Advertisement

Chevrolet to offer 2.4 twin-turbo V6 in IndyCar

November 15, 2010 at 1:27 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, International News, Motorsports

The IndyCar series in the US will be a two-engine affair in 2012 when GM Chevrolet joins Honda as engine suppliers to the series. Chevrolet will be offering a 2.4 litre twin-turbocharged direct injection all-aluminium V6 to the series, powered by E85 ethanol. Honda has been the sole supplier since 2006.

“This engine program will be a showcase for the efficient and powerful engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover,” said Chris Perry, head of Chevrolet marketing.

The first team to commit to competing in IndyCar using the new Chevrolet engine is Team Penske. All entrants will be open to use the new Chevrolet engine option.

4 Comments      

Chevrolet Camaro Convertible previewed on Facebook

November 12, 2010 at 10:04 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, International News

The long awaited Chevrolet Camaro Convertible is due for an early 2011 launch, but instead of doing the usual teasers, Chevy has given the world a first view of the full car via Facebook. The page is called the Camaro Den. The open top Camaro will be getting its proper debut at next week’s LA Auto Show and sales will start in the first quarter of next year.

The rag top (sorry, no folding metal roof) will come in 3.6L direct injection V6 and 6.2L V8 engines at launch; the smaller engined RS with 312 hp and the range topping SS with 426 horses. A six-speed manual transmission will be standard on the RWD Camaro, with a six-speed auto on option.

Pics after the jump.
[Read more...]

5 Comments      


Shanghai GM starts exporting Chevrolet New Sail to Chile

October 25, 2010 at 3:27 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors, International News

chevy new sail

As mentioned earlier in the year, General Motors had export plans for its Chinese-made Chevrolet New Sail sedan. Now, the New Sail has set off for Chile, according to reports, though no details are available to the numbers being shipped or what the specification levels are for the vehicles bound for the Chilean market.

The previous Sail (essentially, an Opel Corsa B) had also been exported to Chile – the Chinese-made four-door sedan version of the car began selling there as the Chevrolet Corsa Plus in late 2006.

Shanghai GM, General Motors’ joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industrial Corp (SAIC), said it had plans to expand the export of the vehicle to other markets in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. Domestically, it has sold around 90,000 units of the New Sail in China since its market introduction in January.

7 Comments      

Paris 2010: Chevrolet is the busiest GM brand in Paris – Aveo, Orlando and Cruze hatchback get world debuts

October 5, 2010 at 6:28 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors

Chevrolet was easily the busiest GM brand in Paris with the world debuts of three models – the Cruze hatchback, Orlando MPV and the Aveo supermini. The former is Chevy’s attempt to swim with the big boys in Europe, where C-segment hatchbacks are favoured over sedans.

“Hatchbacks play a critical role in many markets. The total compact segment in Europe represents around 4.8 million units which is over a quarter of the total market, with hatchbacks representing around 65% of that volume. We therefore expect to see increased business in a number of regions, while sending out a signal that Chevrolet is now a serious mainstream player in Europe,” said Wayne Brannon, MD of Chevrolet Europe.

The official pics released before Paris didn’t show the Cruze hatch’s interior. We now know that it’s identical to the saloon’s, save for nicer seats that sport body colour design. The hatch will have 60/40 split fold seats and a 400-litre boot capacity. This Holden designed five-door will be sold in Europe from mid 2011.

Moving one segment down, the new Aveo carries over much of the Aveo RS show car’s (from Detroit 2010) looks including the huge headlamps, oversized grille and rear door handles that are hidden in the C pillars. This car is longer and wider than the current model. A sedan version will be launched alongside this five-door next year in Europe.

There are three petrol engines – a 1.2L (70 hp and 86 hp), 1.4L (100 hp) and a 1.6L with 115 hp. Europe will also get a 1.3-litre diesel (75 hp or 95 hp) featuring Start/Stop tech. Chevy’s 6-speed auto is an option on the 1.4 and 1.6.

Two years ago in Paris, Chevy showed off the Orlando Concept, this year the production model is displayed. While the lines and edges aren’t as sharp as the original concept, the Orlando is still unique in the class for having a square, butch shape which Chevy describes as “crossover style design”. The seven seater MPV has theater style seating and a “dual cockpit” dash design as seen on the Cruze. It will also share drivetrains with the C-segment car.

These are all global cars designed for markets as diverse as Europe and the developing BRIC nations, and should find their way here someday. Live gallery after the jump. Do you like what you see?
[Read more...]

26 Comments      

Chevrolet to kick-start 201hp electric Cruze demo fleet

September 21, 2010 at 1:13 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

Chevrolet wants a piece of the EV action, as they have recently announced their plans of building a demonstration fleet of electrified Chevrolet Cruzes towards the end of October. Powering the Cruze EV will be a 150kw/201hp electric motor with a 31-kWh battery that is mounted under the body. This accelerates the EV to 100km/h in a not-too-bad 8.2 seconds, going on to reach a top speed of 165km/h.

The car will have a range of 160 kilometers and it can be recharged using a standard 220-volt socket in 8 to 10 hours. There will also be an option of a “quick charge” system, but this is one of those things that are in the development phase. Testing and development will begin in Seoul, South Korea before moving on to other markets. Demo vehicles will use Daewoo Lacetti and Chevrolet Cruze bodies, which will collect data on things like real world driving and the public’s acceptance on electric vehicles.

General Motors’ Cruze EV project is a joint-venture with GM Daewoo, LG Chem and LG Electronics. LG Chem will supply the batteries while LG Electronics are responsible for the electric motors and inverters. GM has previously worked with LG Chem before in the development of the Chevrolet Volt in 2008. Hopefully this project will be more successful than the Volt hybrid project that suffered changes, increasing the car’s fuel consumption.

“Although there is much more work to be done, our ability to develop this vehicle in less than a year offers a peek at the very promising plans we have for our customers in Korea and around the world,” said Mike Arcamone, GM Daewoo President and CEO.

A set of hi-res pictures are available after the jump.
[Read more...]

9 Comments      

Chevrolet reveal interior images of its Paris lineup

September 18, 2010 at 10:39 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, International News

We’ve gotten a hold of some interior pictures of the Chevrolet line up ahead of the Paris Motor Show. Most notable is the 2012 Aveo interior, which gets new instrument clusters, gauges and central stack design. Compared to the Aveo RS concept, it’s more sedate and looks to be the biggest change inside, for most of the Paris line up.

The Cruze hatchback that was recently previewed doesn’t get much change on the inside and is similar to the sedan version. It does seem to sport a slightly altered seat design.

Third on the list is the Chevrolet Orlando MPV. As you can tell, it borrows slightly from the the Cruze sedan, while the dash looks similar to the concept cars original layout.

Next on the list of interior reveals is the Chevrolet Captiva SUV, which doesn’t look very different from the previous model. Changes on the inside are less obvious like the electrical parking brake, Bluetooth connectivity, USB port, Aux-in and two 1 litre cup holder where the hand brake used to be.

More pictures of the cars are available after the jump.
[Read more...]

10 Comments      

New drivetrains for facelifted Chevrolet Captiva

September 14, 2010 at 3:50 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors, International News

It was something waiting to happen. The Chevrolet Captiva SUV has been given a facelift that incorporates Chevy’s new family look, as seen on recent products like the Cruze, Beat and Orlando MPV. It will be shown in the metal at Chevrolet’s stand at the Paris show, alongside three other undisclosed world debuts.

It’s not just grafting on huge nostrils, but the Captiva features reshaped “prism style” headlamps and front bumpers as well. The bonnet is new too, and the wing mirror indicators are now LED items. The air vents on the profile assume a smaller and sharper form and the wheel design is new. What do you think of this new look?

GM’s Honda CR-V rival gets three new engines in Europe – one 2.4L petrol and two 2.2L turbodiesels. The common rail oil burner can be had in 163 or 184 hp outputs, while the 2.4-litre DOHC gasoline unit with VVT has 171 hp. These can be had with new 6-speed manual or auto transmissions. As a recap, our Malaysian spec Captiva comes with a 150 hp 2.0 VCDi engine or a 136 hp 2.4-litre petrol – both with a 5-speed auto.

The Captiva’s cabin design is rather dated, but this facelift promises current Chevy cues such as ice-blue back lighting and a dual-cockpit look. There are also new finishes and textures including new seat fabrics and interior appointments. European customers can order a touch-screen navigation system with rear view camera.

More pics after the jump.
[Read more...]

37 Comments      

2012 Chevrolet Aveo – with pictures and details

September 11, 2010 at 4:23 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, International News

We previously had a clue to the new Aveo’s design with the helped of 3D patent renderings that were leaked a few months ago. Chevrolet has now released full details of the car and images to go along with it. The new Aveo is bigger in size than the previous model. A redesigned front end has been worked into the equation along with a new bumper and hidden rear door handles.

Structurally, the Aveo uses a tight body frame integral (BFI) structure offering more rigidity. Inside, the Aveo is said to contain multiple storage space that is coupled with quality materials used in the interior.

Under the hood, customers will have the option of petrol or diesel engines. This is made out of a 70hp and 86hp 1.2 litre, a 100hp 1.4 litre as well as a 115hp 1.6 litre. The diesel engine will consist of a 75hp 1.3 litre engine or a slightly uprated 95hp version, both of which will come with automatic start-stop technology.

Power will be transferred to the road via a 5 or 6-speed manual, with an option of a 6 speed automatic as well. It will also feature safety such as ABS, Electronic power steering (EPS) and Electronic stability control (ESC). Chevrolet will launch the Aveo hatchback and the sedan variant some time in mid-2011. It will also make an appearance at the Paris Motor Show this year.

Look after the jump for high res pictures.
[Read more...]

54 Comments      

Naza seeks to be regional production hub for GM Chevrolet

September 6, 2010 at 7:27 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors, Local News

Naza, GM’s latest Malaysian partner, is aiming to be much more than just an importer and distributor of Chevrolet cars in the country; the company wants to be the ASEAN production hub for GM. This ambition was revealed by Datuk SM Faisal SM Nasimuddin, joint group executive chairman of the Naza Group.

“GM sees Malaysia as a very strategic market,” he said, adding that the US carmaker wants to turn Malaysia “into a regional hub” for export of certain models (could he be talking about the Chevrolet Cruze?). But to make local assembly viable, one needs numbers and Datuk SM Faisal said that Naza hopes to raise local Chevrolet sales to between 35,000 and 40,000 cars by 2015, before establishing an assembly facility in Malaysia.

“We have to set up a facility. We are exploring how we can become an ASEAN hub,” he added. GM’s regional base is currently in Thailand, where its Rayong plant has been standing since 1996.

In any case, the targeted figures are ambitious for the reborn (in Malaysia) marque, and not many are as optimistic.Ahmad Maghfur Usman, an analyst with OSK Research told AFP: “I think the target of 40,000 units is a bit ambitious. Malaysian buyers still prefer Japanese makes due to their fuel efficiency, quality and better resale value.” Do you agree?

On a separate note, Naza Quest (the subsidiary was formerly called Pavilion Crest) has inked a deal with AmBank that will see the lender become the “official finance provider” for Chevrolet dealers. In the first year, RM50 million will be allocated for this program, which will take care of capital expenditure and working capital financing for authorised Chevrolet dealers. Naza Quest COO Datuk Maruan Mohd Said said that Chevrolet brand will have a total of 21 3S centres by the end of 2010, from the present 11.

Source

41 Comments      

Holden exports Commodore saloon to Brazil as the special edition Chevrolet Omega Fittipaldi

September 3, 2010 at 2:45 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors, Holden

GM’s Australian arm Holden will resume exports of its big Series II Commodore saloon to Brazil, to be sold as the Chevrolet Omega in the South American country from November this year. This niche-volume program marks the return of Holden exports to Brazil which ran from 1998 with the VT-based Chevrolet Omega till 2008.

Holden will ship over 600 units of the Chevrolet Omega, which will be represented in Brazil by racing icon Emerson Fittipaldi. The special edition car will be called Omega Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi was the F1 champion in 1972 and 1974 with Lotus and McLaren, before switching to IndyCar racing in the US, where he won the Indianapolis 500 in 1989 and 1993 and the IndyCar drivers’ championship in 1989.

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Brazilian’s first F1 victory (Watkins Glen, USA on 4 October). Since retiring from racing he has become a strong advocate and an investor in ethanol production in Brazil. To sell in Brazil, a car needs to be flex fuel compliant, and the Omega will be powered by Holden’s locally-built 3.6 litre SIDI V6 engine initially capable of running on blends of up to 25 per cent ethanol.

Holden Chairman and MD Mike Devereux said this development is a step in the recovery process after the challenges of the financial crisis. “We’re really pleased to work with Chevrolet Brazil and to rebuild targeted export programs which add value to Holden’s domestic business. Holden’s Chevrolet Omega program for Brazil shows that niche export opportunities are beginning to emerge as we recover from the challenges of the global financial crisis.”

Full specs will be revealed in October at the 26th International São Paulo Auto Show, where the Omega Fittipaldi will make its public debut. More pics after the jump.
[Read more...]

9 Comments