[anu21v]

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.

I wont go by the numbers there but let me tell you something. I have been the customer to 4 different brands Chevrolet, Fiat, Nissan and Maruti. Owned Chevy UVA, Micra, Linea and 800.

Let me tell you each of the cars have been fairly well driven by me and maintained. For every car I have owned I have come to realize that cost of Service is always Lowest in Chevrolet. Even if you flatly compare the simple thing like cost of routine service Chevy comes out to be the cheapest. it is actually so low on service that I used to think how these Service stations really survive. I would many a times order things like Waxing, Dry cleaning etc because cost of service would always be below my expectation. I was in a rude shock when I went for my first service for Nissan-Micra.. The Service station demanded Rs16K for regular first service. For Fiat less said is better. My lifetime service billing of my UVA would not have crossed 40K till date and that too cause I changed the rear shockers. I Purchased it in 2008. I am just hoping I don't cross that in first 3 years of ownership of Micra. I get a Bill in excess of 6.5-7.0 K every-time I send it for service (without Oil change). The best part with chevy atleast is its a peace of mind for me, with Nissan/Fiat I am under constant fear of getting overbilled. To top it all, I rate Chevy Quality much ahead of Ford/Fiat, though slightly lower than Nissan but quality is at par with Suzuki/Hyundai/Toyota. Precisely That is the reason I have kept Chevy as my backup car even though I own other brands as well.


Even my friends who have previously owned a Spark/Uva/Aveo, they all say that not only the service was cheap and good but overall ownership experience of a Chevy car was much better than their current owned brands.

I have a few family members who own Ford's Figo/Fiesta and they are so much fearful of Service cost of Ford that even-though they want to upgrade to Ford-Ecosport but they keep delaying it for last 2 years.

IMO, the simple Bill to Bill comparison is not a good way to compare and comparison should be for a lifetime of actual expenses.

P.S.: Just to keep it clear I am not an employee of Chevrolet and am no way associated with it at present.

[RavenAvi]

The rear of the Essentia has been captured on camera by an Oncars reader on the Mumbai-Pune expressway.

[hybridpetrol]

Originally Posted by PraNeel

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.

The upcoming Tata Kite 5 / Sway, which is based on the Tiago from B1 segment will also have 1.0L Diesel. It looks like a sub categorization within the C1 compact sedan segment is needed, with the Beat based Essentia also joining the league.
The other day in Nat Geo, the Supercar Megabuild show had featured the Chevrolet Camaro SS, and it was pulling an aeroplane!

We do not need a car to pull an aeroplane, but at least a car to pull our luggages for a weekend trip!

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by anu21v

Let me tell you each of the cars have been fairly well driven by me and maintained. For every car I have owned I have come to realize that cost of Service is always Lowest in Chevrolet. Even if you flatly compare the simple thing like cost of routine service Chevy comes out to be the cheapest. it is actually so low on service that I used to think how these Service stations really survive.

I also own a Chevrolet Beat Diesel and I agree that service costs are low. However Chevrolet lacks in quality of components which leads to additional costs. Additionally their spare part strategy baffles me.
My beat has run 43 k and till now front left gas strut, left suspension mount, left suspension arm, coolant seal, oil seal have been replaced. The beat is run gently by a female driver of the family on paved roads.
Till now the front left gas strut has been replaced twice. Complete shock absorber is not available as a single part. So if one wants to replace the front shock absorber, gas strut, spring and other parts have to be bought separately and pay labour for assembling and fitting.
On the contrary the side mirrors are available as a complete unit only, so even if mirror breaks one has to buy the complete mirror assembly.
The bumper locks are designed so poorly that one has to replace the bumper in case of minor knocks as well.
Spare parts are not available in market, so one is forced to go to Chevrolet ASS only.

[PraNeel]

Originally Posted by hybridpetrol

The upcoming Tata Kite 5 / Sway, which is based on the Tiago from B1 segment will also have 1.0L Diesel. It looks like a sub categorization within the C1 compact sedan segment is needed, with the Beat based Essentia also joining the league.
The other day in Nat Geo, the Supercar Megabuild show had featured the Chevrolet Camaro SS, and it was pulling an aeroplane!

We do not need a car to pull an aeroplane, but at least a car to pull our luggages for a weekend trip!

It is rumored that Kite sedan will come with a more powerful engine. Even if it comes with the same engine it has better interiors, styling, quality and features. Not to mention the stunning looks. It is a newer product. Beat is an older product, GM refuses to bring the new one in India. I doubt by adding a boot to an old product they are going to grab attention. Too little too late in my opinion.

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by PraNeel

I also own a Chevrolet Beat Diesel and I agree that service costs are low. However Chevrolet lacks in quality of components which leads to additional costs. Additionally their spare part strategy baffles me.
My beat has run 43 k and till now front left gas strut, left suspension mount, left suspension arm, coolant seal, oil seal have been replaced. The beat is run gently by a female driver of the family on paved roads.
Till now the front left gas strut has been replaced twice. Complete shock absorber is not available as a single part. So if one wants to replace the front shock absorber, gas strut, spring and other parts have to be bought separately and pay labour for assembling and fitting.
On the contrary the side mirrors are available as a complete unit only, so even if mirror breaks one has to buy the complete mirror assembly.
The bumper locks are designed so poorly that one has to replace the bumper in case of minor knocks as well.
Spare parts are not available in market, so one is forced to go to Chevrolet ASS only.

Completely agree on the spare parts thing. My Beat's horn is working, what is not working is the metal pin beneath the steering which touches another metal pin when horn pad is pressed. As a result, the horn works only when the steering is tilted half a turn clockwise only. Their reply - "sir, only pin can't be replaced as not available separately. You have to change the whole steering assembly. Cost: Rs 35000 plus labor. Just for a metal pin wearing off!

Same with gear handle (plastic cap where gears are embossed). It had peeled off, the outer plastic cover only. Their reply - "Sir only cap is not available separately. Whole gear lever has to be changed (along with the leather cover). Cost: 3000 plus labor.

[RavenAvi]

Couple of test mules spotted by a GaadiWaadi spy near Pune.

The car looks well proportioned from the rear two-thirds.

[dark.knight]

Chevrolet will first have to decide what their positioning is, first of all. Random launches have been done and they are all over the place. There is a Cruze which is in the premium-sporty segment, then a few people movers aka large cab cars, a Captiva which was a super-expensive SUV and a Beat which is positioned as a v.f.m entry car and now the sub-4m sedan possibly out of the Beat platform.

Way too confusing in terms of the overall positioning and direction the company wants to seek, if one thing is common among the range is that none of them sell enough to get noticed by anyone. G.M must revamp and move towards a premium positioning if they want to get things done in India, else they can still make their GMCs, Buicks and Cadillacs for U.S market and save their time by quitting this place.

[motorworks]

No one in India knows what Chevy stands for. Hyundai has made a case for itself by providing class leading interiors and features. Maruti has always had wide service network as their strong point, Tata had space and VFM as a factor and now they are also making strides in quality. On the other hand there are players like VW / Skoda who have just a handful of cars and seem to be happy occupying a niche segment. Chevy on the other hand has a wide range of cars. When the spark was selling it was the only other brand apart from Maruti and Hyundai to have nearly 6 cars below 10 lakhs ( spark, Beat, Enjoy, Sail and sail UVA) and yet their market share is probably the same as a VW who has just one car under the 10 lakh segment.
They have to stand out for something. Engine options, ease of sevicing or features in the car that are class leading etc. Else it's just not worth having a wide range at all. Because a wide range always means more overheads for dealers and at the factory in terms of inventory of cars and spare parts. They are better off being lean and nimble footed for now

[volkman10]

Chevrolet's compact sedan to go fight out with the upcoming Tiago Sedan - release in first Quarter of 2017.




Link1

Link2

[RSR]

The Essentia would essentially be a direct competitor to the Kite 5, and these two would create a new sub-segment within sub-4m sedans, positioned below existing ones such as the Amaze, Ameo, Aspire etc.

I know many on this forum hate sub-4m sedans solely because of their (usually) oddball proportions, but both the Essentia & Kite 5 happen to be better-proportioned than other sub-4m sedans. So this new sub-segment is welcome from the aesthetics perspective!

I think the Essentia may turn out to be a case of too little, too late from Chevrolet. The Beat (on which it is based) is a great little car, but it has become quite old now. Ideally, the Essentia should have been based on the new international Beat/Spark.

There are plenty of yellow-board Beats doing duty as Uber & Ola taxis. The Essentia should find more takers among Uber & Ola operators, but Chevrolet must aim to make it appeal to private buyers as well.

Here's what I'd like to see on the Essentia:

-> Dual airbags standard across the range

-> ABS from at least the second variant onwards

-> Standard ECU-controlled key-based engine immobiliser (that's sadly missing on the Beat!)

-> Better low-end torque & driveability from the 1199cc petrol

-> A bit more top-end power from the 936cc diesel

-> Standard height-adjustable driver's seat, rear height-adjustable neck restraints & centre armrest across the range

-> A set of smashing looking alloys & LED DRLs on the higher variants

-> Goodies like automatic climate control, electrically retractable mirrors, touchscreen SAT-NAV system with reverse camera display etc. on the higher variants

-> And last but not the least, a smashing price tag!

[volkman10]

Chevrolet's 2017 Launch - the subcompact Essentia spotted on test again,







Link

[RavenAvi]

Spotted doing a cold weather testing run at Manali by an Auto Blog India spy.

The test mule was a mid-spec diesel version that was probably brought to Manali for high altitude as well as cold weather testing. It has been raining in Manali since yesterday and the hills around have turned white, bringing down temperatures to 2 degrees.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by RavenAvi

Spotted doing a cold weather testing run at Manali

The boot integration continues to look quite tidy for a compact sedan, which is a relief to those of us who like proportionate designs. At the same time, with GST rumoured to obviate the need for compact sedans, one wonders if Chevy is too late to the compact sedan party.

The problem with such a rakish window line is that the metal-to-wheel ratio at the rear becomes very large, resulting in an unbalanced appearance (not to mention the claustrophobic feel for the rear passengers due to the short windows). The highlighted area below shows the amount of sheet metal that is shown due to the sharply sloping window line.

The only way to avoid this will be if the sheet metal has aggressive cuts, kinks and character lines - something we will know only when the camouflage comes off!

[swiftnfurious]

Looks like one of the USPs of the car (that the company will claim) will be a segment best boot. That definitely looks HUGE, plus reminds me of Manza's - it's very box like making use of all the available space.