motors is planning to launch an all new version of its popular Spark hatchback. General Motors hasn’t yet revealed any specifications of it but we expect it to be out soon.
This new variant may come with an 800 CC engine. Currently the Spark comes in four variants, 1.0L, PS, LS and top end LT.
We already saw this one coming. We’ve earlier reported on the LPG Spark variant, along with the Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Mini India plans.
The success of its two hatchbacks – the Aveo U-VA and the Spark and new releases from other automakers – has spurred GM India to think of bringing the Chevrolet Mini sooner than ever!
GM is now working out all odds to bring in the ‘Mini’ and heat up the premium hatchback space. The Chevrolet Mini which is based on the Beat concept (showcased two years back in New York Auto Show) will come with frugal Petrol and Diesel engine options; expected to be positioned above the Chevrolet U-VA and priced around that range.
The Chevy Mini as it appears (in pictures), would be a large hatchback- possibly the largest hatchback India has seen (we’ll leave out the SRV for now)! But this is just a speculation (a visual perception), as no dimensions have been revealed yet.
A very swift spy photographer has had a shot of heavily camouflaged Chevrolet Beat prototype lounging around at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology. The camouflaged runabout was spotted in a parking lot on the university’s grounds.
As you may recall, the Chevy Beat was the most popular of a trio of concepts (Beat,Groove & Trax) that Chevy showed to the world at last years New York Auto Show. Based on General Motors’ new global mini-car platform, the Beat was originally designed to be the sportiest of the triplets with only two doors and a 1.2L 16-valve DOHC inline-four cylinder,turbocharged petrol engine mated to either a manual or automatic gearbox.
Speculation has it, that the Chevrolet Beat will be launched in the Korean markets first, as a four door version and without a turbocharger. The production is set to take place there in mid-2009, but with GM struggling to make its ends meet even after receiving the bail-out package, delays should be inevitable.
The latest edition of AutoBild magazine has a rendering of the Chevrolet Beat, along with 24 other cars. Grab a copy- it’s an exciting read full of eye candy.
General Motors is scrutinizing even minor costs like utility bills and is considering delaying the launch of the Chevrolet Cruze compact. We know how bad things are getting for GM. Cash is so tight that the company is not only delaying production model world premieres but is even scrutinizing over electricity and utility bills. That’s how bad it is going for the great General! As times get worse, GM is [ Read More ]
The next gen Optra is to make its International debut in October this year at the Paris motor show. It is expected to arrive in India in 2009. In the Indian market, the new car will be rebadged Cruze and will sell alongside the present Optra.
