Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV & Spin MPV launch on the cards for GM India
General Motor’s sales in India have been rather lackluster and it is high time the American manufacturer upped its game in the country, which is why GM India has announced they will introduce the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV sometime this year, and the Spin MPV in 2016. The Trailblazer is expected to replace, or be positioned above Chevrolet’s Captiva, while the Spin will slot in above the Chevrolet Enjoy.
The Trailblazer is a proper 7-seater SUV meant to take on the likes of the Toyota’s Fortuner, Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara, the SsangYong Rexton, and the Ford Endeavour in India. The Thai-spec SUV gets two engine options, a 2.5-litre diesel that churns out 161bhp and 380Nm, and a 2.8-litre diesel making 197bhp and 500Nm of peak torque. Available in both 4x2 and 4x4, the engines come mated to either a six-speed manual or an automatic transmission.
The Trailblazer SUV, when brought to India, won’t offer anything more than its rivals and will be hard pressed to compete in the segment, especially as GM India is worse off in terms of sales and after-sales touch points. We’ll have to wait till the launch to know more.
The Chevrolet Spin MPV will be a more premium seven-seater people carrier and will also face an upward battle against the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and the Toyota Innova. Internationally, the MPV is sold with two engines, a 74bhp 1.3-litre diesel and a 1.5-litre petrol mill producing 107.5bhp and 141Nm. The diesel engine comes mated to a five-speed transmission, while the petrol has a six-speed automatic.
As part of its commitment to provide customers with a unique ownership experience, GM India has recently introduced the Chevrolet Complete Care programme with assured low cost of maintenance. In all, GM India has 247 sales outlets and 270 service outlets spread throughout the country, though by the time they launch their new products, they hope to have expanded their network to be more competitive.
