Archive for Chevrolet

Naza’s new Chevrolet distributorship has been made official earlier this week, after it signed a Distributor Sales and Service Agreement with General Motors for the Chevrolet brand here in Malaysia. Naza is now the sole and exclusive authorized distributor, while Cergazam which was previously the temporary ‘custodian’ of the brand will continue on as a dealer.

The dealership network for Chevrolet currently stands at 8 in Malaysia, and Naza plans to increase this to 18 by the end of this year, including 5 Naza-owned dealerships. All outlets will be 3S outlets, which means when you buy your car from the dealership, they will also be able to support your servicing. Certain brands have a mix of 3S dealerships and pure ’sales’ dealerships where you would have to go somewhere else for your servicing needs.

The existing Chevrolet line-up will remain for now, but the first new car to be launched soon will be the Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 with the 6-speed transmission. Naza and GM are also discussing the possibility of CKD operations at Naza’s Gurun plant in Kedah. Naza will also honor the existing warranties of Chevrolet cars sold in Malaysia through the previous incarnation of Chevrolet, a JV between GM and DRB-HICOM.

In other Naza related news, Naza Automall (along the Federal Highway) will be extending its hours from its previous 9am to 7pm hours to new opening hours of 9am to 10pm, an extension of 3 hours past the usual operating hours. So if you’re stuck in the Federal Parking Lot Highway late in the evening you can detour and check out some cars.

In case you’re in the market for a C-segment car in a few months time, here’s a piece of news to remind you that you might have one more option soon!

Chevrolet Singapore is now offering a “Cruze SS” bodykit for Cruze customers, consisting of a front, rear and side skirts, a rear spoiler, 17 inch alloy wheels wrapped with Falken tyres, and illuminated skuff plates.

The Cruze SS kit is priced at SG$4,980 which translates to about RM12,075. The yellow stripes are of course quite clearly milking the appearance of the Camaro in the Transformers franchise, though in the movie Bumblebee is yellow with black stripes.

We’re still waiting for our Cruze. There were plans to launch it here in Malaysia last year but the GM and DRB-HICOM partnership fell through. Things should pick up again once new distributors Naza start operations and it’s only logical that they’ll start their distributorship with the introduction of Chevrolet’s C-segment ‘world car’.

We’ll likely see it with a 1.8 liter normally aspirated engine mated to a 6-speed auto but one can still harbor some hope for a juicy 1.4 liter Ecotec turbo instead?

General Motors’ deal to sell Opel to parts maker Magna might have soured, but the two companies will sit on the same table again – over the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. GM reassigned the contract to Magna when a rival supplier, Germany’s Edscha AG, filed for insolvency, according to sources close to the project. Magna is slated to build the Camaro top at its Bowling Green, Kentucky plant, with fabric from its Mexican operations.

GM put first-year Camaro convertible production at about 20,000 units, which makes it one of the largest North American ragtop contracts alongside the open top Ford Mustang. North American convertible system production is at its lowest point in years. Only 41,380 were built through late November of last year, down from 200,000 four years ago, say industry sources.

Drastic sales declines last year and GM’s bankruptcy forced the automaker to kill several convertible programs, including the Pontiac Solstice, Saturn Sky and Cadillac XLR roadster, so it’s good to hear that the al fresco Camaro is going ahead. Last May, GM spokesman Terry Rhadigan told Automotive News that the Camaro convertible would be ready for production in the first quarter of 2011.

Not too long ago, we reported on a new compact Chevrolet sedan called Sail; it has just been officially introduced in China by Shanghai GM. The Sail differs from previous Chevys sold in China (and the Aveo Sedan/Lova) in that it’s the first passenger car created in China from scratch by a Sino-foreign joint venture. The Sail was developed by Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC), both GM-SAIC joint ventures. GM also announced that the Sail will be exported to other emerging markets.

Five variants are available, with the base model priced around RMB 60,000 (US$8,800). This marks a breakthrough in the under-RMB 70,000 (US$10,300) small car segment, where Chinese brands have traditionally been dominant. Dual air bags, a retractable steering column and ABS with EBD are standard. The higher spec models come with a sunroof and power retractable side mirrors.

For more technical info, click here to read our previous post. Official images after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Export plans confirmed for China-designed Chevrolet Sail compact sedan

The Chevrolet Cruze is GM’s global C-segment car that will serve markets as diverse as North America and China. We previously gave a short test drive account of the Chinese spec Cruze, which can be had with a 115 bhp/150 Nm 1.6-litre or a 140 bhp/177 Nm 1.8-litre. The latter is the base engine for the US market, whch will get GM’s 1.4-litre Ecotec turbo engine with 138 bhp and 200 Nm of torque. Besides better performance, this variant has a range of over 800 km. Both manual and auto ‘boxes are six speeders.

The North American Cruze will be built in Lordstown, Ohio. It comes with an equipment list that’s alien to Cruze buyers in Asia. Heated leather seats, ten airbags (including knee airbags), electronic stability control with rollover sensing, Bluetooth, USB, navigation system, XM Satellite Radio and OnStar are all standard.

Chevy focuses a lot on quality and refinement in its press documents. It claims that the Cruze’s panel gap tolerances are among the best in the class. Hydraulic ride bushings and an isolated engine cradle reduce vibration, while 18 distinctive acoustical treatments reduce noise.

Click here for our brief drive experience of the Chevy Cruze in China.

Damn, this Aveo RS destined for the Detroit floors when it opens in the USA our time tonight is pretty good looking, and its has a suitably equipped powertrain as well.

The Aveo usually has to make do with mundane engines putting out just over a 100 horses but for this Aveo RS, it gets a turbocharged 1.4 liter Ecotec engine making 138 horses and 200Nm of torque, the equivalent of a 2.0 liter normally aspirated engine. It’s mated to a 6-speed manual transmission in this car.

The reason GM developed the Aveo RS is so that it could show that it’s possible for B-segment cars to look good and convey excitement. Americans do not historically touch (relatively) tiny cars like these unless they absolutely have to, but these days even Detroit are pushing small cars, like this new Aveo and the new Ford Fiesta which was just launched in the US not too long ago.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the Aveo RS.

Click here to read the rest of Detroit 2010: Chevrolet Aveo RS Show Car

GM has launched the Chevrolet Beat in India ahead of the Delhi Motor Show. Production started mid-December 2009 at GM’s Talegaon plant, which will export 20% of its output by the end of this year. India is one of the first few markets to get the Beat; it’s not yet launched in Europe and North America, where it will replace the Daewoo Matiz based Spark and take over that nameplate. The Beat will be sold alongside the old Spark in India.

The Beat is powered by a 1.2-litre S-TEC II twin-cam with 79 bhp, capable of 18.6 km/l fuel consumption. The engine features what GM calls PDA (Port De-Activation) which ensures high exhaust gas recirculation for combustion stability at low speeds, improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. The sole transmission is a five-speed manual, but an auto ‘box and diesel engine is on the way.

GM says that the Beat’s body is the stiffest and toughest in its segment with 66.5% high-strength steel and over 16% ultra-high-strength steel. With this, it expects a good EuroNCAP rating. Two airbags, ABS and EBD are options in the top LT spec, but climate control, integrated audio with USB and AUX-in, steering column mounted LED back-lit speedo and LCD digital rev counter are standard. Roof rails are also included.

The Beat carries Chevrolet’s design language which appeared in the Cruze. It’s a five-door hatch, but looks like a three-door because the rear door handles are hidden in the C-pillars. Looks familiar? The Beat, in concept form, starred as Skidz in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

More pictures after the jump!

Click here to read the rest of Chevrolet Beat unveiled ahead of Delhi show

The Naza Group has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with General Motors to be the official distributor of Chevrolet cars and parts in Malaysia. The MoU was signed by Naza Group joint executive chairman SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin and General Motors Southeast Asia Operations and Chevrolet Sales Thailand President Steve Carlisle.

“This is part of the group’s on-going efforts to continuously look out for viable business opportunities with foreign partners to complement and consolidate our automobile sales portfolio,” the conglomerate said.

This expected announcement confirms longstanding rumours linking the two parties which started even before GM and DRB-HICOM officially parted ways. We will deliver updates as it becomes available.

It was quite an open secret that Naza was looking to take over custody of the Chevrolet brand in Malaysia, even before the official break up announcement by DRB-HICOM and GM. So a Starbiz report saying that Naza and GM are in talks for the exclusive distribution of Chevy comes as no surprise.

Although the report, which quotes an unnamed “industry source” said that GM is in talks with several parties, it didn’t mention any local company besides Naza. According to the source, Naza and GM will make an announcement by the second week of January.

In the meantime, GM is counting on dealer Cergazam Sdn Bhd to manage the franchise until a new partner comes on board.

Naza taking on Chevrolet in its stable will be quite interesting as it already handles one of Chevy’s big rivals in Kia, and we can imagine that one of the big topics on the discussion table with GM will be how Naza will manage this situation.

After long standing rumours, DRB-HICOM has finally announced its break up with the Chevrolet marque in Malaysia. The statement said that DRB and General Motors Asia Pacific have mutually agreed to discontinue their existing joint venture agreement to import and distribute Chevrolet vehicles from Jan 1, 2010.

This will see the winding down of joint venture company HICOM-Chevrolet Sdn Bhd, which was founded in August 2007. GM and DRB-HICOM hold 51 per cent and 49 per cent stake in the JV, respectively. DRB-HICOM, through its subsidiary DRB-HICOM Auto Solutions, was reponsible for the importation of the vehicles into Malaysia while GM was in charge of the management and operations of the business.

The identity of GM’s new partner is almost an open secret by now, and we expect a formal announcement by the parties involved soon. This constant changing of hands doesn’t bode well for the Chevrolet marque in Malaysia; customer confidence will take a battering and current owners won’t be too happy with this news at all.

This is the Chevrolet Sail, a B-segment sedan just introduced in China. We’re not too sure about its positioning, whether as an eventual replacement for the Chevy Lova (Aveo Sedan) which had a facelift in May, or to be sold alongside the booted Aveo. But while the Aveo is a global GM product, this Sail is said to be Shanghai GM’s “first own brand vehicle” with the Chinese holding intellectual property rights. Shanghai GM is a joint venture between GM and SAIC.

The Sail measures 4249mm and has a wheelbase of 2465mm, which means it’s slightly smaller than the Aveo Sedan (4310mm/2480mm). The overall shape looks more modern and dynamic though, but those front bumpers remind us of the Honda City’s.

The Sail is powered by either a 87 bhp/115 Nm 1.2-litre or 103 bhp/131 Nm 1.4-litre engine. Both are chain driven DOHC 16-valve units but only the bigger motor comes with Chevy’s variable geometry intake system, VGIS. Besides the standard manual ‘box, a five-speed AMT gearbox can be specified. Equipment includes a sunroof and power retractable wing mirrors.

More pictures after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of B-segment Chevrolet Sail launched in China

The Chevy Camaro is one of the most desirable (and well known) American cars on sale now, and the genius who penned its exterior design has left General Motors – to join Volkswagen. South Korean born Sangyup Lee has recently resigned from General Motors to be Chief Designer of Exterior at the Volkswagen/Audi Advanced studio in Santa Monica, California.

Lee leaves after 10 years at GM. Besides designing Bumblebee, his work also included the 50th Anniversary Stingray concept and had a hand in the C6 Corvette. Lee’s tenure included several international postings such as the Camaro production program for Holden Australia; a joint venture program for Subaru and GM in Japan; and a project between Bertone and GM in Italy where he developed the 2004 Buick Velite Concept car. The Velite project established the signature look of current Buick products.

With this, can we now expect bold, chunky and muscular designs to come out from VW/Audi’s US studio?

Source

Fulfilling its role as a global car for General Motors, the Chevrolet Cruze will get its US debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, open to public on 4th December. The Cruze is GM’s ‘one plug for all sockets’ car; it’s already on sale in Europe and China and it’s designed to replace various products within the GM umbrella – from our Korean sourced Optra to the US market Chevy Cobalt.

The North American market Cruze will be built in Ohio, USA, but the C-segment rival to the Civic and Corolla is essentially the same car as what we’re supposed to have got back in July. The 1.8-litre ECOTEC four-cylinder is the base engine for the US (with 136bhp and 167Nm, Asian variant rated at 140bhp/177Nm) but there’s a 1.4-litre ECOTEC turbo with 138bhp and 200Nm of torque peaking below 2000rpm – proof that even the Americans are now on the downsizing wagon. Chevy claims that with this engine, the Cruze will be able to cruise for over 800km with its 57-litre tank.

The US will get two six-speed transmission options – manual or tiptronic auto. For the Cruze bound for ASEAN, you’ll need to choose the automatic to have six ratios, which is a class first.

The sharply styled Cruze is also sized to compete. It is about the same length as a Civic but wider and taller, and its 2685mm wheelbase is just shy of the Honda’s class leading 2700mm. It sits on GM’s new Delta II platform that also underpins the new Opel Astra, with MacPherson struts up front and a rear torsion beam suspension.

Personally, I think that the Cruze’s interior will be a major selling point in the showrooms. I had the privilege to test drive the Cruze earlier this year at the Shanghai Motor Show (where GM put on a grand show) and loved the cosy wraparound cabin which has a sense of specialness about it, rare in a humdrum family saloon. The dashboard is in the ‘dual-cockpit’ style which GM is adopting for all their new-generation models and it’s easy to see the link between this cabin and the latest Opels. A particularly nice touch is the swathe of fabric (or leather) across the passenger side of the dash. The instruments do more for style than legibility, though.

We were confined to a short route in a public park (with dodging gardeners and mini tractors) so this is just an initial impression. The Cruze imparts a solid and rigid feel missing in its Japanese rivals; this plus the substantial weighting of the steering and controls makes for a believable Continental experience. The Cruze’s slightly soft gait should also translate to comfortable long distance cruising. What about the six-speed ‘box? No doubt, it’ll benefit highway economy but it’s not a match for the sharpeness and speed of the Civic’s five speeder; it’s more of the smooth, slurry type. The manual was nice though, with positive shift action and a light clutch.

Our part of the world doesn’t get the 1.4 turbo, so it’s either the 1.8 or a 115bhp/150Nm 1.6-litre. The smaller engine is noticeably slower but somehow more pleasant than the 1.8; it emits less buzz and is smoother revving, just remember not to traffic light drag with the bodykitted Vios beside you!

It’s hard for the likes of Chevrolet to compete against the Japanese strongmen in Malaysia when everyone is already set on buying a Honda/Toyota/Nissan, but at least a good, modern product like the Cruze will give them a fighting chance. But it seems like HICOM-Chevrolet is reluctant to get down on the field to play!

More pics after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of US market Chevrolet Cruze gets 1.4 ECOTEC turbo – plus our initial driving impressions

Chevrolet has developed a new Chevrolet Caprice PPV for the US market, and as indicated by its PPV suffix (Police Patrol Vehicle) it will be police-only. The new Caprice PPV is based on the GM Zeta platform which is shared between its large vehicles like the Camaro, and in long wheelbase form, the Holden Statesman. The Caprice has the same 3,010mm long wheelbase as the Statesman.

Under the hood is a massive 355 horsepower 6.0 liter V8 that can take the cop car from 0 to 100km/h in under 6 seconds. A smaller V6 engine will be offered later. The transmission used is a 6-speed automatic. The front seats are sculpted to “pocket” the officer’s equipment belt (worn on the waist), which greatly increases the comfort for a great range of police officer sizes. The foam density of the seatback and cushion insert surfaces are designed to conform to the shape of an equipment belt’s various items, too, allowing the officer’s back to rest properly on the seatback surface.

Feedback was obtained from the police force during the development process. “The new Chevrolet Caprice police car is the right tool at the right time for law enforcement. We asked for a lot of feedback from our police customers, which helped us develop a vehicle that is superior to the Crown Victoria in key areas,” said Jim Campbell, general manager for GM Fleet and Commercial Operations.

I’m not sure how hard exactly that can be considering how old the Crown Victoria is (over a decade)! Now I wonder what happened to the Carbon Motors E7…

Click here to read the rest of Chevrolet Caprice police car returns to the US!

This is the new Chevrolet Agile, a product that GM designed for the South American market. The Agile’s development was done by GM Mercosur located in Sao Paulo, Brazil at a cost of US$400 million. Target markets include Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay so I don’t think we can expect the Agile to reach our country anytime soon, at least not in this form. There’s some word that a variation of this car will end up launched as the new Aveo though. The Agile is based on the same platform as the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa D and has a wheelbase of 2,510mm, putting it in competition with cars such as the Fiesta and the Polo. A few engines will be available ranging from a 105hp 1.4 liter up to a 129hp 1.8 liter engine.