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Chevrolet Mi-ray concept hybrid – the future explored

April 4, 2011 at 1:00 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, Concept Cars, International News


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This is the Chevrolet Mi-ray concept, a hybrid roadster developed by the GM Advanced Design Studio in Seoul to celebrate the name’s 100-year heritage as well as showcase future design possibilities for the brand.

The Mi-ray (Korean for ‘future’) draws its inspiration from jet fighters and also pays tribute to Chevrolet’s sports car heritage – it’s small and open like the 1963 Monza SS and light and purposeful like the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder.

The “mid-electric” propulsion system, located primarily behind and beneath the driver, features two front-mounted 15 kW electric motors powered by a 1.6 kWh lithium-ion battery that’s charged through regenerative braking energy; drive capability can be switched from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.


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There’s also a 1.5 litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine, mounted behind the cockpit, which combines with the electric motors and drives the rear wheels, great for those moments when you want to stomp on things. It’s mated to a dual-clutch transmission, and there’s a start-stop system in the mix too.

Carbon fibre and carbon fibre-reinforced plastic features heavily on the exterior, which features racer-style scissor doors for added dramatic flair. Features include LED headlamps with new signature daytime running lamps and front/rear fenders that pay homage to Corvettes of the past. The Mi-ray sits on aluminium-carbon fibre composite, turbine-styled 20-inch wheels in front and 21-inch wheels at the back.

Distinctive retractable flaps provide additional airflow control, while providing access to the charge port on one side and the fuel filler on the other; the charge port also features an external battery charge indicator. Each rear fender contains individual cargo space for the storage of small items.


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The twin cockpit interior contains a mix of brushed aluminium, natural leather, white fabric and liquid metal surfaces. Features include asymmetric seats that flow from the door and ambient lighting which starts from the upper instrument panel and flows into the seat back area. The headrest area follows the exterior form, integrating with an air scarf for open-air driving.

There’s a unique approach to displaying information, using back projection on the instrument panel. Information in front of the driver falls into three visual zones – directly in front is vehicle performance, flanked on the left by range and on the right by navigation and mileage figures, all to eliminate unnecessary visual clutter.


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The centrally located start button is also inspired by jet aircraft – when the button is pressed, the column-mounted retractable meter cluster rises like a jet fighter canopy, and “Interactive Projection” appears on the white surface.

Retractable rearview cameras, which replace traditional rearview mirrors, extend from the side glass electrically. In city driving, the forward-facing camera operates in conjunction with GPS to overlay navigation information with real-time video.

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First image of new Chevrolet Malibu – car debuts in Shanghai

March 31, 2011 at 12:57 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, International News


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The first image of Chevrolet’s all-new mid-sized Malibu sedan has been released ahead of its global reveal next month at the Shanghai Auto Show. The teaser image is of a LTZ version of the upcoming car.

Online fans will be among the first to glimpse the new car when Chevrolet unveils the Malibu on Facebook on Monday April 18, which is timed to coincide with the sedan’s public debut in Shanghai on April 19.

The new Malibu will be the first Chevrolet mid-sized vehicle designed for the global market, and the car will be sold in up to 100 countries around the world. In Australia, wearing a Holden badge, the new car is slated to bridge the gap between the Cruze and the Commodore.

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Chevrolet Sonic hatchback and sedan launched at Detroit!

January 10, 2011 at 7:17 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, General Motors, International News

General Motors has released details and images of the new Aveo that will be unwrapped later at Detroit, just that it’s not called the Aveo, but Sonic. Like the car it replaces, the B-segment Sonic is available in two body styles – five-door hatchback and four-door sedan. Both variants deliver “class-leading rear-seat roominess and cargo space” according to GM. In the US, the subcompact Sonic takes on the Ford Fiesta, Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit.

In America, the Sonic will come with relatively powerful engines for its size. The Ecotec 1.4L turbo (138 hp/200 Nm from 1,850 to 4,900 rpm) and the 135 hp/167 Nm Ecotec 1.8L are also found in big brother Cruze. Three transmissions are available: a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic with the 1.8L and a six-speed manual for the sporty 1.4 turbo.

These modern powerplants come with features such as low-mass hollow-frame cast iron block, DOHC with VVT, chain-driven cams, roller-finger camshaft followers, piston-cooling oil jets and integrated oil cooler, variable-flow oil pump and electronically controlled thermostat. The 1.4′s turbocharger is integrated within the exhaust manifold for reduced weight and greater packaging flexibility.

GM talks about “fun to drive” in the release, mentioning that Corvette engineers tuned the Sonic’s ride and handling. The hardware is par for the class – front MacPherson struts, rear torsion beam, EPS steering, front disc brakes and rear drums are expected.

The body structure is claimed to be among the stiffest in the segment. Sonic’s unique “flat top frame” cradle, for example, assures optimal stiffness in the front chassis portion, while he rear axle is straight without contour for packaging restraints and reduced noise, vibration and harshness. Wheels are as big as 17 inches for the turbo model.

The funky cabin’s highlight is the motorcycle inspired instrument panel, which combines analog with digital displays. The centre stack is typical modern GM; it and the steering wheel will be familiar to Cruze owners. Front “bucket seats” are standard and heated front seats are available along with remote start and sunroof. Connectivity includes OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, USB/Bluetooth and MyChevrolet mobile application. On the safety front, 10 standard air bags, ABS, EBD, brake assist and OnStar with Automatic Crash Response are included.

Production of the Sonic begins later this year in Michigan. GM says that Chevy is the only company building a small car in the US and Sonic will help restore about 1,000 jobs in the metropolitan Detroit area. This could be a big selling point for a US economy that’s still facing issues with unemployment.

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

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Chevrolet Captiva – 5 year warranty and 2 year free service

May 17, 2010 at 4:41 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, Koreans, Local News

Naza is now offering a 5 year (or 175,000km) extended warranty program and a 2 year free service (or 40,000km) package for any Chevrolet Captiva sold between April until June this year. The free service package covers the following items:

  • Engine oil
  • Engine filter
  • Engine coolant
  • Air cleaner
  • Air-conditioner air filter
  • Clutch fluid
  • Spark plug (only applicable to Captiva Gasoline range)
  • Fuel Filter (only applicable to Captiva Diesel range)
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Chevrolet Aveo Sedan illustration leaked!

March 1, 2010 at 5:21 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo

The image you see above is a leaked illustration of the new Chevrolet Aveo Sedan and I must say it looks pretty good, in some kind of Scirocco-Mazda2 hybrid kind of way. It remains an illustration for now, and being an American brand I doubt it’s going to make a debut at Geneva in the next few days.

The Aveo is Chevrolet’s B-segment competitor and right now it is sold in both hatchback and sedan form, although both models don’t really look related to each other, which is a good thing as hatch to sedan transitions don’t exactly come out good most of the time. With this new line-up, Chevrolet has kept the sedan and hatch’s design separate again, which is a good thing. You can see how the hatchback version will look like here. Imagine if they just took that and added a boot to it – it would be disaster.

But they took the other route which is this, and it’s pretty good looking. If you look after the jump you’ll also see some pix of the interior which features a big RPM meter along with a digital speedo. Not sure if these will make it to the production car. The Chevrolet franchise holder right now is Naza. We will probably get this new Aveo as the model it replaces was sold here in Malaysia, but first will come the new Chevrolet Cruze which is long due!

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Chevrolet Aveo 1.4 notchback launched in Malaysia
[Read more...]

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GM sends CFO to help unprofitable Daewoo arm

December 24, 2009 at 10:00 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Chevrolet/Daewoo, International News, Koreans

General Motors Chief Financial Officer Ray Young has been elected to the GM Daewoo Auto & Technology (GMDAT) board of directors with the main aim of steering GM’s Korean outpost to profitability, according to a statement by GMDAT President and CEO Mike Arcamone.

“Ray Young will help drive the change needed at GM Daewoo to make the company profitable in 2010. His depth of knowledge of the global automotive industry and his financial skills will benefit the entire company,” Arcamone said.

The 47-year old Young drew criticism from President Obama’s auto task force for weak leadership leading up to GM’s bankruptcy earlier this year. He will be replaced by Chris Liddell, who was the CFO at Microsoft Corp since 2005.

GM now ownes 70.1% of GMDAT after it invested a further $416 million in October to purchase additional shares offered in an equity rights issue. The Korean outpost is GM’s global design and engineering center for small cars. The Chevrolets that we see here in Malaysia, including the Captiva and still to be launched Cruze, had most of their design work done in GMDAT.

Source

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New 1,000cc Daewoo Matiz Creative unveiled: Korean-badged production Chevrolet Spark

August 22, 2009 at 1:58 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, International News, Koreans

Daewoo Matiz Creative

Here’s another anticipated production car that disappointingly looks like its lost some of its edge on the way from concept to production. The car you see above is the new GM Daewoo Matiz Creative, which under the Chevrolet badge will be known as the Chevrolet Spark. It will go on sale internationally at various different launch dates beginning September. Three equipment level will be available – the Pop, the Jazz and the Groove, and the price tag goes up from US$7,260 up to US$8,035 in that order.

Under the hood is a new 1.0 litre S-TEC II inline-4 engine mated to a 4-speed auto making 69 horses and 92Nm of torque. Despite being a small car, GM gave the car 4 mounts for the engine to improve smoothness instead of some car manufacturers which only supply 3 mounts. A three-cylinder turbodiesel engine will come later.

The petrol engine is rated at being able to travel 17 km per litre, or about 5.9 litres per 100km. GM says the S-TEC II engine features something called Port De-Activation which sounds like the number of valves used are variable – less valves at low revs and all valves used at high revs, though I’m not 100% sure as the press release is not really very technical. The chassis is monocoque and is expected to score 4-stars in Euro NCAP tests.

Look after the jump for two more shots of the new Matiz Creative.
[Read more...]

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Chevrolet Captiva 7-seater SUV updated in Malaysia with new features!

May 25, 2009 at 4:13 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, Koreans, Local News, Videos

Captiva

The Chevrolet Captiva is an interesting and good looking alternative to the regular Honda CR-V and the aging Nissan X-Trail that people usually opt for when they look for an SUV under RM200,000. In fact, the Captiva is Hicom-Chevrolet’s best-seller and it’s refreshing that a company has been offering a turbodiesel variant for people to enjoy diesel power in a more family-friendly format without resorting to driving a pick-up truck.

There are various versions of the 7-seater (third row folds flat) Captiva available and the highlight is the top of the line Captiva Diesel with all-wheel drive. The 2.0 litre engine produces 150 horsepower at 5,000rpm but the really nice thing is it has 320Nm of torque from 2,000rpm for an effortless drive around town, no need to rev the engine to get good momentum.

Even the 2.4L petrol is tuned for very good torque – horsepower is low at 136hp for a 2.4L engine but it is a compromise in order to get 220Nm at only 2,200rpm. Both engines are mated to a 5-speed auto.

Chevrolet Captiva

The Diesel version gets beige leather upholstery as standard, an 8-speaker sound system with MP3, USB and Bluetooth Audio support, ESP stability control with Active Rollover Protection, Hill Descent Control, and Traction Control.

Safety features for all Captivas include dual front airbags, ABS, disc brakes on all wheels and ISOFIX child seat points for the second row, which is something that certain car manufacturers think Malaysians do not know how to use or perhaps do not deserve, but if you don’t have the points in the first place how are people going to learn?

The first 50 customers will also get a holiday package to a resort at Lake Kenyir, a GPS navigation system and a rear view camera which is mounted cleanly on the rear bumper. The GPS map is customised with the locations of Chevrolet dealers nationwide.

Chevrolet Captiva

The following are the prices for the new Captiva. The top of the range is the 2.0L AWD Diesel with beige interior, this is the model with all the goodies and safety features. All prices are OTR with insurance.

Chevrolet Captiva 2.4L AWD Petrol (Beige Interior) RM 150,306.20
Chevrolet Captiva 2.0L AWD Diesel (Beige Interior) RM 161,442.30
Chevrolet Captiva 2.4L AWD Petrol (Grey Interior) RM 151,332.20
Chevrolet Captiva 2.4L FWD Petrol (Grey Interior) RM 143,124.20
Chevrolet Captiva 2.0L FWD Diesel (Grey Interior) RM 150,982.30

There are two accessory packages available for you to add-on. One is the Captiva Sporty Package which includes a Front Bumper Guard, Black Chrome Bezel headlamps, Side Steps, Chrome Wind Deflector and Clear Chrome Rear Lamps for RM 7,700.

The other is the Captiva Elegant Package which includes the Molding Package, Black Chrome Bezel Headlamps, Side Steps, Chrome Wind Deflector and Clear Chrome Rear Lamps for RM 6,800.
[Read more...]

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Chevrolet Lova (Aveo) facelift unveiled in China

May 12, 2009 at 11:37 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet/Daewoo, China, International News, Koreans

Chevrolet has launched the facelifted version of the Chevrolet Aveo Sedan in China. The new notchback sedan Aveo gets the front end and grille from the latest Aveo hatchback. This attempts to bring it closer to a family resemblance to its larger sibling, the C-segment Chevrolet Cruze. The Chevrolet Aveo notchback sedan is also sold in Malaysia in 1.4 litre form for about RM69,888 to RM72,888, last I checked. Look after the jump for a gallery of images, mostly snapped in China, where it is known as the Chevrolet Lova.
[Read more...]

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Chevrolet Cruze set for July 2009 Malaysian launch!

March 29, 2009 at 11:37 am By Paul Tan Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Chevrolet/Daewoo, Koreans

Chevrolet Cruze

The Chevrolet Cruze will hit Malaysian roads in July 2009 and it will be imported from Korea as a CBU model. The Cruze is a C-segment sedan in the same class as the Civic, Corolla Altis and Focus.

Under the hood will be a GM-Opel Powertrain sourced 1.8 litre DOHC unit while in other markets the Cruze is also available with a 1.6 litre ECOTEC. This new 1.8 litre unit replaces the older Holden-based engine that our market’s Optra comes with. The new engine will have DCVCP or Double Continuous Variable Cam Phasing and produce 140hp and 175Nm of torque at 3,800, so that’s quite a torquey mid-range there.

Chevrolet Cruze

What’s most impressive is the Cruze will be a class leader in terms of transmission as it will be equipped with a 6-speed transmission, something that none of its rivals have. The closest is Honda with a 5-speed auto.

The Cruze is generally a rather good looking car and it has a pleasant interior as well. It has been touted over and over that this car together with the upcoming Chevrolet Volt will be the new global car that saves GM. Unlike previous GM C-segment offerings where the Americans got the Cobalt while the rest of the world got the Daewoo-derived Optra, the Cruze is one single model that will serve the global market.

Another new Chevy will come later – the D-segment Chevrolet Epica. Look after the jump to view a full featured high resolution interior & exterior photo gallery of the Cruze and its Daewoo-based version, the Lacetti Premiere.

Related Posts:
New Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Epica set for 2009 debut
Chevrolet Cruze finally launched as the Daewoo Lacetti Premiere
[Read more...]

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