Finally, it’s all coming together for General Motors India. For a while, GMI’s portfolio had a large, er, small gap - what they needed was small car to bring in the volumes. Now, within a span of just four months, they have not one, but two smart superminis, the Aveo U-VA and the Spark. But it does not end there - the game is just beginning to unfold at GMI.
The Chevrolet Optra sedan that has so far been petrol powered will get GM-Daewoo Automotive Technologies’ (GM-DAT) newly developed 2,000cc TCDI diesel engine. Running on 1600 bar pressure, the four-cylinder common rail diesel will produce 120 bhp of peak power and a staggering 28.6 kgm of peak torque turning the wheels at 2,000 rpm - bettering those of the current king of the crop, the Skoda Laura. For the first time since the Opel Astra 1.7 turbodiesel, GM India will offer an oil-burner in a sedan. The Optra that has seen declining sales over the past two year will receive another shot in the arm with a new headlamp and grille treatment, a new tail-lamp cluster and revised interiors. The facelift will enable the Optra to share a lot of parts with the SR-V hatchback. Importantly, it will allow GM to finally pose a strong challenge to the Skoda Octavia, which has been dominating the diesel sedan segment for years now. Expect the Optra diesel to be launched as early as the first week of June with a price tag of around Rs 9 to 10 lakh.
