(From top): The Chevrolet Aveo saloon; the Optra SRV, Chevrolet’s sporty hatchback; the Aveo U-VA, a striking five-door hatchback

The old order changeth, yielding way to the new. General Motors or GM came into India with Opel, a respected German marque that has been owned by GM for a very long time. Unfortunately for GM, it chose to come in riding piggyback on Hindustan Motors (HM). Now HM is not a company that was known for having a very interesting product portfolio, nor was it interested in spicing up its product range ? all it really did was introduce different Marks ? 1, 2, 3 and 4 ? which were essentially the same car.

General Motors split from HM to go it alone soon, but it seemed that the company had imbibed one practice from its previous partner ? keeping a model range going for years. The Opel Astra and the Corsa soldiered on in India with no changes while the rest of the world saw the first generation car make way for the second-generation model, and then the third generation. The cars were priced high in order to take advantage of their ‘German-ness’, but what GM may or may not have realised is that the target buyer was well-educated and aware of what was happening around the world. So in a sense, GM shot itself in the foot so to speak as far as India was concerned. So if the Opel marque disappears from India, and all signs point toward this happening in the near or not-too-distant future, GM only has itself to blame.

The switchover is happening already. GM has introduced the Chevrolet brand into India but the interesting thing is that not one of these products is a genuine Chevrolet. The Optra is a Daewoo, the Korean company being a part of GM now; the Forester is a Subaru that is part owned by GM; and the Tavera is an Isuzu, also part of GM. Now GM has announced, or ‘unveiled’ as the company put it, a range of new cars, none of which are true Chevrolets like a Camaro or a Corvette. What’s more, like the existing models, the new cars have been re-badged as well.

Calling it the start of the Chevrolet Indian Revolution, GM has unveiled the Chevrolet Aveo U-VA, which is a hatchback, the Chevrolet Aveo saloon, and the Chevrolet Optra SRV, which is a sporty hatchback. According to GM, all three will be built at the existing manufacturing facility located in Halol, Gujarat, and will start reaching GM India dealers across the country in the coming months. General Motors spokespeople claim that the three new launches are international products with the latest technology and that they are built to quality standards of a very high order. In fact, to adapt them to Indian conditions, the cars have been re-engineered after having been tested extensively across the country. So let’s have a look at what GM has in store for Indians.

The Aveo U-VA is a striking five-door hatchback, refreshed by Giugiaro of Italdesign. Known as the Kalos in some parts of the world, this car can accommodate up to five passengers and is aimed at owner-drivers. The engine features VGIS (Variable Geometry Intake System) technology but unlike in the Formula Rolon racing car, expect this engine to be tuned for better fuel economy. One expects the Chevrolet Aveo U-VA to go up against such cars as the Hyundai Getz and the Suzuki Swift. That means that one could be looking at a price range between Rs 4 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.

The second offering is the Aveo saloon, which was unveiled last year at the Shanghai Auto Show. It bears quite a bit of resemblance to the larger Optra, especially when viewed in profile. The first thing to note about this car is the rounded front end ? the high bonnet has been designed for maximum pedestrian safety in the case of an accident. Styled to look muscular and solid, the grille accentuates the look. Ample interior space is the USP for this model especially as factors like headroom, shoulder room and hip room aren’t really the strong points of cars selling in this particular category.

The third introduction is known as the Optra SRV and though it has a retro look, it’s a bit of a hot hatch as indicated by the 15-inch alloy rims and rear spoiler. General Motors says that the driving dynamics have been tuned to make it more of a driver’s car. With GM using terms like ‘trendy’ and ‘highly appealing to young drivers’, this car is obviously aimed at the buyer who wants something different. It sure looks like GM is all set to start the war of the hatches again ? the Palio 1.6 and the Accent Viva are the likely targets purely in hot hatch terms.

So there you have it! Three new cars and all of them coming soon. However, the Aveo U-VA, the Aveo saloon and the Optra SRV will not be launched together but in stages, so that should get people to keep talking about Chevrolet and hopefully being a part of the marque. Dealer networks are being increased from 77 to 110 and spare parts availability is being enhanced by adding Maharashtra and Delhi as centres to the existing ones in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.

My dream car

Sayantani Ghosh,
actress

I’ve always dreamed of buying my own car and when I do, it will be a luxury car.Since we are a small family of four — my father, mother, my brother and I — large cars like a Qualis, Sumo or Safari don’t really make sense. Also, I love sleek, luxurious cars like the Lancer and the Optra.

Initially my dream car used to be the Mitsubishi Lancer. Recently though my dream car is the Chevrolet Optra. A friend of mine bought one recently and was singing its praises especially about its performance and mileage.

I’m not well-informed about cars from the technical point of view, but if I have to buy a car, I’ll take my dad along to help me out.

I do know how to drive but I am a bit scared of driving on the city’s roads. But who knows, maybe I will get inspired to drive once I get my own car!