The Cruze has been launched in the European market and is yet to make its debut in the Indian and the American market. Chevrolet is gearing up for its Cruze launch. The company is buying back its old Opel models to end the stock of its Optra. The Cruze is expected to hit the Indian roads in August-September.
There are two types of Chevrolet. The first, the American ones like the Corvette sports car and Camaro muscle car, are packed with blaring angry V8 engines of at least six litres and have more than 400bhp.
They get through tyres like a politician gets through excuses and they're enormous fun. Trouble is, they're left-hand drive and a bit expensive.
And then there's the other Chevrolets. Modest family cars made in Korea that used to be known as Daewoos.
They don't smoke their tyres unless you take them off and throw them on a bonfire. In fact they don't do anything dramatic except get you from to A to B and not cost you a lot of money in the process.
This is the new Chevrolet Cruze. It replaces the Lacetti, which is the car currently employed as Top Gear's reasonably priced car in which celebrities frighten themselves by trying to drive too fast or through a field. Or a tyre wall.
There's nothing frightening about the Cruze - not least the price. The one we have here is the 1.6i LS which costs £12,595 and apart from the S, which is around 500 quid less, it's the cheapest Cruze that you can buy.
That makes the new Chevrolet almost £2,500 cheaper than the most basic five-door Ford Focus. So in fact the Cruze is a very reasonably priced car.
It is also bang up-to-date because underneath the neither ugly or beautiful (but far better-looking than the bland Lacetti) body is the chassis for the next Vauxhall Astra.
That means lots of safety and strength. The body even passes an American rollover test, but hopefully you will never have to prove that ability.
Inside there's lots of space especially in the back - though tall rear-seat passengers will be short of hat room.
General Motors has announced that it will launch a new hatch, the all-new Chevrolet Agile for the South American market. The company claims that the Chevrolet Agile is a “compact, versatile car with great design”.
The Agile was developed entirely in Brazil, and production will be at GM’s manufacturing center in Rosary, Argentina. A few sketches of the new compact five-door car was released.
The Agile has been designed with practicality and comfort with a fun-to-drive character. The Agile will have a wheelbase just over 98 inches and will be powered by a 105-hp 1.4-liter engine or a 129-hp 1.8-liter engine as choices.
The Chevrolet Agile is the first vehicle of the Live platform, developed fully in the GM Design Center Mercosur. The Agile will compete with the 2010 Ford Fiesta.
The cute little Chevrolet Spark will make its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show and it is expected to hit European showrooms by end of the year. The production Spark, in a 5-door design measures 3,640 mm in length with a 2,375 mm wheelbase and should feature two DOHC engine choices including a 1.0 liter as well as a 1.2 liter unit which promises to deliver excellent fuel efficiency.
Continue reading to view two more images and to watch a video which showcases GM’s Design Director walking viewers around the exterior and interior design of the Spark.
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| This car is a blast that you would probably mistake for a high-line German or Japanese car when driving. -Photo © General Motors Corp. |
US-based auto maker General Motors, has released official sketches of its upcoming 2010 Chevrolet Agile. From the sketches, we do know that the Agile would be a 5-door super mini. The 2010 Chevrolet Agile is being developed by the auto maker’s South American division, for countries from the region.
Production of the Agile will initiate by fall at General Motors’ Rosario plant in Argentina. It is then expected to hit the showrooms by end of the year. The Agile will utilize the auto maker’s new Viva platform, but we are unsure about powerplant options. However, it is safe to expect low-displacement 4-cylinder engines. We are also not sure if the Agile will be sold in other markets. Continue reading to view more sketches of the Agile.
NEW FOR 2010:
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- Standard head curtain airbags on all models
- Pioneer seven-speaker system and USB interface stereo standard on LT 1SB and SS models
- SS model adds standard sunroof
- Revised Cashmere interior colour scheme
- Available rear vision camera
- Exterior colours: Ice White, Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat and Cyber Grey Metallic added
For 2010, the Chevrolet HHR receives curtain airbags on all its models, while new trim items are added: an upgraded stereo on LT 1SB and SS models, a standard sunroof on the SS, and as a mid-interim addition, a rear vision backup camera will be available.
Sold in LS, 1LT, 2LT and SS trim, the HHR comes as a conventional five-passenger vehicle, called the "Utility", or as the Panel, with solid rear metal panels and a full cargo area instead of a rear seat. A window delete package also allows for the "best of both", with windows for the second row, but with the rear quarter windows deleted for more of a custom car look.
Both the LS and 1LT use a 2.2-litre four-cylinder engine; the 1LT can be optioned with a 2.4-litre four-cylinder that's the only choice on the 2LT. Both engines use a five-speed manual transmission or optional four-speed automatic. The SS models use a turbocharged and intercooled 2.0-litre four-cylinder with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic.
Features on the LS models include 16-inch steel wheels, air conditioning, power mirrors, running boards, variable intermittent wipers, fixed intermittent rear wiper, cruise control, floor mats, driver information centre, tilt wheel, power windows with driver's side express-down, cloth bucket seats, fold-flat front passenger seat, CD stereo with auxiliary input, theft alarm, and power locks with keyless entry. Regular models include a 60/40 split-folding rear seat, while the Panel includes a full-length rubber floor covering and locking under-floor storage bins.
The LT adds 16-inch painted steel wheels, eight-way power driver's seat, and CD/MP3 stereo with auxiliary input.
The SS adds 18-inch alloy wheels, SS-specific fascias, fog lights, rear spoiler, turbo boost gauge, tire pressure monitoring system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, premium cloth seats with bolsters and UltraLux seat inserts, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, XM satellite radio, four-wheel disc brakes, bright finish exhaust tip, performance suspension, and OnStar.
The program lasts until November 2009, however, the dealership ends the special program once the funds have been reached and the money is going FAST! So hurry in now and take advantage of these great savings! Give us a call at 317-773-1090.
If you want to see whether your vehicle qualifies, check out http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/CarsSearchIntro.shtml now!
To see more of our “clunker inventory” this past weekend, check out our Facebook album “Clunker Gallery” at facebook.com/harechevrolet!
Our customers are trading in all types of clunkers including a 1993 Chevy Astro, 1992 Ford F150, 1997 Chevy Express, 1997 Ford Explorer, 2000 Ford Windstar, 2000 Olds Bravada, and a 2001 Ford Explorer! These customers are trading in their clunkers for 2009 HHR’s, Equinox’s, Malibu’s, and Aveo’s!
Fair, but not entirely accurate.
Yes, the 2010 Chevrolet Equinox, due at dealers within a month, is new. But given the fact the typical development time of a product is three years, this SUV has been on the drawing boards since 2006.
So, what we see this year, or even next year, doesn't really reflect any sort of revised attitude and philosophy from GM or Auburn Hills-based Chrysler.
That said, it's lucky for GM that the 2010 Chevy Equinox is pretty much what the company is promising for the future: nicely designed, well-constructed, competitively priced.
But what you are likely to hear most about the new Equinox is fuel mileage. GM has managed to squeeze an EPA-rated 32 mpg out of the four-cylinder Equinox, which is supposed to account for two-thirds of Equinox sales, with the rest being a V-6.
That 32 mpg beats the Honda CR-V by five miles per gallon, and the 
I've driven the front-wheel-drive, four-cylinder Equinox, base-priced at $22,440, but I spent more time in the all-wheel-drive Equinox LTZ, which has a gutsy 3.0-liter, 264-horsepower V-6. It gets an EPA-rated 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway. This represents the top-of-the-line model, with an optional $3,440 navigation and rear-seat entertainment system, plus other options that raised the list price to a sobering $36,525.
You will be able to get a nice four-cylinder Equinox for less than $25,000 - and even at that price, you'll get six air bags, a six-speed automatic transmission, stability control, anti-lock disc brakes and standard OnStar and XM satellite radio.
The four-cylinder's acceleration is adequate, but the six-speed transmission gets a workout shifting up and down to maximize power.
Inside, even the base Equinox is surprisingly well-appointed.
Rear seats slide forward and aft eight inches - with the seats forward, there's a generous 31.4 cubic feet of cargo room. Road handling is precise, and the ride is smooth.
The Equinox's front styling (above) is rounder and softer than the Terrain's (at left), and, we would argue, better looking, too. As much as we like the brightwork of the GMC's grille, the Chevy's styling appears less forced.
Around the back, the Terrain (below) is once again the bolder of the duo. Oversized wheel arches bulge, perhaps in an attempt to make the SUV look larger and more masculine. The clearest difference between the two here is in the C-pillar. We're not sure which we prefer: the upright C-pillar of the Terrain or the forward-slanted C-pillar on the red Equinox.
You won't find dramatic changes made to either SUV inside. Sure, the color schemes are different and there's a GMC badge on the steering wheel where a Chevy badge rests on the Equinox, but we don't think you could go wrong with either SUV.
So you've seen the photos and read the blog. It's your turn: do you prefer either the Equinox or the Terrain?
Photo order: 2010 Chevrolet Equinox front view, 2010 GMC Terrain front view, 2010 Chevrolet Equinox rear view, 2010 GMC Terrain rear view, 2010 Chevrolet Equinox interior, 2010 GMC Terrain interior
On June 28, 1966, GM held a press conference to announce the launch of the first Camaro. When asked by the press, "What is a Camaro?" Chevrolet product managers responded, "A Camaro is a small, vicious animal that eats Mustangs." Well, I recently got my first drive in the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro and five generations of Camaros later, it appears that vicious animal isn't sated yet.
By now, anyone who has a PC, or a TV, or any other device devoted to the transmission of information, is aware of the fact that GM has brought the Camaro back for another go. Some have even jokingly referred to it as the Cama-roo in deference to the car’s Australian origins.
This is in fact the most international Camaro ever offered. The lead exterior designers on the project are from Korea and Russia, while the interior design director is an American. Cold weather testing took place in Sweden, hot weather testing took place in Death Valley, high performance testing for the SS model took place in Germany around the famed Nurburgring, and the cars are built in Canada.
So, right about now you’re saying; “Yeah, right on for all the cross-cultural, United Nations hyperbole, is the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro a true world-class car?”
Well, uh, no – not really.
It’s really, really good, but it’s not exactly world class.
Now before you start freaking all patriotic and calling me a variety of un-American anal orifices, read on and let me explain.
I tested the Camaro SS with the 426-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 and a six-speed manual transmission. And while this is currently the ultimate iteration of the new Camaro, the volume model is expected to be the V6 version that produces 304 horsepower (and is said to get 29 mpg on the highway!). Unfortunately, the timing of the day didn’t permit me to get behind the wheel of that car. So while I can’t speak to the base model yet, I did become intimately acquainted with the Super Sport.
And in a word, WOW!
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS really goes – and it goes really hard.
Acceleration is crisp and unrelenting and the shifter delivers positive shifts with great feel. You’d have to be extremely ham-fisted to miss a shift in this car. The clutch take-up is absolutely perfect, engaging exactly where you expect it. The pedals could be better placed to permit heel and toe downshifts, but with so much torque on tap, (420 ft-lbs @ 4600 rpm) setting the car into motion requires no finesse whatsoever. Ease off the clutch pedal, the engine takes over and you’re rolling. Plus, terrific acceleration from any speed is readily available, often without even downshifting.
Braking is absolutely first rate, you can dive right up to the braking point for a corner at amazing speeds confident that the brakes will pull the car down in time as you set up your entry and blast through – time and time again – with absolutely no fade. The independent rear suspension system is a willing accomplice in all of this too. It takes a set and carries the car right on through. A tremendous amount of information is transmitted through the seat of your pants. You feel absolutely connected to the Camaro SS at speed. Body roll is negligible, the steering is nicely accurate with reasonably good feel, although truth be told, it could be a tad better. But that isn't to say it's bad.
Whether your thing is brutal acceleration off the line in quest of low 1/4 mile times, long distance straight-line high speeds, wicked sharp corner carving, or any combination of all of the above, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS will play right along with you – no doubt. It's an absolute blast. I really enjoyed driving this car.
So, what’s up with all the ambiguity?
Well, in the press briefing, Chevy’s product managers and product planners took great measures to stress to me they see this new Camaro as more than just a muscle car. They believe it has the chops to go up against cars like the Infiniti G37 coupe and the BMW 3-Series coupe. And while there is no doubt whatsoever the Camaro SS we drove is easily capable of outrunning both of those cars (although not necessarily the BMW M3) the level of sophistication the BMW and Infiniti deliver leaves the Camaro in a bit of a lurch. As good as the Camaro SS is, it doesn't impart the same sense of quality and precision as those cars do.
Part of this is because the Camaro’s interior design falls short compared to those cars.
Case in point, consider the way the broad swath of a dash sweeps away from the driver to the right with absolutely nothing on it, save A/C vents. Meanwhile, a grouping of four gauges reside out of the driver's line of sight, down on the center console ahead of the shift lever – rendering them virtually useless. You have to take your eyes completely off the road to read them, even though there’s more than enough space to place those gauges in the dash to the right of the speedometer and tachometer in that strip above the A/C vents (canted toward the driver) where they'd be useful. Additionally, such placement would add interest to an empty area positively aching for something to do.
Yeah, I get it's supposed to evoke the design of the original car, but the world's learned a lot about ergonomics since 1966 y'all. Things like this just aren't supposed to happen in a modern, world class, driver-focused, GT car. While GM was going all over the world with the Camaro, the company would have done well to get a German engineer to do the interior layout.
Similarly, the pod in the middle of the lower dash containing the audio and climate control switches probably seemed like a great idea when it was being designed and reviewed. But when the car is in motion, it becomes an overly busy amalgamation of closely grouped, similarly shaped, dials and buttons that requires one to shift their attention away from driving to decipher, select, and activate the desired function.
Then there is the question of size.
Photographs don’t reveal how big the Camaro really is. And frankly, neither does viewing the car in isolation. But when you’re behind the wheel of the Camaro on a narrow two-lane road, it comes right home to you – this is a pretty big car. To be honest, it's an issue for both the Challenger and Mustang as well. But if we're asked to judge the Camaro against the G37 and 3-Series Coupe, this is another area in which the Camaro does not deliver in world class fashion. Nor does the Camaro's look exude the understated elegance of those cars.
If GM’s marketers are counting on conquest sales from either of those two marques, I'm afraid they’re in for some disappointment. The Camaro simply isn’t a world-class GT car. To get that from GM in anything other than a Corvette, we're going have to wait for the "V" version of the upcoming CTS coupe. However, all is not bleak. If GM's marketing team chooses to focus their efforts on the Camaro’s real strengths, rather than their flawed beliefs – and shape customer expectations accordingly – the General's looking at a runaway hit.
The Camaro SS is a highly exceptional American pony car. Viewed in that light, the 2010 Camaro is an absolute standout. The Chevy is hands down the best of its breed – period. It’s faster, more agile, and arguably better looking than both Challenger and Mustang. And if they'd set it down a bit lower over its tires and wheels, it'd be even more of a stunner. Plus, Camaro's base V6 has the goods to blow both of those cars’ base V6 engines well back off into the weeds.
Bottom line, if you’re a big fan of the virtues of the classic American performance car, but you also want a car that handles on par with the finest cars from Japan and Europe – man, does GM have a car waiting for you.
General Motors India rolls out an all new LPG version of Chevrolet Spark
The management shakeup at General Motors continues, as the automaker announced today it was appointing Brent Dewar as the vice-president of Chevrolet.
Previously head of GM’s European sales and marketing, the 54 year-old will become responsible for Chevrolet’s global operations on August 1.
Dewar started his GM career in 1978, where he held a number of marketing positions within GM’s Canadian operations. In 1988, he migrated to the U.S, where was a strategic planner with Chevrolet, before he was ultimately appointed as the executive director of sales, service, and marketing in Brazil.
In 2003, Dewar was named as Chevrolet’s general manager—a position not unlike his new appointment. During his tenure, he launched 10 products across 20 months, and helped spawn the “American Revolution” marketing campaign. Dewar was later named vice president of marketing and advertising in North America, before assuming a similar role at GM Europe last year.
Unlike Brian Nesbitt’s unusual promotion, Dewar’s appointment as Chevrolet’s vice-president is more traditional, given his long career in various marketing positions.
Some people are born to be lowrider enthusiasts, while others work to become them, earning their stripes by watching the OGs of this culture show them the heart, style, and design technique that has been passed down for generations of builders and aficionados alike. It is clear that 40-year car club veteran Joe Guerra is one of the former-a born enthusiast, willing to get his hands dirty in order to make a positive impact on the culture. The product of a working class father from Aguas Calientes, Mexico, and a strong mother from the heart of East Los Angeles, Joe "Toro" Guerra was born into a large family, consisting of nine kids and not a lot of money. Growing up in the infamous Los Angeles Ramona Gardens housing projects, Toro was introduced to lowriding at an extremely young age, eventually influencing him to own a few lowrider bikes as he grew as a child. So strong was Joe's interest and love for lowriding that by the tender age of 15, Toro already owned a 1950 Chevy.
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At a time in life when most young boys are interested in youth sports or young girls, Toro was instead fixated only on this '50 Chevy. It sadly remained parked for days at a time, running only on prayers and his own imagination, as he often had little or no funds for gas. Frustrated, Joe decided it was time to take matters into his own hands, and do what he could to make his dreams and love for automobiles a reality. So, at the age of 18, Joe got himself a good job with the Los Angeles Housing Authority. Unfortunately, times were tough and tragedy would strike, as his family was ironically kicked out of the housing projects they lived in by that same unforgiving Los Angeles Housing Authority. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Joe was forced to find other living arrangements. Luck would be on his side, however, and Toro was able to move in with his supportive longtime girlfriend and future wife, Sherri, in the city of Bell Gardens, California. Together with Sherri, Toro began his new life with the renewed confidence and swagger that comes from having a good job, a good woman by his side, and a strong love for custom classics.
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Joe soon found his niche in the lowrider world, noticing his enduring love for the bombs rather than the newer models that had begun to gain in popularity within other car builders' circles. He began the trade that would ultimately define his career-fixing up and selling bombs with his own unique style and passion while using the extra cash he was making to invest in his own personal side projects. Toro's exquisitely designed, turquoise-colored 1953 Chevy Convertible was eye-catching enough to gain him entry into the prestigious Old Memories Car Club back in 1968-a club in which he is a proud member to this day. Joe followed up the '53 with a jaw-dropping arsenal of over 20 additional bombs that he built either for himself or for his fellow car club members. Affectionately known as "The King of Bombs", Toro was on the top of his game until his oldest son, Edward, busted out with his '48 Chevy Bomb nicknamed "Root Beer Float" that was featured in Lowrider Magazine's March '08 issue. His son's feature was such an inspiration for Toro that he decided to build a new project, and engage in a little friendly father-son rivalry and competition.
The new 2010 Chevrolet Suburban is great machine ideal for hauling, commuting, and towing. New for 2010, the Suburban actually comes in five distinct models:
The difference, they say, between men and boys is the size of their toys. How true, and especially so with the 2010 Camaro Transformers Special Edition. It’s a full size replica of the Hasbro toy replicas of the Transformer characters from the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen http://www.transformersmovie.com/, which was inspired by the original Transformer toys. Which, unless you’ve been shopping the in the dolly aisle for the past quarter century (really), are toy vehicles that unfold into robots.
Only in Revenge of the Fallen, one of the good guys is a yellow-with-black-stripes Chevrolet Camaro, a major piece of product placement by General Motors. Not to bore you with the plot of the movie (largely because we haven’t seen it ourselves), however moviegoers told Chevrolet that they wanted a replica of Bumblebee, the unfolding yellow Camaro.
So Chevrolet said, why not?
“Now, they can buy [that replica] with the new Camaro Transformers Special edition,” said Karen Rafferty, Chevrolet product marketing director, continuing unpardonably with “Streets all over North America will be buzzing in no time,”
We know, Ms. Rafferty, it’s part of your job, but really…
Anyway, the Camaro Transformers Special Edition can be ordered in a bright primary yellow, in either V-6-powered LT or V-8-equipped SS versions with the RS appearance package also available.
For a mere $995, the Chevrolet Transformers Special Edition comes with the following:
And just to make sure you know, the Chevrolet made by General Motors does not unfold into a robot like the one from Hasbro toys does. Even the big toys can’t do everything.
Illustration: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Transformer Special Edition copyright General Motors.
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