[centaur]

Originally Posted by dZired

The other thread you are talking about was regarding GM discontinuing the Enjoy MPV and Sail in India.

Oh yes. Looks like an oversight from my end. But anyway, why cant Chevy just plonk the "new engine" in the enjoy too and get some sales?

[blackasta]

I would dare to walk against the tbhp school of thought and say this move might increase sales of GM.
Tavera is a very well liked model among cabbies, and GM is only eyeing yellow plate sales - we all know that.

[Chetan_Rao]

I'm sure it's a cabbies' favorite, but the Tavera is a horrendous car to travel in. Not only are none of the stock passenger seats adjustable, the ergonomics and seat quality are so bad I'd rather sit - and probably be more comfortable - on a concrete bench. The ride quality is incredibly unsettled as-is, but our rowdy racer cabbies take it to an entirely different level of discomfort. It's so bad I've started refusing to go to work on days a Tavera shows up at my doorstep to pick me up.

[SPARKled]

I too agree that this is purely a move to get a share of the Taxi market. With Innova now priced beyond most small taxi and fleet operators, people may make a beeline for the Lodgy, Ertiga and even the Tavera if it was available. So maybe it may just work for GM better than what the Enjoy is doing with a lot of Taxi operators swearing by the Tavera's reliability and low running costs. This is especially true for the BPO and ITES sectors where comfort hardly matters.

[daywiz]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

What?? No way that will be possible. The Tavera is a pretty huge bruiser you cannot go plonking in a tiny 1.3 in it just based on peak power and torque figures mate

On a more serious note, does Chevrolet plan on slashing the price of this thing? That would make it a pretty lucrative deal IMO. I always preferred the Tavera over the original Innova but then Chevrolet never bothered updating the vehicle to keep up. If they launch it at 7-10 lakhs, would it not be a good abuse friendly people mover? Perhaps the poor man's Innova Certainly a more durable better option IMO than the Mobilio/Ertiga/BR-V

Totally Right. A miscalculation from my part considering, I didn't really account for such an heavier weight, till GTO pointed it out. That said I do think if they plan on reinvesting into the Travera, they might as well work up on the interior, shave off some weight wherever possible and see if they can get in a more fuel efficient engine. The 2.0L from Chevy Orlando used in Korea (1998cc :P) or the 1.6 CDTI ( a bit of long strech but Orlando is a pretty heavy car and it was running on it). That said, price may go up, but will still stay relatively cheaper than the highly highly expensive Innova.

Like many team members pointed out, Chevy India's strategy hardly makes any sense.

Originally Posted by GTO

Another week, another Chevrolet joke. Sometimes I wonder if these news items are indeed true (which unfortunately they are), or if Chevrolet is pulling a fast one on us.

The lazy company is thinking of 'BSIV' in an environment where 'BSVI' is being discussed! What a bunch of monkeys.

General 'shortcut' Motors had earlier sourced BSIV engines from ICML - related thread.



1.3L engine in a 1,600 kilo MUV? I don't think so.

Yeah, you are totally right. Miscalculation due to the weight factor.

[wrongturn]

If at all they would even consider refreshing the exteriors of tavera they would try and make it look more like Isuzu Panther/ crosswind/ sportivo. Even that is a lot to expect from GM India. Tavera already looks like something that should have been discontinued 10 years back. But all the blind folks at GM headquarters is like, "Hey it's a third world country afterall, tavera must be like the premium SUV on offer there, after all the trailblazer didn't left any sort of trail there to talk about."

[vivekgk]

The problem with the Tavera is that whatever engine you put in it, it's still a very old school vehicle with leaf springs at the rear and a really outdated looking interior. Everything about it's design is from the last century. No amount of clear lens lamps and cladding can hide that.

That said, it is a hardy, low maintenance design that is well suited to the bad roads of rural India. So, it makes sense to buyers over there.

There's also the fact that the exodus of the Innova for the Crysta has left a rather big void in terms of pricing. Chevrolet would do well to look at it's stables for something of a similar nature to the Innova, rather than relying on rural buyers to keep operations running.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by wrongturn

If at all they would even consider refreshing the exteriors of tavera they would try and make it look more like Isuzu Panther/ crosswind/ sportivo. Even that is a lot to expect from GM India.

That said, I really like this newer version of the Isuzu Panther ( over the Enjoy of course ) and GM would do well to introduce this with updated interiors and the 1.3 MJD actually - at least in the taxi segment they would.

Why does the Gold colour car have the C-pillar black vinyl on the left side, but not on the right side?
And then the white car has it in one of the pictures alone?

[ashis89]

Somehow GM might find some success this time round. With the Innova becoming even pricier, some cab agencies will look at the "other cheaper yet, tried and tested" product available in the market.

I remember when the Tavera was launched, it was very popular for the fuel efficient engine and spacious interiors. I have traveled long distances in 3 different Taveras with odos varying between 50k and 150k. They were comfortable and reliable too. It is any day better than the Bolero.

[romeomidhun]

Tavera is a decade-old model, but still they are able to sell it 700-800 per month. If people are buying it, there is no problem in selling it as well.

But they should not be confined to that. Eg: Maruti. Even though they are selling age-old Omni and Eeco, they are launching new age products like Baleno, Brezza and Ciaz.

GM has to launch the re-badged Isuzu MUX SUV here, IMO.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

GM has to launch the re-badged Isuzu MUX SUV here, IMO.

What do you think the Trailblazer is? It is Chevrolet's version of the MUX with a different drive-train.

[romeomidhun]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

What do you think the Trailblazer is? It is Chevrolet's version of the MUX with a different drive-train.

I didn't know that!

So, they are able to spoil such an aggressive-looking front end by pasting the typical Chevy face!

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

I didn't know that!

So, they are able to spoil such an aggressive-looking front end by pasting the typical Chevy face!

We already have the DMax Vcross with the same front end. The MUX is the full-sized SUV version of the VCross.

[wrongturn]

Originally Posted by aravind.anand

That said, I really like this newer version of the Isuzu Panther ( over the Enjoy of course )

This isn't a new version, it has been on sale with that face since 2006 in Indonesia, Philippines & other markets. The version before this used to look like what Tavera looked like.
The vinyls are absent cause I picked random pics from Google search. It was just to present a perspective of what new Tavera might look like. So this version is basically a decade old already and still looks fresh when compared to the Tavera that is sold here. On the engine front, I don't know but 1.3L is too little for this size of a vehicle maybe they will source & use the block from Sonalika which was used for Rhino.

Here is a little information on this, source Wikipedia:

The Isuzu Panther is a multi-purpose vehicle and pickup truck manufactured in 1991 by Isuzu developed in Indonesia for the Southeast Asian market. It is also manufactured and marketed in India under the name Chevrolet Tavera, a name which is also used in Indonesia for the gasoline version until 2007. It was developed together with General Motors as the "160 Project".[2]

The model is suited to carrying large loads of passengers or cargo. It was developed to meet local conditions in terms of climate, roads and family structure as a durable vehicle. The Panther is also popular in the Philippines as Hi-Lander, later the Crosswind. It was also known as the Hi-Lander in Vietnam.

[Mad Max]

Originally Posted by romeomidhun

You are talking about the same Tavera we see on Indian roads, right? Or something different?

Oh! it's the same one. No doubts there. I just feel that they are from a completely different league.

Originally Posted by shashanka

Absolutely! And don't forget the Ertiga, Winger, Stile, Eeco and the rest - they'll all be running for cover now! GM always manages to redeem itself.

You got it! Watch out for the June sales analysis.