Newly revealed Ecotec engines to be boasted in next gen Chevrolet Cruze

So following the new trend of engine downsizing, GM has flaunted their engineering capabilities with revealing of the new range of Ecotec engines.

New Range of Ecotec Engines

Following into the steps of automotive giants like Volkswagen and Ford, engine downsizing certainly seems to be the answer to the dipping sales of cars and GM claims to have made the engines only better than their arch rivals.
GM claims that the Ecotec engines to be quieter than the engines currently available in the market. GM compares their 1.4-liter Ecotec engine with VW and Ford saying that noise intensity is up to 50-percent quieter than Volkswagen’s EA211 1.4L four-cylinder TSI (seen on the Jetta TSI and Octavia TSI in India) and up to 25-percent quieter than Ford’s 1.0L turbo three-cylinder (seen on the EcoSport in India).

Opel Adam

This new range of engines will first show its glimpses on the new Opel Adam, later on this range will be boasted on 27 models of GM by 2017. 

Current Generation Chevrolet Cruze

Production of Ecotec engines will take place in five global locations, however, India is not listed to make these engines.

GM has announced that the next generation Cruze, specifically tailor-made for China, will be launched by the end of this year. For the Chinese Cruze, power will come from a 1.4-liter turbo-petrol engine producing 148 hp and 235 Nm of torque, or a 1.5-liter naturally-aspirated engine producing 113 hp and 146 Nm of torque. The 1.4-liter motor will use an all-new dual-clutch gearbox.

The next gen Cruze may be introduced in India early next year but reports are still yet to be confirmed but possibilities are that the model being introduced will have similar or same features as that of Chinese.

Chevrolet Beat facelift test mule spotted in India

Come 2014 and General Motors (GM) are determined to up the ante in India with the launch of facelifted version of their best selling model in India 'Chevrolet Beat'. Next year’s Indian Auto Expo is a possible launch venue for the compact car that’s available in petrol, CNG and diesel engine options. A test mule of the Chevrolet Beat has been spotted in India.

New Front Fascia of Beat

GM has been suffering from the recent slump of sales in Indian market and are desperate to get back into the race and the most effective way of to make an impact is by revamping their best selling model 'Beat'.

GM made its best effort to hide the new features in the car camouflaging probably the whole car but the car gurus are predicting the car to resemble the newly launched South African version. While the US version of the 2014 Beat gains automatic headlamps and a CVT automatic gearbox, the South African version shows a larger number of cosmetic changes.

New Rear End of Beat

Since the Beat is due for a major facelift in India, the South African model is a better bet for the Indian market. Many of the following changes, already available on the South African model, are likely to make it to the Indian version of the 2014 Chevrolet Beat facelift,

• Redesigned front and rear bumpers
• New headlamps
• Revised front grille
• ORVMs with integrated turn indicators
• Redesigned alloy wheels
• Refreshed tail lamps and side skirts
• Revised exhaust tip
• Chromed hatch handle
• Rear roof spoiler
• Optional decals for bonnet, roof, roof spoiler and hatch lid
• New seat fabric
• Refreshed center console

Under the hood, status quo could be maintained. The 1.2 liter-80 PS petrol engine and the 936cc-triple cylinder turbo diesel engines are likely to be carried over. The petrol engine also gets an LPG dual fuel option. All three engines are tried and tested units in the Indian market.

Side view of Beat

The automatic transmission is finally trending in the young Indian market and the big dogs in the industry are bringing the option into their major selling models and the CVT option wont hurt much for GM India along with the standard 5-speed option. After the launch of the Sail U-VA hatchback, sales of the Beat have taken a beating. The facelifted model could turn things around for this funky looking car whose design evokes an equal share of grins and groans.

Chevy Says Spark EV Has More Torque than Ferrari 458 [Video]

Chevy Spark EV

Ohhhh no they didn't! Chevrolet just released a commercial for the brand new Spark EV in which they say this little car has 542 Nm, more torque than a Ferrari 458 Italia supercar. Awesome, right?

Except the 458 Italia has exactly 540 Nm, so a 2 Nm difference isn't going to impress anybody. Also, the Maranello marvel takes the 0 to 62 mph (0 to 100 kmph)stride in 3.4 seconds while the Spark probably takes three times as much. Official figures claim the Spark EV has 100 kW (130 hp) and gets to 60 in 8 seconds.

How is that possible? Well, comparing torque form electric engines to that from petrol ones is like apples and oranges apples.

The only speed you should be concerned about is the speed at which the battery is charged. It's also worth nothing that unlike the 458, which you can probably buy in probably every partof the world, the Spark is basically only available in California and Oregon.

“Being able to provide our customers with the best overall efficiency of any retail EV has always been a key target for the Spark EV engineering team,” said Pam Fletcher, GM executive chief engineer for electrified vehicles. “We’re poised to deliver to the market an EV that’s not just efficient, but also thrilling to drive thanks to the 400 lb-ft torque output of its electric motor.”