[GTO]

Big shoutout to Vid6639 for shooting these pictures & his coverage of the Auto Expo. Thanks for sharing, man!

Chevrolet is getting beaten black & blue in the market, yet that didn't stop the company from putting up a decent show at the Expo:






Please excuse the quality of pics in this report. Parts of the Chevy stall were very dark:

[GTO]

The Chevrolet Essentia:


Essentially, a compact sedan version of the Beat hatchback. Chevrolet however have given it a face similar to the next-gen Beat / Spark (already on sale internationally):


Credit where it's due - Chevy designers have done a good job of the integration. A funky hatchback like the Beat wouldn't have been an easy base to start with:


Big tail-lamps. The rear end reminds me a lot of the Optra. Also, a rare compact sedan with a proper bumper (others have it too thin):


Coming in 2017, this car might be too little too late. It's going to be difficult for the Essentia to find its place in the fiercely contested compact sedan segment:


Up close with the well-integrated boot:


Beat dashboard with some improvements & a big head-unit:


Lighter beige makes it look bigger than the Beat's black cabin:


The Beat is a narrow hatchback, so don't expect the Essentia to fit 3 on the back seat. Legroom will also be among the tightest from the segment:


to the ISOFIX anchor for a child seat:

[GTO]

Big fan of American muscle, so a post dedicated to Chevrolet's best. They always bring down some sweet rides to the Expo - full marks for that :

[GTO]

The Beat Activ concept. Refreshed face and some 'cross' love (skid plates, cladding etc.):




L-O-V-E these tail-lamps:


They've managed to make a car launched 6 years back look fresh!


Like the way that the turn indicators have been integrated (3 orange strips):








Funky rims suit the Beat:

[GTO]

Say hello to the 7-seater Spin MPV that's coming your way later in 2016:


It's based on the Beat's platform:


In terms of size, you could compare it to segment leader, the Ertiga:


Expect it to be powered by the 1.3L national diesel of India. I doubt GM will bring the 1.5L petrol available internationally, but then, the Beat's 1.2L will be too puny for this car. Maybe the Enjoy's 1.4L?


It's been on sale in the land of MPVs (Indonesia) since 2013. Its sales there were nothing to write home about:




Outdated flap-type door handles:


Dash is functional, but far from contemporary. Not what you'd expect from a 'new car' in 2016. GM is going to need a solid differentiator to get the attention of the buying public. Based on what I've read from international reviews, there appears to be none. This product has a very high chance of sinking without a trace:






Funky dial arrangement:






Rear air-con with roof mounted vents:


2nd row tumbles for last row access:

[GTO]

The Trailblazer pickup:




I don't see the sense in cordoning off your latest product? Wouldn't you want the public to check out your new SUV?


The Cruze facelift...


...with its new ICE:






Chevrolet is a major sponsor of Manchester United:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Auto Expo Section!

[blackasta]

Nothing exciting - Have they done away with the SAIL twins? don't see them in the pictures (which may actually be good!).
Still no Sonic twins for India?

[Holyghost]

Chevrolet had a mini-suv that was displayed in previous expo and it looked promising. Did they kill that product?

[vinit.merchant]

Me feels that by mid 2017, peoples approach towards compact sedans will have a big change. It will shift heavily towards wither the big Hatchbacks (i20, Baleno, etc) or proper sedans (Vento, verna, etc)

Except for the Swift DZire, there is hardly any other CS that sells in good numbers. And we are already seeing a shift towards cars like i20 and Baleno, which actually offer more seating and luggage space, and look far far better than the CS's.

I think, for the Essentia, it has to be launched in next 3-6 months or else, it will be fighting for the already falling sales figures in the segment by next year.

[AppyS]

I am a bit disappointed that Chevy is keen on keeping away the hybrids and ev's from India. No bolt, neither the volt is featured by them despite the success of reva here. Its high time we moved to hybrid and ev platforms in India. Apparently the failure of cars like Prius and other hybrids keeps them away, but then times are changing.

[The Rationalist]

So there's nothing much to look forward from GM for next few years, barring the Essentia. By that time , they would have lost so much market share and I fear they may become irrelevant in our market. Very surprising since GM is the third largest manufacturer in the world. I don't know how the dealerships will survive for the next few years.

[parth.jain]

I don't know what Chevrolet has in it's mind with respect to Indian market. None of the new cars showcased above spike the kind of excitement one would expect from a new car of 2016. The interiors of the Spin look plain and boring, only the instrument console looks cool.
They will be committing the same mistake as they did with Sail Twins, all over again! The last good product from Chevrolet which was sold in good numbers was the Beat, what happened to Chevy after it?

[deehunk]

Essenta looks another half hearted effort, a definite flop even before launch.
The rear space looks terrible, Spark had more space than Beat, it would have been better to build a sedan based on Spark. People dont like funky speedo consoles, yet they have retained it in this mini sedan.

[Vid6639]

Looking at the Chevrolet Pavillion at the Auto Expo you would never think they were doing so poorly.

The stall was huge in size. On par with Maruti and Hyundai next door. Their crowd puller was clearly the Camaro and Corvette. Everyone wanted to take a selfie with the Camaro and Corvette. They even allowed the kids inside for a photo. Really cool. These 2 cars were always crowded.

The Essentia was a decent effort for a compact sedan though is still some time away. The Beat Active was nothing but the old one with a lot of cosmetic changes. Pretty good effort and some actually thought this was the next generation beat.

The Spin MPV was a disappointment. Nothing stood out in it at all. The front seats felt narrow. Interiors were little better than the Sail twins. The middle row was poor. Similar to the Lodgy but narrower. The third row was folded down and I couldn't make out the space. It didn't even attract crowds being a brand new car.

Other than that Chevrolet had the Cruze, regular Beat, Sail and Enjoy with some accessories.

They had a zone for Manchester united fans. Where you had put the jersey on and they would pass you a football to shoot headers and send you the pic.

Only thing was the poor lighting at the stalls for the pics. It was quite challenging shooting at the Chevy stall due to the lighting.