[bblost]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Chevrolet is notorious for expensive service, and as a result, has extremely bad resale. The quality itself isn't bad, it's just that service centers keep themselves afloat by fleecing the occasional unlucky soul that wanders in.

I don't think so.
I just picked up my Sail Uva from service today and clicked this picture for reference.

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by bblost

I don't think so.
I just picked up my Sail Uva from service today and clicked this picture for reference.
Attachment 1571410

That actually looks quite expensive, especially for a petrol hatch. See the estimated service cost for a Ford Figo, 1 yr/10K kms service. I don't have the entire cost chart, but the 20K service was about 4.4K and the 30K service was 2.7K, all inclusive. Odd services are all around the 2.7K-3K range and the even ones are below 5K.


I speak from the experience of servicing my uncle's Spark, and also a friend's Beat diesel, for which the service costs regularly crossed 7K once the AMC was over.

[bblost]

So Chevy Sail Uva costs 1673 (without labor) V/s 1143 for the Figo.

I don't think a Rs 500 difference is a tipping point for most peole.

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by bblost

So Chevy Sail Uva costs 1673 (without labor) V/s 1143 for the Figo.

I don't think a Rs 500 difference is a tipping point for most peole.

Over a period of 5 years/50000 kms, the total cost is:

Figo Petrol: 15917

U-VA 1.2: 23455

There's a difference of 7538 in the estimated service costs alone. That's an additional 1.5K per year.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Over a period of 5 years/50000 kms, the total cost is:

Figo Petrol: 15917

U-VA 1.2: 23455

There's a difference of 7538 in the estimated service costs alone. That's an additional 1.5K per year.

Thanks and that is exactly my point.
An additional 1.5k per year or about half a tank of petrol.

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by bblost

Thanks and that is exactly my point.
An additional 1.5k per year or less than half a tank of petrol.

The point is, the cost is higher. But I do concede that the estimated cost difference isn't that much. I feel that when you consider that the U-VA doesn't have that many redeeming features to make it a better proposition despite the higher cost of ownership, this is an issue. I've dealt with Chevrolet service before, and service costs have been consistently higher than what has been shown on the board. They seem to find ways to increase the service costs somehow.

The service issue is just one of the points that I mentioned. If you feel that it is irrelevant, sure, let's agree to disagree. . I maintain that Chevrolet is not exactly attractive in terms of maintenance, especially if you don't take the AMC.

There are also other issues, like resale and reliability. We have a fellow bhpian here whose entire engine had to be replaced (under warranty) in a new Chevy Enjoy.

All I'm saying is, simply introducing semi-new products isn't going to work out for Chevrolet. They have to prove that they can deliver consistent quality and value in terms of products and after sales experience.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

There are also other issues, like resale and reliability. We have a fellow bhpian here whose entire engine had to be replaced (under warranty) in a new Chevy Enjoy.

50,000 kms in 3 years of owning my Chevy Sail UVA and these were the issues encountered:

1. Throttle Body had some issue which meant that after a long drive or eing stuck in traffic the rpm will go crazy. Chevy service center cleaned it and the issue went away. It resurfaced on a drive to Chennai from Hyderabad. They replaced the throttle body under warranty in Chennai within a few hours of me taking the car there unannounced.

2. Seatbelt jammed: Replaced under warranty.

3. Front driver side power window had an issue. The window would not come up. Replaced under warranty.

I have had no issues beyond these three.
You can read my full ownership review on team-bhp. It has almost everything about my car.

The car has never let me down and my long drives are usually about 700 kms of nonstop driving. Ok not exactly non-stop because I have to stop for fuel and at that time switch off the car.

[CRtorquefan]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Until Chevrolet comes out with some all-new products, they are never going to take off in India, ever. The Beat was selling well initially, but sales dropped off as soon as people started having to pay for the services, after the 3 year maintenance package expired. Chevrolet is notorious for expensive service, and as a result, has extremely bad resale. The quality itself isn't bad, it's just that service centers keep themselves afloat by fleecing the occasional unlucky soul that wanders in.

However, as Renault has proven, it isn't impossible to break into the value segment if you have a solid product, even if it isn't perfect, as long as you get the pricing and servicing bang on.

Truthfully, I am more excited about the CUV than the Essentia CSedan. The compact sedan segment is currently Dzire's domain, and with the new Dzire on the way, any new player will have their work cut out. It's hard to beat Maruti in this price segment. Half-baked, sub-par products won't cut it, no matter how competitively priced.

I think that it would be a mistake to offer the 1L diesel mill in its current stock form. The Xcent tried a similar strategy, and wasn't able to make waves, because the engine held it back. Unless Chevrolet is aiming for the Taxi segment, they should offer a properly powerful engine. I'm talking at least 75-80PS and 180-190nm. This can be done, as tuners have extracted good performance from this VGT mill after remapping.

I think that the Niva concept looks like a cross between the Ecosport (front) and the old Merc M-Class (C-Pillar). It's an intriguing design, and looks very good from all angles. I hope they do this justice with proper engines and quality.

I was just thinking, that if Chevrolet plonks 1.3 litre, 4-cylinder Smartech Diesel engine from Sail/Enjoy to Essentia compact sedan ! Tight engine space seems to be the constraint here.

Originally Posted by bblost

I don't think so.
I just picked up my Sail Uva from service today and clicked this picture for reference.
Attachment 1571410

Originally Posted by vivekgk

That actually looks quite expensive, especially for a petrol hatch. See the estimated service cost for a Ford Figo, 1 yr/10K kms service. I don't have the entire cost chart, but the 20K service was about 4.4K and the 30K service was 2.7K, all inclusive. Odd services are all around the 2.7K-3K range and the even ones are below 5K.
Attachment 1571411

I speak from the experience of servicing my uncle's Spark, and also a friend's Beat diesel, for which the service costs regularly crossed 7K once the AMC was over.

Guys.
If you're finding the expensive out of Chevrolet & Ford.
Let me add, I'm paying 7-8k for my Odd thousand & 9.5-10k for my even thousand services of my Maruti Suzuki SWIFT DZIRE ZDi.
Who says Maruti Suzuki is cheap or economical to maintain !

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by CRtorquefan

Guys.
If you're finding the expensive out of Chevrolet & Ford.
Let me add, I'm paying 7-8k for my Odd thousand & 9.5-10k for my even thousand services of my Maruti Suzuki SWIFT DZIRE ZDi.
Who says Maruti Suzuki is cheap or economical to maintain !

True. But then yours is a diesel, and it is supposed to be dearer to service. (Though, my Ecosport diesel seems to have roughly the same 'service price promise' rates as the Figo Petrol).

The only car that's cheap to maintain seems to be Toyota, which averages about 2.6K for every service, for Etios and Liva. But then I feel you are paying that extra cost upfront.

I've never bought into the myth of Maruti being cheap to maintain, but if there's one thing to be said for Maruti, it is that overall service experience seems to be good. There's also the option to go to another service center if you're not satisfied with the current one, which isn't the case with many others including Chevrolet, especially in the smaller towns.

Originally Posted by bblost

Throttle Body had some issue which meant that after a long drive or eing stuck in traffic the rpm will go crazy. Chevy service center cleaned it and the issue went away. It resurfaced on a drive to Chennai from Hyderabad. They replaced the throttle body under warranty in Chennai within a few hours of me taking the car there unannounced.

Not trying to start a war here, but isn't this a rather serious issue? Engine RPM 'going crazy' in traffic or during long drives seems to be the recipe for disaster. And this recurred.

What if a person with less experience than you had been driving in traffic, and the car suddenly rushed forward because the rpm went crazy? What if this happened while you were going downhill relying on engine braking?

This is similar to the issue that caused a massive recall in the US for Toyota. A car's throttle got stuck at high rpm, resulting in the car accelerating too quickly and driver losing control and crashing.

But I do take your point, that the service center was prompt in replacing the erring part despite your unannounced arrival. Perhaps then, it isn't just the service, but also the quality levels that need to be addressed.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Not trying to start a war here, but isn't this a rather serious issue? Engine RPM 'going crazy' in traffic or during long drives seems to be the recipe for disaster. And this recurred.

It did not happen while the car was in motion. It would happen mostly when the car was in bumper to bumper traffic and just apply a little throttle would immediately resolve the issue.
The other thing was it happened only when the AC was on.

The issue has not recurred after the throttle body was replaced and the car has covered thousands of kilometers since then. In fact we replaced that throttle body and based on the confidence of the Chevy guys, I had no doubts driving all the way up the hills to Ooty with my family.

[RSR]

The Essentia doesn't suffer from awkward proportions that characterise many other sub-4m compact sedans, nor does it have a very slim rear bumper which is almost a defining feature of the sub-4m sedan segment. Given the funky nature of the Beat hatchback, one really has to appreciate Chevy's designers for turning it into a good looking compact sedan.

The Essentia will begin at a disadvantage because it is based on the Beat currently sold in India, while the next generation Spark/Beat is already on sale in other markets. Maruti Suzuki will also come out with the next generation DZire next year. Chevrolet may not have to worry too much about the new DZire, as the Essentia is bound to be positioned below it. The upcoming Kite 5 from Tata would in fact turn out to be the Essentia's primary rival.

I don't think Chevrolet can do much about the 57 PS 936cc litre XSDE diesel, as the larger 78 PS 1248cc SDE would not fit into the Beat/Essentia engine bay. They can, in fact, bore out the 3-pot XSDE a little and use a slightly bigger turbo to extract some more power out of it, but I doubt if this would be done.

The petrol doesn't face a displacement problem as the 4-pot 80 PS 1199cc S-TEC II unit should suit the Essentia very well! They can even bump up the output to 86 PS as on the Sail twins, but I hope they tune the S-TEC petrol for achieving the best drivability (instead of maximum power at higher rpms).

Chevrolet must load the Essentia with features and equip even the base variant with airbags. The Beat has a fairly sound structure and the inclusion of two standard airbags even on the base variant should help the Essentia achieve a 4-star rating on the Global NCAP.

It's quite shocking that the Beat doesn't get a basic security feature like the ECU-controlled engine immobiliser in this day & age! Chevy simply cannot afford to repeat such stupid mistakes with the Essentia.

[volkman10]

Chevrolet Essentia Spotted Testing In India; Launch In 2017.

Chevrolet has been extensively testing the Beat Essentia sub-compact sedan in India and from what we know, the car is all set to hit the Indian market in the first quarter of 2017.

Chevrolet will pack in a whole bunch of features in the Beat Essentia and we will see it get a dual-tone colour scheme for the cabin. It will also get a touchscreen with Chevy's Mylink2 infotainment system and on the higher trim we expect it to come with an infotainment system compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As far as safety features are concerned, the Essentia will have dual airbags, ABS, reverse camera as well. It will be a masterstroke though, if Chevrolet can make ABS and Airbags as part of standard equipment.

Coming to the powertrains, the Essentia will have a 1.2-litre petrol motor that will produce 77bhp and 107Nm along with a 1.0-litre diesel engine producing 56bhp and 142.5Nm. Both the engines will have a 5-speed gearbox.

Link

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by volkman10

Coming to the powertrains, the Essentia will have a 1.2-litre petrol motor that will produce 77bhp and 107Nm along with a 1.0-litre diesel engine producing 56bhp and 142.5Nm. Both the engines will have a 5-speed gearbox.

1.0 litre diesel producing 56 bhp on a 4 metre sedan? Competition produce way more than that! (Ford Aspire - 99 bhp, Amaze - 87 bhp, Dzire & Zest - 74 bhp, Xcent - 71 bhp) With losing popularity of diesel, such products would be dead on arrival.
Hopefully they pack some nice features, so at least the petrol makes up for the sales.

[landcruiser123]

Unless the product has something extraordinary (eg. Cruze), all the excitement will disappear soon after the launch. The compact sedan space in India is a very tough battle.

The 1.0 diesel seems underpowered compared to competition.

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by hybridpetrol

1.0 litre diesel producing 56 bhp on a 4 metre sedan? Competition produce way more than that! (Ford Aspire - 99 bhp, Amaze - 87 bhp, Dzire & Zest - 74 bhp, Xcent - 71 bhp) With losing popularity of diesel, such products would be dead on arrival.
Hopefully they pack some nice features, so at least the petrol makes up for the sales.

I pray after reading your post GM realizes they have the 1.3 litre MJD in their kitty. Either it is difficult to fit it in the engine bay, or they are looking at a killer pricing.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Unless the product has something extraordinary (eg. Cruze), all the excitement will disappear soon after the launch. The compact sedan space in India is a very tough battle.

The 1.0 diesel seems underpowered compared to competition.

Worst of all this is essentially a beat with a boot. I don't know what GM India is smoking these days.
For God sake GM you need a new product which is designed and built in India. Have a look at your sales numbers.