Honda Amaze vs Maruti Dzire vs Chevrolet Sail

With the gap between petrol and diesel prices narrowing, petrol cars are making more sense than ever before. And, let's face it, the three compact saloons here are more suited to the short city hop than full-size saloons. It's exactly the kind of environment in which the lower price tag of the petrol car has a big advantage over the diesel car. So what we have here are three cars that fit the bill. There's the Honda Amaze, the Maruti Dzire and the Chevrolet Sail. All have 1.2-litre petrol engines, two are less than four metres in length and all are priced under Rs 7 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi)—making them quite a lot of car for the money. Now the Sail may not be a sub-four-metre saloon, but Chevrolet's pricing strategy means that, at Rs 6.41 lakh for this fully loaded LT (ABS), you get a bigger saloon for less than the other two, which makes it even more car for your money. Still, at Rs 6.64 lakh and Rs 6.51 lakh respectively, the Amaze VX and the Dzire ZXi are good value in their own right too.

So, on paper, these three saloons look pretty evenly matched. But what are they like in the real world? That's what we are about to find out.

What are they like to drive?

Amaze

Dezire

Sail

With just 1.2-litre engines powering them, you might expect these three saloons to be wanting for performance, but this is not the case. Take the Sail for example—the engine makes 85bhp and 11.52kgm of pulling power, which translates into decent performance in real-world conditions. The engine is pretty responsive to part-throttle inputs and feels fairly easy to drive in traffic as a result. However, the power delivery flattens out after the rather lively initial response and then it starts pulling strongly again when you reach the zone between 4000 and 6000rpm. The trouble is, when it's revving hard, the engine gets quite buzzy, and even at moderate speeds, the sound it makes is quite intrusive. Add to this a clutch that doesn't offer much feel and a gearshift that isn't the best around, and you have a car that is only mediocre on the performance front—a fact backed up by its 14.5sec 0-100kph time.

Hop into the Amaze after the Sail and you'll immediately see how much better it is. It's amazingly refined at idle and responsive when you're driving around in traffic. The gearshift is superb, the clutch is light and the pull of the engine gets stronger as you rev it harder. It's not incredibly silent when it is near the redline, but it does sound a lot sportier than the Sail. Helping the Honda along is its light kerb weight of 965kg, which helps it post its rather quick 0-100kph time of 13.3sec.

If anything, the Dzire feels even better than the Amaze when you're pulling away from low speeds in high gears. The Maruti has an almost immediate response to small throttle inputs, which makes it very easy to drive in traffic with minimal gearshifts. The Dzire is smooth and quiet at idle as well, and it feels at least as refined as the Amaze. There is some whine from the engine near the redline, and isn't as happy to spin fast as the Honda, but that's the only grouse we had with it. With 86bhp on tap (the Amaze has 86.8bhp, the Sail has 85bhp), performance is good, and even if it's not as quick outright as the Amaze, it holds up well.

Ride & handling

The Sail has the stiffest ride at low speeds. Still, it's not stiff in a crashy, thumpy sort of way; it's just that you can feel everything the tyres are going over. A lot of this stiffness disappears as you go faster, but then again, the car does tend to get unsettled over the bigger bumps. It's not the most fun to drive either. The steering isn't the most consistent and, above 100kph, the car doesn't feel as planted as we would have liked it to be.

Both the Amaze and the Dzire have much better rides, whether at high or low speeds. Around town, the Amaze's suspension is quiet and absorbent and there's little of the sharp vertical movement you get in the Sail. The suspension handles bumps and craters very well and the decent 165mm of ground clearance is good as well.

The Dzire has no such problems. It's clear from the start that it's a quieter, more refined car. In fact, the Dzire's low-speed ride is even better than the Honda's, partly because it gets bigger 15-inch wheels (the other two use 14-inchers) and partly because Maruti has tuned the Dzire's rear suspension for the comfort that saloon car owners expect. As a result, you get a nicely pliant ride at low speeds with some pitching as you go faster. The Amaze's stiffer suspension setup gives it the slight edge in stability as the speeds rise, though. Agility is very good and it surprises you with how comfortable it is in corners.

In the hectic traffic of the city, it's the Amaze's lighter, more measured controls (clutch, gearbox and direct steering) that make it the easiest to drive as well.

What are they like inside?

Interiors of Amaze

Interiors of Sail

Interios of Dezire

All three cars are based on hatchbacks—the Sail is based on the Sail U-VA, the Dzire on the Swift and the Amaze on the Brio. This is significant because the Swift and the U-VA are bigger hatchbacks than the Brio, so naturally the Amaze should have the least space, right? The truth is that the Amaze has the most space of the three, because it has the shortest nose. Honda has increased the wheelbase (the space between the front and rear axles) of the Brio in creating the Amaze, and a lot of attention has been paid to maximising passenger space in the cabin. To that extent, the front seats are slim, the dashboard is pushed forward as much as possible and the door pads have been scooped out for more width. The result is a rear seat that's seriously spacious in relation to the Amaze's compact exteriors.

The Dzire also has a comfortable rear seat and it even betters the Honda's seat on thigh support. But the Dzire's rear seats don't offer as much knee room as the Honda's and the small windows do make you feel quite claustrophobic.

The Sail, being the bigger saloon, naturally has quite a lot of legroom, but amazingly, the Amaze has even more. Also, the Sail's rear seats fall a fair bit short on comfort. The seat cushions are too firm, there isn't enough thigh support and the fabrics feel downmarket as well. Redeeming features come in the form of the raised floor under the front seats that rear passengers can use as a foot rest.

Move to the front of the Sail and again, you'll find seats that are quite firm. The ergonomics aren't great either—the power window switches are placed on the centre console and the gearlever is a bit too far back. The space available is good, but the hard plastics, plain design and bland colours aren't particularly appealing. It is a simple design and buyers might be disappointed with the single-DIN audio system in a class where two-DIN is almost the norm.

The Amaze shares its dashboard with the Brio and this, as it turns out, isn't a good thing. It's not the quality or the fit and finish we take issue with; it's just the very basic, functional design. Honda has taken a radical approach with the dashboard but we feel it doesn't really work, especially in a saloon. The vents, centre console and instrument panel don't line up in the traditional sense and there are some odd looking bits, like the shut-line of the glovebox, which stands out like an upturned lip. The instrument cluster looks a bit too plain as well, and doesn't have the sophistication of the Dzire's.

It's the Dzire's dashboard we liked the most. The V-shaped centre console, the digital displays for the audio and climate control system and the stylish steering wheel all add to the ambience. The front seats are the most comfortable in this group by far, thanks to their excellent size, cushioning and support. Still, the dashboard cowl is high and this does limit visibility to a certain extent—it's something new drivers might not like, as it makes it tricky to judge where the car's extremities lie.

As for in-cabin storage space, the Amaze has no less than nine cup and bottle holders spread across the cabin, and big door pockets as well as a cubbyhole ahead of the gearlever. The Dzire also has door pockets capable of holding one-litre bottles, a cubbyhole ahead of the gearlever and a unique slot on the right of the steering wheel that can hold a mobile phone. We also like the pop-out cupholders on the dashboard that sit ahead of the air-con vent. The Chevy's storage spaces come in the form of a deep, rubber-lined cubbyhole ahead of the gearlever, space under the rear seats and big door pockets.

As for boot space, it is again the Amaze with its 400 litres of space that offers you the most. The Dzire has the smallest at just 316 litres, while the Sail, despite its extra length has just 370 litres of space. It is clear that Honda has really outdone itself on the interior packaging of the Amaze.

SAIL

DEZIRE

Amaze

Buying & owning

The Amaze VX is the most expensive car here by a small margin—but at     Rs 13,000 more than the Dzire ZXi, it's a margin that is of little consequence to today's aspirational car buyer. But the Honda is the most fuel-efficient car here—it gave us 12.5kpl in the city and 17kpl on the highway.

At Rs 6.51 lakh, the Dzire ZXi is quite good value considering it has the best equipment, the best build quality and the most upmarket interiors. Its fuel efficiency is also good—we got 12.4kpl in the city and 16.8kpl on the highway. Both Honda and Maruti offer identical warranties of two years or 40,000km. Both offer equal peace of mind to their customers and both have widespread dealer and service networks.

The Sail is priced very well at Rs 6.41 lakh, considering it is a bigger car than the other two. Going by the ARAI figures, the Sail shouldn't be too far off from the Amaze and Dzire as far as fuel efficiency is concerned. It also comes with a fantastic three-year/ 1,00,000km warranty, pointing at how much faith Chevy has in its product. Still, it's a relatively unknown product and Chevys generally don't hold their resale values as well as Hondas or Marutis.

General Motors launches Sail sedan at Rs 4.99 Lakh

Chevrolet has launched its Sail sedan in India at a starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh, ex-Delhi. The car looks identical to the Sail U-VA launched a few months back, with the addition of a boot.

 

 

The Sail is built on a new global passenger car platform created especially for emerging markets and is available in 1.2 L petrol and 1.3 L diesel engine variants.

“It competes in one of the largest and fastest-growing segments,” said Lowell Paddock, President and Managing Director, GM India.

He said the new car has been put through more than 6.3 million kilometres of testing on different terrains across India and other countries.

The company said the petrol variant would give 18.2 km to a litre and diesel 22.1 km to a litre as per specific test conditions.

 

The top variants of the car have technology features such as Bluetooth functionality that supports up to five mobile phone pairings and music streaming.

The Sail will compete with other competitors such as Maruti Suzuki India's Swift Dzire, Tata Motors’ Indigo and Toyota Etios.

Prices of the 2013 Chevrolet Sail variants, ex-Delhi:

Base (Petrol)- Rs 4.99 lakhs

LS (Petrol)- Rs 5.49 lakhs

LS ABS (Petrol)- Rs 5.7 lakhs

LT ABS (Petrol)- Rs 6.42 lakhs

Base (Diesel)- Rs 6.29 lakhs

LS (Diesel)- Rs 6.59 lakhs

LS ABS (Diesel)- Rs 6.8 lakhs

LT ABS (Diesel) - Rs 7.52 lakhs

General Motors to launch Chevrolet Enjoy in two-three months

General Motors India will launch Chevrolet Enjoy, the Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV), in two to three months, a company official said.

It will be one of Chevrolet India's three products borrowed from China's GM-SAIC joint venture. While the first product, Sail U-VA hatchback, was launched in November, the Sail sedan was launched in Hyderabad on Monday.

Sastry Vempati, vice president, product planning, General Motors India, told reporters that Sail Sedan, the first launch of the year and the MPV would meet the needs of domestic market and establish the company as a key competitor.

Chevrolet Sail Premium Sedan is a new global passenger car platform created especially for fast-growing emerging markets.

Engineers at the GM Technical centre-India in Bangalore spent nearly two years refining the platform for India to ensure that it met the requirements of the local market and car buyers.

With this launch, GM has entered car B segment, the fastest growing segment in the otherwise sluggish market.

With 40,000 monthly sales, this segment is growing at 41 percent for last three years. Its contribution to the overall market is 23 percent.

Claiming that Sail Sedan has redefined styling, comfort and safety, he was confident it would outperform Maruti Swift Desire, which is the leader in the car B segment.

Sail Sedan, said to be the most spacious in the segment, is priced between Rs.4.99 lakh and Rs.6.41 lakh (petrol) and between Rs.6.29 lakh and Rs.7.51 lakh (diesel).

GM has so far sold six lakh Sail Sedan cars around the world with the highest sales of 30,000 a month in China.

The company hopes to sell 48,000 Sail U-VA and Sail Sedan cars a year in India. Since its launch in November last year, it sold 4,500 Sail U-VA.

"The feedback is really encouraging. It is the only car which has won four awards in such a short span of time," said Gagandeep Singh, regional manager, sales, south India.

Noting that the car market in India was sluggish for last three years, Sastry said such ups and downs were common in emerging market like India.

"The long term potential in India is very good," he said, and hoped that the recent rate cut by RBI and the coming budget would improve the market conditions.

The all new Chevrolet Spark launched

General Motors has launched the updated Spark hatchback in India. The 2012 Chevrolet Spark gets many changes inside out including a face-lift which makes it up-to-date with other Chevy cars.  The new Spark is available in both petrol and LPG options and is costlier by up to Rs 10,000 from the existing comparable versions of the model, which will be discontinued, the company said. 

 

The small car is now available between Rs 3.26 lakh and Rs 3.81 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the petrol variant and Rs 3.81 lakh and Rs 4.10 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the LPG option. 

 

New two-tone finish upholstery, updated wing inspired instrument cluster, 2-DIN audio system with aux and USB functionality have been added to the interiors. 

 

A high roofline in the Chevrolet Spark ensures spacious headroom and legroom not just for front seat passengers, but also for anyone sitting in the rear seat. A high roofline in the Chevrolet Spark ensures spacious headroom and legroom not just for front seat passengers, but also for anyone sitting in the rear seat. 

 

The Spark is still powered by a 1.0-litre 63PS 4-cylinder engine which is available in both petrol and LPG trims. 

Apart from new design such as the twin-port grille, the new Spark has is powered by a 1-litre petrol engine with new-age innovations that ensure smooth, noiseless, efficient, powerful, reliable and low-maintenance operation, the company claimed.

The Spark is also furnished with a variety of clever and practical storage spaces.

 

There are five variants on offer now with a choice of seven colours. 

 

GM India is offering a three-year/100,000-km standard warranty under the Chevrolet Promise Cost of Ownership Programme, which also provides free maintenance for three years or 45,000 km. 

Car industry in India – fastest growing sector in the world

The Car industry in India has seen a tremendous growth and seems to be the fastest growing sector in the world. This sector has responded with an exponential progress in the number of new models launched in the last few months. The craze for cars amongst people is growing day-by-day. Hence, all the car manufacturers are giving tough competition to each other by opting innovative and unique ideas to capture the market.

India is presently ranked 17th amongst auto car manufacturing countries in the world. Keeping in pace with the ever growing demand for cars, the production of cars has also been high, off late; thanks to a huge export potential and favorable Government policy. Multinational companies have been eyeing at India to set up their manufacturing facilities. According to auto experts and analysts, India is poised to become third largest auto car manufacturing hub in the world by 2020./p>

One of the factors that have characterized the impressive growth of Indian automobile market has been the dramatic and positive changes that have earmarked the Indian car landscape. From old Ambys to a range, color and design of Marutis, Opels, Tatas, Hyundais and Toyotas, the Indian car market is surely something to watch on.

The Indian car market basically thrives on volume, the fact that the market leader Maruti Udyog basically is a small car manufacturer is a testament to this fact. But, slowly the Indian car market is growing with cars such as the honda city, Toyota corolla; international products finding favor with the Indian consumer. Also, products such as the ford fiesta and the new Chevrolet Aveo that have been specifically developed for the Indian market show how important India is today on the world market.

Every car in India is today either custom made for the Indian market or is a niche car, which buyers from all over the world crave. Technologies such as CRDi, ABS, ESP, climate control, adaptive dampers, ride control and so on are making their presence felt in the market today. The average car buyer is now pampered with the latest launches from all over the world and is able to lay his hands on the state of the art cars at rather affordable prices.

In the multi utility vehicle segment, General Motor's Tavera is directly competing with Toyota Innova and Mahindra Scorpio. Tavera has been doing consistently well and has been delivering best in class mileage to its customers.

GM India is now foraying into the premium A-segment cars in India with the Chevrolet Captiva which is all set to hit the road later this year.

Maruti Suzuki launches new 1000cc Alto, to take on competitors

Maruti Suzuki has launched a new version of Alto, with a more powerful engine compared to its existing model. The new version has a 998cc engine, compared to 800cc earlier. It is suppose to provide the highest fuel efficiency among petrol cars in the A2 segment, 20km per litre.

On the exteriors, it has been refreshed to give a distinctive look. The design of headlamps & tail lights is changed. The front and rear bumpers are new. It is 125mm longer than the earlier one. It is designed to be wider and taller too. All these make the car look bigger.

On the interiors, the gears and brake system are superior, giving a better driving experience. There is more leg-room for the rear seat passengers.

The car will be available in lxi and Vxi variants, in 6 colors: Sunlight Copper, Midnight Black, Fire Brick Red, Superior White, Ecru Beige & Silky Silver.



It prices range between Rs 3.03 – 3.16 lakh, ex-showroom, New Delhi, Rs 3.08 lakh – 3.21 lakh, ex-showroom, Bangalore.

On an average 20,000 units of Alto are sold every month. With the increased features provided by the new Alto, the sales figures are sure to go up. The market leaders Hyundai Santro and Chevrolet Spark are sure to face a stiff competition.

Maruti Suzuki has been a market leader in the small car segment, having around 50% of the market share. However, for the first time this has fallen to 47% and Maruti Suzuki is in top gears to regain its market share. Launch of Alto K10 is a beginning step towards this.

Santa Fe to Grace Indian Roads by Next Year

It has been a long time since Hyundai has been announcing the launch of its SUV, Santa Fe, in India. And this time also you may not quiet believe it. But yes, this time it might possibly happen. The reason why one could expect the coming of the car is because it is raining SUVs in India now. And every other company is planning to launch an SUV. And Hyundai would never want to lag behind.

The launch of RiO by Premier is a classic example of the demand for SUVs India. Premier was a very famous Indian car manufacturer. But the company was away from business for a long time, till yesterday when it re-entered the Indian car industry with its mini SUV.

Hyundai also has plans of launching a small car in India by 2011. It will be an 800cc small car.

It was two years back, in 2007, Hyundai first announced its plans to launch its SUV, Santa Fe, in 2008. But things didn’t work out and the company was not able to launch the car in 2008 as promised. We had also expected the launch of the SUV this year. But the latest information is that the Santa Fe will be seen in the Indian roads next year.

In India, Santa Fe is expected to be launched both in petrol and diesel models. It will be available in 2.7-litre petrol engine and 2.2-litre diesel engine. The price of the SUV is not known. But it is sure that this new model from Hyundai will surely create a tough competition for Toyota Fortuner, Honda CR-V, and Chevrolet Captiva.

Ford Could Bring Out its Small Car this Month

The Indian car market is now in a glorious period. There is also a fast emerging luxury car market but the most expanding segment is that of the small car. Many companies, realizing the flowering love for the small cars in the country are coming up with new models or introducing new variants for the existing models, and so there is never a scarcity in this segment.

The next in the queue is Ford with its small car, codenamed B517. The company has been long working on the project and this seems to be the right time to make it public. The company is expected to showcase its small car in Indian this month. But the car will not hit the roads this year, it will be at least March next year for the car to get launched. After B517 gets launched in India it will also be exported globally including the African and Asia-Pacific countries.

The B517 will be available in both petrol and diesel variants. It was said that the diesel version of the car will have a 1.5-litre engine, but now it is expected to be launched powered by a 1.4-litre Duratorq engine, similar to the one used in Ford Ikon and Ford Fiesta. The other option will be a 1.2-litre petrol engine.

Chiefly designed for the Indian market, the car once launched will pose a good completion to models like the Volkswagen Polo, and new Chevy Spark. The pricing of the B517 is not yet revealed. This small car is expected to enter the Indian car market with really big promises.

GM India strong performance attracts US

General Motors India has been termed as a strong performer by its beleaguered parent company General Motors of United States. The Supreme Court of U.S. has shown the green signal to General Motors for its restructuring and to form a brand new entity called General Motors Company.

After restructuring, General Motors wants to regain its control over its strongest performers including its Indian subsidiary. When this happens new General Motors will be able to show a stronger balance sheet and profits which will help it reinvest in development of future technologies.

It is also likely that General Motors may reward the Indian buyers for their continued support by bringing in some of their best cars. General Motors is already selling seven cars under the Chevrolet Brand. It is also likely that the new General Motors will pump in additional investments to make the Indian subsidiary more challenging.

General Motors India faced a minor hurdle when its parent company filed for bankruptcy. The Indian subsidiary worked to restore faith in the company and bring back customers to their showrooms. During this critical period, General Motors launched a campaign called ‘There for you, there for India’ to assure car buyers in India that the company was not leaving the country.

Since June 1, when the parent company went into bankruptcy frenzy, the Indian subsidiary has been showing a strong performance.

China emerging as new world auto power

America's auto titans are dismantling their global empires. But across the Pacific, it's as if the global

economic forces that have pummeled Detroit never struck. Chinese auto sales are up, and China is projected to displace Japan as the world's largest car producer this year.

Now, the auto world is buzzing that China's auto industry may try to pick up the pieces of Detroit at a bargain.

Chinese companies have tried to dampen speculation, issuing regulatory filings that deny bids to buy Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo or General Motor Corp.'s Saab. But there's little doubt among analysts that Chinese automakers are interested in the United States and that Detroit's automakers are interested in them.

Buying up brands such as Hummer or Saturn could supply Chinese automakers with the technological expertise to help them leapfrog past long-established competitors, said Kelly Sims Gallagher, a lecturer at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government who wrote a book on Chinese automakers.

"That's where Chinese firms are weakest," she said. "They have world-class business and manufacturing capabilities now. What they still lack is technological know-how, systems integration, being able to design new vehicles from scratch and get them to a manufacturing line."

China still suffers from its reputation of being a copycat manufacturer. An acquisition could lend clout to some of the nation's 100 car companies that are largely unknown outside their home country.

Such a deal would be "off-the-shelf legitimacy that you can purchase," said Aaron Bragman, an auto analyst with IHS Global Insight.

The global auto industry is restructuring. Italy's Fiat Group SpA is on the verge of taking control of Chrysler LLC. Last year, India's Tata Motors, already famous for its $2,000 Nano, acquired Jaguar and Land Rover.

And China's auto sector has emerged as a threat to the long-standing pecking order.

Geely Automobile, one of China's largest private carmakers, purchased an Australian drivetrain transmission supplier, a leading gearbox manufacturer, this year. Weichai Power, one of China's top diesel engine manufacturers, acquired a French diesel engine producer. Another Chinese company, BYD, which counts Warren Buffett as an investor, launched a mass-market plug-in electric car, ahead of GM's anticipated Chevrolet Volt.

Detroit's annual auto show in January was somber, but Shanghai's show dazzled attendees with throngs of models, rock bands and light shows. This year, Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. skipped Detroit and attended the Chinese event in April. Mercedes-Benz, BMW AG and Porsche SE all unveiled new vehicle models in Shanghai.

"The center of gravity is moving eastward," Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler, told reporters at the show.

"When we look back 20 years from now, the year 2009 is likely to be viewed as the year in which the baton of leadership in the global auto industry passed from the United States to China," Jack Perkowski, a Western transplant and former chairman of a Beijing auto parts company, wrote in his blog "Managing the Dragon."

Some of China's bigger manufacturers, such as Chery Automobile, have trumpeted their intent to export Chinese-made vehicles to the United States in the next few years. To get there, they'll need to revamp their products to meet stringent U.S. emissions and safety standards.

That's no simple problem. Previous plans to ship Chinese cars to U.S. soil have crumbled. A company called Brilliance missed its goal of launching U.S. sales in 2009. BYD said it would introduce its cars to Americans in 2010 but has pushed their arrival to 2011. Other potential contenders have gone out of business or are struggling to stay afloat.

In 1994, Beijing released a plan to triple auto production by 2000 and reduce imports. The government lured foreign producers to bring their technology overseas and invest in Chinese auto parts firms. It aimed to modernize domestic manufacturing by creating joint ventures with foreign automakers such as GM.

As a result, China's auto sales took off in 2000. In 2002, they crossed the 1 million mark. More recently, the numbers have taken a hit in the economic crisis, forcing companies to curb exports to countries such as Russia and Vietnam.

But after the industry pressed Beijing for a bailout late last year, the central government responded with subsidies and slashed the sales tax on small, fuel-efficient cars, spurring demand. And analysts say the expansion of the country's web of roads and highways — part of an economic stimulus package — coupled with a growing middle class could fuel more sales for years to come.

In April, China's vehicle sales jumped 25 percent, compared with a year earlier, to a record monthly high of 1.15 million units. It was the third consecutive month that China has surpassed the United States in sales.

GM, which has two joint ventures in the country, also hit a monthly record in April with its sales jumping 50 percent from a year earlier. The automaker plans to import cars from China starting in 2011, according to a GM plan circulating in Congress.

But in the United States, auto sales fell 34 percent last month. And GM, which has received $15.4 billion in U.S. government loans, says it is likely to file for bankruptcy protection.

Chevrolet’s new Spark is coming to India!

If you ask around and mention the Matiz to anybody, the word cute is mostly blurted out instantly. The same holds true for its spiritual successor, the current Spark - even though General Motors India now runs the proceedings. And when GM decided to build the successor to the current Spark for the global markets, needless to say it will make it to India, but will co-exist with the Spark as we know it now.



This then is the new Spark. And before you ask how they will run Spark Sr and Spark Jr around at the same time, don’t fret. GM might just call it the Beat in India, since the concept at the 2007 New York Motor Show was called thus. And from what the specifications seem to suggest, it will take on cars like the Hyundai i10 Kappa and Maruti Suzuki’s upcoming Splash, nee Ritz, head on.

The Spark is GM’s global small car that will be sold not only in countries in Asia and Europe, but also become GM’s entry ticket into the growing small car space in North America. And the fact that the Beat concept was chosen from among three after 1.9 million people voted over the Internet means that the Spark is a good looking car. Keeping true to the concept, the Spark retains most of the lines, except that it now gains four doors. If you can’t spot the door handles for the rear doors, don’t worry, it had us stumped too. But as we spotted closer, we realised that the Spark has stolen a design cue from the famous Alfa Romeo 156. The door handles are hidden in the plastic cladding around the C-pillar. Neat indeed. Measuring in at 3640 mm, the Beat is some 75 mm longer than the i10. The new car of course can’t be called cute anymore, as it is rather aggressive and muscular.

On the inside, there are a few design elements that trace it back to the current Spark. Such as the encapsulated speakers on the dashboard or the AC louvers and even the manner in which the central console is designed. What is rather interesting is the way the instrument binnacle has moved from the centre console to the more traditional ‘behind the steering wheel’ position. It looks like it came off a space shuttle, sheathed in silver and a cleverly designed LCD interface. The funky blue centre console dials and the riot of colours make this a fairly lively place to be in. We suspect it will be comfortable too for four adults and their luggage.

Internationally, the Spark will be sold with a variant of the current 1.0-litre four-cylinder petrol that also powers the existing Spark and a new 1.2-litre four-cylinder double overhead petrol that probably traces back its roots to the U-VA mill. No power figures are available just yet, so expect a small bump in power for the 1.0-litre engine from the existing 65 bhp, while the 1.2-litre engine should make about 80-85 bhp. We expect the latter to be the engine of choice so that GM can differentiate between it and the Spark and U-VA. Given how the current Spark is a lightweight city scorcher, the new Spark too should be equally good around town with some ability to cruise on highways.

And cruise it will, but only after GM brings in the Cruze, its Honda Civic/Toyota Corolla competitor, sometime in May-June this year. This will be followed by a new small car before the end of the year, which we guess is nothing but the facelifted U-VA. With Europe being the first recipient of the new Spark in early 2010, we suspect India will be on the launch list of the Beat only by late 2010 or early 2011.

General Motors launches new Chevrolet Captiva

Auto major General Motors India (GM) on Friday launched the automatic version of its Chevrolet Captiva sports utility vehicle (SUV), priced at Rs.2.03 million (ex-showroom Delhi).

The SUV that was first launched in 2008 comes with a common rail diesel powertrain.

"The new Chevrolet Captiva Automatic+ brings superlative comfort and ease of driving combined with unbeatable value, safety, security and luxury to our customers,” GM president and managing director Karl Slym said.

The car features an automatic all-wheel drive (AWD) that GM claims is able to adjust between four-wheel drive and two-wheel drive automatically according to the terrain.

GM to introduce new, fuel-efficienct and bi-fuel cars in India

With the success of its two hatchbacks in the Indian market, General Motors India is set to come out with a third one by the end of the year.

Following the Chevrolet and Spark, the "new Chevrolet Mini will not be a competition to Tata Motors' Nano. We are not in the numbers game. It will be positioned above the Chevrolet U-VA. Pricing will be around that range," said Karl Slym, president and managing director of General Motors India.

Speaking at the launch event of the company's sports utility vehicle (SUV) the Chevrolet Captiva's automatic variant, being at Rs20.3 lakh.

Reports quoted company executives as saying that the Chevrolet Mini would be positioned against Hyundai's recently launched i20.

Initially GM had planned to import the car as a completely knocked down kit into India, though now reports said it would manufacture the vehicle at its Talegaon plant in Maharashtra. The car is expected to hit the market in both petrol and diesel options, and is presently reported to be undergoing the fine tuning process of mapping the product to suit Indian road conditions.

In the premium segment, the Chevrolet Cruz would make its début sometime around the middle of 2009, providing some competition to the likes of Honda's Accord and Toyota's Camry. GM said that a one-week planned shut down at its Halol plant in December 2008 was to allow it to outfit the assembly lines to manufacture the Chevrolet Cruz.

Starting this year, General Motors India will also start offering bi-fuel cars that run on CNG or LPG as well as petrol. In the US, the Captiva has a hydrogen fuel variant. Slym attributed the lack of infrastructure as the reason the company has not introduced thye hydrogen-fuel car here in India.

GM would launch an LPG-powered car sometime during the first half of the year, Slym said, while adding that it would be followed by other LPG vehicles.

GM India already has the its current sedan, the Chevrolet Optra, available in the CNG variant, and the company would look at a similar course of action for its entry level sedan, the Chevrolet Aveo.

Slym said that GM's strategy has been to first come out with "high fuel efficiency in all our vehicles". "Then we will be introducing vehicles powered by (alternative) fuels like CNG and LPG, besides having different power-trains and different displacements," reports quoted him as saying.

GM is reported to have sold around 65,000 units last year in the domestic market, growing by 10 per cent despite the two per cent drop in growth witnessed by the passenger vehicle industry in 2008.

Reports said that GM's domestic market share notched up a few points from 2.9 per cent in 2007 to 3.4 per cent in 2008. the company is planning to make India its hub for power trains for Asia Pacific, after the completion of the $200 million power train facility at Talegaon in 2010.

GM launches new Chevrolet Aveo U-VA

The engineering centre of General Motors India here is fast becoming a ‘power train hub’ for the entire Asia Pacific operations of the company, GM President and Managing Director Karl Slym said here on Friday. The Bangalore centre has 1,600 staff and 100 of them are engaged in research and development, he said.

Speaking to reporters at the southern launch of the new Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, he said “no jobs are being cut; in fact we may hire 500 more hands before year-end, some for the Bangalore engineering centre”. The company planned to launch a new small car by the end of 2009, he added.

GM had plans to take the investment in India to $1 billion by 2010 and had invested $500 million so far, Mr. Slym said. The staff at Bangalore dealt with designs that matched consumer preferences and Indian road and driving conditions.

GM India’s new plant at Talegaon near Pune would increase the capacity to 1.40 lakh vehicles annually with additional capacity for making engines, he said. The dealer network was also being expanded to reach 200 by the end of 2008. Vice-President P. Balendran said, “Prices are likely to go up for all GM models by January, by 2-3 per cent.

The festival season discounts cannot continue; our bottomline has taken a hit”. The season, which usually saw a 25-30 per cent increase in sales, grew below 10 per cent this year, he added.

GM invests $200 million in powertrain plant in Maharashtra, seeks to increase market share

General Motors (GM) Corp, which aims to increase its market share to 10 percent by 2010 in India, has announced that it will ramp up its manufacturing facilities by investing more than $200 million in a powertrain plant in Talegaon, Maharashtra.

The facility, expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2010, will have an annual production capacity of 160,000 units that can be expanded to 300,000 units, GM said in a statement.

GM's auto plant in Talegaon is set to be operational this week and around 140,000 vehicles are expected to roll out every year, taking GM's all-India annual capacity to 225,000 vehicles.

The company has a plant in Gujarat from where it makes the Chevrolet-badged Tavera, Optra, Aveo and Spark and a technical center, including a design studio, in Bangalore. It imports the popular sport utility vehicle (SUV) Captiva.

Karl Slym, president and managing director of GM India, said the company is working on the design of its new small car, which it plans to launch in 2009.

The company has plans to roll out the small car from its new plant at Talegaon, Slym said, adding that the small car will be sold in India and exported to other emerging markets.

"The Talegaon engine facility is an important component of GM's global strategy to establish a strong presence in this market. This is just one of a number of investments, totaling more than $1 billion that GM has made over the course of the last few years in emerging markets around the world such as China, Korea, Russia and India," Slym said.

"We cannot remain a global industry leader without a strong presence in the high-growth market of India. The new facility will enable us to continue expanding our product line-up in India," Slym said, adding that the launch of the small car will enable the company "to capture more opportunities in one of the fastest-growing vehicle markets in the world."

The small car will not compete with Tata Motors' Nano, which is being touted as the world's cheapest car with a price tag of $2500.

According to market data, India sold about 1.4 million four-wheelers last year compared to 5 million in China and over 10 million in the US. Annual passenger vehicle sales are forecast to rise to 2 million units by 2010 and Indian car sales are expected to more than quadruple to $145 billion by 2016, with small cars accounting for more than two-thirds of sales.

However, GM is not alone in this emerging small car market. Other automakers have also expressed interest in developing and marketing the small car in India.

With India's middle class population growing in number, several automakers including market leader Maruti Suzuki, South Korean Hyundai Motor Co. and India's Tata Motors have begun focusing on the low-cost small car segment.

In January, Tata Motors launched Nano, which is expected to give stiff competition to Maruti Suzuki's existing line-up of small cars like Maruti 800, Alto, Wagon R and Zen Estilo. Hyundai Motor India Ltd. also came out with its compact car called i10, and plans to launch an upgrade, the i20, later this year.

In May, the Renault-Nissan alliance also announced that it has partnered with Bajaj Motors for launching a low cost car that will rival Nano by 2010-11.

Also entering the small car market is Japan's Toyota and its rival Honda, which have set up their second manufacturing plants in Karnataka and Rajasthan respectively to launch their small cars by 2010 and 2009. US-based Ford Motor Co. and Germany's Volkswagen AG also have shown interest in making small cars in India.

GM’s future now depends on small cars

GENERAL Motors Corp. is known for making top- notch trucks and sport utility vehicles. The company’s survival now hinges on the difficult task of convincing buyers that its upgraded cars are just as good as its trucks and worth some extra cash. That’s essentially the business plan for the reconstituted GM, the one that is trying to make it in a US market where people no longer want $ 42,000 Chevrolet Tahoes that get only 14 miles per gallon ( 5.95 kilometers per litre) in the city. Instead, the revenue to sustain the nearly century- old industrial giant will have to come from cars, which have typically made only hundreds of dollars in profits.

Better cars, and lots of them. The change has come quickly. Faced with high gas prices and a weak economy, GM's sales fell 16 per cent for the first half of the year, with trucks off 21 percent and cars down nearly 9 per cent. GM has lost billions of dollars during the last three years. The company on Tuesday announced a combination of cuts, borrowing and asset sales that would raise $ 15 billion to weather the recent slump in US auto sales and the rapid shift from trucks to cars. Henderson, who concedes that GM has some repair work to do on its car brand image, says the change will have to come one or two models at a time.

It will follow the path of the new Chevrolet Malibu, which saw sales jump 46 percent in the first half of the year and average sale prices rise $ 4,000 over previous Malibu models due to improved quality. “ One product launch does not a success make,” Henderson said. “ It’s how do you build on that? But I think it gave us some confidence that if we get the car right and we get the promotion right, we can make progress and we can actually bring people back to the car.” GM has big plans for cars and car- based crossover vehicles. Nearly every brand, including Cadillac, will be getting a small car soon. Eighteen of the 19 vehicles GM is launching between now and 2010 are cars or crossovers.

One model, the sleek new Chevrolet Cruze due out in 2010, is the replacement for the clunky Chevrolet Cobalt small car. GM plans to power the Cruze with a 1.4- liter turbocharged four- cylinder engine, allowing it to get around 45 miles per gallon ( 19.13 kilometers per liter). Clark said in a statement, “ GM will likely face a sizable cash burn until it gets this part of the equation right.” GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said car prices also will rise because of demand, while truck and SUV prices will likely fall.