Introduced in India in 2011, under the banner “For a Special Journey Called Life”, the Chevrolet has emerged as one of the fastest growing brand names in India. The introduction of the brand in this market represents a significant milestone for GM in India and for the auto industry. Under the Chevrolet umbrella, GM India presently produces the Chevrolet Optra (Petrol and Diesel and the CNG
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
2012 Chevrolet Sonic is not an Aveo
General Motors seems intent on banishing all memories of the unloved Aveo – so much so that it’s gone and renamed its entry-level fighter in the States. While we’re still not 100-percent in love with the name (we can’t get visions of spiky-haired hedgehogs out of our heads…), all three flavors of the Sonic do appear to be vastly improved over the machine they replace, though one of them, the Z
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
2011 Chevrolet Caprice Police Car Revealed: Based on Australian Holden Caprice, LWB Version of Pontiac G8
Looks like Bob Lutz was right after all when back in July he said that the Pontiac G8 would live on as the Chevrolet Caprice – even though shortly after he hastily took his words back. Apparently, what Lutz meant to say was that the G8 would live on as a law enforcement car as GM revealed the all-new Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle (PPV) at the annual International Association of Chiefs
Monday, January 10, 2011
2012 Chevy Sonic shown off as sedan and hatchback
General Motors has officially yanked back the sheets on the newest sub-compact from Chevrolet, the 2012 Sonic. Just don’t call it the Aveo. The five-door hatch and four-door sedan are set to be officially unveiled later today at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, but the Bow Tie brand has been kind enough to share the skinny on this vehicle that’s supposed to tango with the likes of the new Hyundai
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Two Chevy dealers offering special 700-hp Camaro models – just like Yenko and Berger
There was a time when dealers utilized General Motors’ Central Office Production Order to the fullest, giving us some truly terrific muscle car options. By judiciously picking hi-po OEM performance parts to augment some already formidable performers, COPO Chevrolet Camaros from the late ’60s put a few dealers on the national map, and today, we know about Berger, Nickey and, of course, Yenko. Well
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Chevrolet Cruze hatchback design submitted for trademark
Most cars never look quite as cool as their conceptual and pre-production versions, and it would appear that the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback will be no exception. Carscoop was able to get its hands on design drawings of the car used for trademark filings with the European patent office.The good news is that the Cruze hatchback manages to stay fairly faithful to the version shown off at the 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Chevy to unveil Volt-based Amp crossover in Detroit
According to Car and Driver, General Motors may have something special planned for the Detroit Auto Showin January. Word on the web is that The General is planning to pull back the sheets on the next vehicle to use the extended-range hybrid drivetrain from the Chevrolet Volt. The next branch in GM’s electrified family tree will be a five-seat crossover, potentially called the Chevrolet Amp. Using
Monday, December 13, 2010
Motor Trend Truck of the Year? The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD
Motor Trend is following up its somewhat controversial decision to crown the Chevrolet Volt as its 2011 Car of the Year with a safer call for its 2011 Truck of the Year award. The 2011 Chevrolet Silverado HD was announced as the magazine’s TOTY during a ceremony before the 111th Army-Navy Game at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday, giving General Motors’ volume brand a pair of
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
2010 Chevrolet Agile Car
2010 Chevrolet Agile Front Side View
2010 Chevrolet Agile Wallpaper
2010 Chevrolet Agile First Look
2010 Chevrolet Agile Interior
2010 Chevrolet Agile Luxury Car
2010 Chevrolet Agile Car Picture
2010 Chevrolet Agile Rear Angle View
Monday, December 14, 2009
First Test: 2009 Chevrolet Colorado V-8
These days, there aren't many compact trucks for those with a lead foot. Yes, the Dodge Dakota is available with a V-8, but it's a lot bigger than a true compact truck-it's somewhere between a compact and a midsize. There are some high-performance dealer-installed or specialty options (such as adding a supercharger), but for red-blooded American compact-truck performance, there's really only one choice: the Chevrolet Colorado V-8. And the notion of dropping a V-8 in a compact truck is truly appealing on paper -- big power in a small vehicle is always tempting -- even if the reality isn't quite what we'd hoped.
While a basic Colorado comes with a choice of a 2.9L I-4 or 3.7L I-5, GM has made V-8 power available in its smallest pickup, providing a truly tantalizing weight-to-power ratio. In this case, it's 13.6 lb/hp, which is nearly as good as that of an Acura TL or John Cooper Works Mini Clubman. The truck we tested, a two-wheel-drive crew cab, weighs 4073 lb as equipped and uses a 300-hp, 320-lb-ft version of the company's 5.3L V-8 backed by a Hydra-Matic 4L60 four-speed auto (that same engine puts out 320 hp in the Tahoe).
That V-8 offers nearly 60 more horsepower than the I-5 and 115 more horses than the I-4. This Colorado also uses GM's ZQ8 suspension, which had been offered in prior model years and returns retuned for 2009. It allows the truck to ride an inch lower than with the regular Z85 suspension. The ZQ8 suspension is included in the $3935 3LT package, which includes the V-8, 18-in. six-spoke wheels and 235/50 Goodyear Eagle RS-As, body-color bumpers and grille, and unique seats.On the road, the lowered Colorado feels much like a car. Ride height is closer to that of a sedan than of a half-ton pickup, as is the low 16.6-in. step-in height. If its inherently American growl doesn't catch your attention at startup, the V-8 will make its presence known the second you merge into traffic. Getting to speed isn't just quick -- it's fun.
You'll find excuses to floor it ("oh, that Mazda may look like it's a mile away, but that car has some power. It could close that gap. Better drop the hammer just to be sure") and will love the effortless flow of power. It handles better than a typical truck, too, making it easy to forget that with all of this carlike entertainment also comes a 1250-lb payload capacity and 6000-lb towing capacity.
No surprise, it also performed quite well at the track, reaching 60 mph in 6.9 sec, finishing the quarter mile in 15.2 sec at 90.6 mph, and providing an impressive 3.8-sec time when accelerating from 45 to 65 mph. For reference, a 4WD 3.5L (first-gen I-5) Colorado we tested took 9.6 sec to get to 60 and completed the quarter mile in 16.7 at 82.6 mph. The specially tuned suspension also improved things in the Motor Trend figure eight, where the Colorado's numbers went from 30.3 sec at 0.51 g to 27.7 sec at 0.61 g, which is Mazda3 and Acura TSX territory. The Colorado also excelled when stopping from 60.
For 2009, all Colorados benefit from braking upgrades, including four-channel ABS with yaw control, and this new truck shaved 27 ft off the previous 3.5L's 153-ft stopping distance. We know that isn't a completely fair comparison, as they aren't identically equipped, but you still get the basic idea that there has been a significant improvement.
Here's the biggest problem: the price. As tested, the truck cost $30,475, which puts it deep into Silverado territory (you can get a 2WD extended cab Silverado work truck for $27,455 with the 5.3L and a 2WD 5.3-liter extended cab LT for $30,525-and those prices don't include rebates from Chevrolet, which totaled $5000 for the Silverado and $1000 for the Colorado on the day I looked). The Silverado won't provide the same acceleration (we got 8.2 sec out of a 4WD Silverado; that's another unfair comparison, but again, you get the idea), but offers a lot more capability.
The Colorado itself starts out at $17,430 for the regular cab work truck, but there are body style and trim level requirements to get the V-8-for example, you can't get the ultimate hot-rodder's configuration: regular cab, short bed, manual transmission. Getting the V-8 actually costs more than we hoped -- you can't just add the 3LT package to the base Colorado, and you have to get the 3LT to get the V-8.
Many people think that as far as styling is concerned, the Colorado was a step in the wrong direction as a follow-up to the S-10. The Colorado uses big truck cues -- big fender flares, chunky grille -- on a small platform, and they don't quite work.
Also, while the 3LT interior receives comfortable, supportive leather bucket seats and an auto-dimming rearview mirror, the rest of the cabin is essentially the same as it was when the truck first came out six years ago. It has the same hard black and gray plastics, the same stereo, the same steering wheel, and neither nav nor an MP3 player/iPod interface. This last item is a minor thing, but when you're spending $30K on a compact truck, you'd hope it would be included.
This truck really is a street rod, and there aren't many of those in the compact-pickup world right now. The lower suspension and two rows of seats give you the cabin volume and ride height of a small car, yet you can use it to tow when it's time for work duty. If you crave carlike speed but only need to carry small loads around, the Colorado V-8 may be just what you're looking for. We just wish this package were less expensive.
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