Chevrolet's plans to trailblaze rivals and spin its fortunes

General Motors India will launch the big burly Trailblazer this year, while an MPV, Spin, in 2016. The former is a seven-seater SUV, which will take on the Hyundai Santa Fe, Toyota Fortuner, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the new Ford Endeavour, which is slotted to be launched in the latter half of the year.

Unlike its soft-roader sibling, the Captiva, the Trailblazer is based on a traditional ladder frame chassis and is a capable off-roader. Even though they haven't confirmed the engine specifications yet, but Chevy might introduce the newly developed 4-cylinder diesel engines -- 2.5-litre with 152PS of power and 350Nm of torque or 2.8-litre with an impressive 182.5PS of power and 480Nm of torque.

The Spin, on the other hand, is a spacious seven-seater MPV, which will try and muscle its way past the Maruti Ertiga, Honda Mobilio and soon-to-be launched Renault Lodgy. The Spin will be powered by the workhorse 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine, though it is also available in 1.2- and 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engines in markets like Indonesia, Thailand and Brazil.

To make matters more interesting, the Spin has a crossover-styled variant called the Spin Activ, which was unveiled at the Sao Paulo Motor Show last year. It gets an external spare wheel, skid guards, body cladding and roof rails along with new alloy wheels.

Arvind Saxena, President and Managing Director, General Motors India, said: “The Trailblazer is an SUV, which we should be able to launch within this year. “It will be completely built unit (CBU) export from Thailand. The Chevrolet Spin, a multi-purpose vehicle, would be manufactured here.”

Apart from these new products, General Motors India would go for facelifts for existing car lines, which would keep refreshing the car maker’s product portfolio. "GM India's focus is on significantly expanding its presence in the Indian market by enriching its products, quality and the entire purchasing experience," said Saxena.

GM will also increase GM India's export activity. In 2015, the company plans to export around 19,000 cars to nearly 40 countries. A major part of this export activity will be to Mexico and Chile. The company began exporting cars in September 2014. It exported 984 vehicles last year. "We recognise the growth potential of India and are focused on the fundamentals to ensure long-term sustainability," said GM International President Stefan Jacoby. "We know that begins by offering high quality, exciting and competitive products for our customers."