subject: After New Captiva And Cruze, Spark, Sail And Enjoy Lined Up For Launch [print this page] Sluggish sales have not stopped car makers in India from bringing reworked versions of their existing cars and new models to India. One such car maker is the Indian arm of the American auto major, General Motors. General Motors sells its cars in India under the badge of Chevrolet, the company stated 2012 with the launch of Chevrolet Tavera Neo 3 which was rolled out in the month of March.
New Chevrolet Captiva
At the launch Chevrolet hinted at the launch of new Captiva which then was slated for April. However, the launch got deferred due to some reason and the company sprang surprise by slipping in the new avatar of Captiva on June 26th. The new Captiva 2.2 AT AWD has been launched with a price tag of Rs 24.59 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). While the base models, 2.0 litre MT and the Xtreme versions come equipped with the same 2.0 litre engine with prices unchanged.
The premium SUV was already popular in the domestic market and possessed fine looks, therefore GM India did not make many changes in that department. Prominent changes are made on the front fascia which includes a fresh bumper, reworked headlamps and the double decker grille. However, scanty changes have been made to the rear in the form of slightly changed tail lamps. The most preeminent change has been made in the motor of the new Captiva, which is now powered with a mightier 2.2 litre mill that grunts 186.5 PS and a huge 424 Nm of torque which is way too high that the previous 150 PS and 320 Nm. Apart from this the SUV is equipped with 6 airbags and four channel ABS with brake assist-equipped discs, making it a safer car to drive.
New Chevrolet Cruze
Another facelift that landed in the domestic market from GM India"s stable is the refreshed version of Chevrolet Cruze premium sedan. Just like the new Captiva, Cruze too has been bestowed with a studier motor. Under the hood lies a more powerful 1998cc mill that pushes out an improved power of 163bhp and an enhanced torque of 360Nm. The tweaked 2.0 litre VCDi mill returns a mileage of 11 kmpl in city conditions and an improved mileage between 15 to 16 kmpl on highways. The sedan is proffered in both six speed manual and six speed automatic transmissions. The tweaked Cruze is available at a starting price of Rs 13.85 lakh, while the top end version has been placed at Rs 15.67 lakh. Other changes can be seen in the interiors which now flaunt more chic looks. GM India has endowed some new features to the base model which were earlier seen only in the high end version.
Chevrolet Spark
The three launches mentioned above do not sum up GM India"s launch plan for this year. Yet another popular A segment hatchback from GM is all set to go under the knife. Chevrolet Spark hatch is up for a makeover, this retouched version of Spark is expected to be launched by the month of September. Though the car will not see many changes, however the exteriors will take cues from electric Spark. Similarly, interiors of the facelifted Spark are likely to be inspired from electric Spark. The engine could also be tweaked; the retuned engine is expected to deliver a higher mileage than the current version.
Chevrolet Sail
After spawning facelifts, the company is all set to render the new offerings in the domestic market. Diwali is considered an auspicious occasion and is also the biggest festival celebrated in India. Car sales take a leap during Diwali no matter how bad market conditions are. GM India has planned to launch the new addition in its hatchback segment, Chevrolet Sail before Dusshera-Diwali. Indian customers will get enough options by Diwali to bring home new happiness in the form of Chevy"s new Sail hatch. Anticipated to launch in diesel and petrol engine options, 2012 Chevrolet Sail has been developed by GM"s Chinese partner SAIC. The 1.3 litre diesel mill is expected to run 20 kms a litre while the 1.2 litre petrol mill is likely to return 17 kmpl of mileage.
Chevrolet Enjoy
With every car maker jumping in the MPV segment with a hope to hit the bull"s eye, GM India too is not behind in trying its luck in the most popular segment of domestic market and it will launch Chevrolet Enjoy by the year end. Anticipated low price tag and availability in petrol and diesel variants could make this MPV a popular choice among Indian consumers. The petrol version will be armed with a 1.4 litre motor and the diesel version will have a 1.3 litre motor.
