Chevrolet – the company which was Opel till some years back, in India. Controlled by GM, Chevrolet has been rapidly gaining a firm foothold in the Indian market. To showcase its prowess and to strengthen the brand image GM had the all-new Cadillac CTS, Hummer H3, concepts like Chevrolet T2X, Chevrolet Sequel and WTCC Ultra for us to feast our eyes upon, in addition to the usual cars like Optra, SRV and the latest offering, Captiva.
Cadillac CTS:
The Cadillac CTS, many of you would recall, featured in the much famous - Matrix Reloaded in 2003. That was the day and today is one, the CTS remains one of the best that Cadillac has as a show-off material. Entering into the second generation, Cadillac CTS exudes opulence and sportiness aplenty. The front end remains bold with the large grille forming the dominant part with the corporate logo occupying the centre of pride on it. The sharp and angular headlamps do their bit to complete the picture. The rear is pleasing too defined with straight lines and tall tail lamps. The stop light running atop the boot adds class and the twin exhausts stand testimony to the car’s sporty character.
The CTS is dressed up with huge 18 inch wheels while the brake calipers, suspension and steering system have been tuned to cater to the performance-minded. While talking about performance, it makes sense to mention that the Cadillac CTS comes with an option of a 3.6-litre V6 petrol engine that puts out 315PS and 374Nm of torque and a 2.8L V6 rated at a maximum of 214PS.
Hummer H3:
Needs to introduction Hummer does. It can safely be declared as the most famous word in the off-roading world. While Hummer H3 is only the ‘baby’ of the range, do not doubt its potentials. To cater to the ever growing demand for a more consumer-focused Hummer the H3 was developed.
Though being 39mm shorter in length, 171mm in height and 73mm in width the credibility of the H3 cannot be pointed a finger at. Occupying almost as much space on the road as a large sedan does, the Hummer H3 looks intimidating, owing mostly to the way it looks brutally attractive. Powering the Hummer H3 is a 3.7-litre, 246PS engine which is mated to either an automatic or a manual tranny.
Chevrolet Sequel:
GM calls it the world’s most technologically advanced automobile and showcased the Sequel in 2005 at North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It is essentially a hybrid crossover SUV concept which is powered by a fuel cell powertrain wherein hydrogen combines with oxygen to generate electricity that powers the car. The tail pipe emission as a result is water!
The Sequel’s has a peak power output of close to 100PS(73KW) which gets delivered from a fuel-cell stack. This is complemented by lithium-ion batteries rated at 65KW. One 65KW electric motor drives the front wheels and two 25KW wheel-motors drive each of the rear wheels. All this power enables the Sequel to post decent times. A run to hundred is dealt with in about ten seconds. The Sequel stores 8kg of gaseous hydrogen at a pressure of 700bar which is adequate for 480km range. Not bad that!
WTCC Ultra Concept:
WTCC is the ellipsis for World Touring Car Championship. And the WTCC Ultra Concept from Chevrolet is the touring car concept, but unlike most concepts, it actually works! The body is made out of glass and carbon fiber laminate which is finished in what Chevrolet calls ‘Stealth Blue’. This 4324mm long, 1906mm wide and 569mm tall concept looks a million and exudes some serious character with its aggressive stance. As is expected of a racing car, the suspension of the WTCC Ultra Concept is sophisticated and is made up of independent suspension sporting McPherson struts both at the front and rear.
In addition, the front is equipped with an A-frame arm while the rear suspension houses two additional wishbones and a trailing arm link. Such complex suspension geometry enables the car to have inspiring handling characteristics. One would expect such a serious car to have an equally serious engine lurking under the bonnet. A V6 or a V8 engine developing about 300bhp, maybe? No. What the WTCC Ultra Concept is powered by is a 1991cc diesel engine. Will this 190bhp oil-burning engine be sufficient for the racetrack? We’ll see.
Chevrolet Captiva:
And now, some info about the machine that makes more sense as far as Indian market is concerned. The just launched SUV, Captiva comes across as a very potent competition to the likes of Honda CRV and Ford Endeavour.
The Captiva took a long time in coming but when it arrived, it did so in style. Everyone has been talking about the latest SUV in the market. The Captiva looks handsome, both inside and out and can be a cause of concern for Honda. Although we will be bringing you a detailed drive report, we would like to share this bit about the Captiva here. The construction is monocoque and the car tips the scale at 1820kg. The independent suspension all round comprises of McPherson struts with multi-link coil springs at the rear.
As can be expected, the Captiva is decked up with goodies. MP3 audio system, adjustable steering, parking sensors, climate control, ABS, airbags – it is all there. And as for the engine, Chevy has an edge here vis-à -vis the Honda. The in-line, 4-cylinder 1991cc diesel engine develops 150PS and 320Nm of torque. The only grouch is that there is no permanent 4-wheel drive system. Why did they not offer it is as an optional extra is startling!
