Chevrolet Mini (aka Spark) to launch production in India this year
The tiny subcompact that GM first showed as the 2007 Beat concept could start production by the end of this year in India. A report in Indian Autos Blog indicates that for the Indian market the car will be called the Mini - rather than the Spark moniker it will have when it comes to the U.S. in two years. GM's initial plan had been to the build the Mini at it's factory in Maharashtra from complete knock down kits brought in from another country (likely China or Korea). Instead, GM is tooling up for full Indian production. The Mini is expected to compete in the premium small car segment against the likes of the Hyundai i20 and Škoda Fabia. Power is expected to come from a 1.2L gas or 1.4L diesel engine. We still don't know where the U.S. market Spark will be sourced from.
[Source: Indian Autos Blog]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike!!ekiM 1:33PM (1/25/2009)
Here's your peak at the future.
GM, and all the world automakers, are going to set us up for a GLOBAL RESOURCE WAR.
If India gets ANY auto fleet it needs to be ELECTRIC. You can Kiss your $2 gas away FOREVER, and your crops and your water and your planet.
But, GM and the world auto market will get a few( 10? ) good years of profit before the system CRASHES.
The Capitalistic system, without Government Intervention, will CRUSH us all.
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noz 2:04PM (1/25/2009)
Pretty much..
This is what the shills about biofuel don't seem to get.
noz 2:07PM (1/25/2009)
I have to say it's a cool looking car though. But I doubt GM would have the balls or sense to bring a car like this to the US and hybridize or electrify it.
Cars like this are what need to be running on alternative power sources...not the "Escalade" hybrids and what not.
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BoneHeadOtto 3:36PM (1/25/2009)
True we do need hybrid and electric cars like this but dont be down on the full size hybrid SUVs. Those cars make a bigger impact on the fuel consumption of a consumer than the smaller cars do. Suppose a driver goes 12k miles a year.
If they move from a 14mpg Tahoe (the 6.2L v8) to a Tahoe hybrid (6.0L v8 with similar towing) the use 285 less gallons of gas a year.
if they move from a fit (close car to a spark) where they are getting 30mpg to a spark hybrid getting 50mpg, they only use 160 gallons less gas a year.
So sure a small hybrid is best but not everyone can drive one. It impacts gas resources more to make an SUV a hybrid than making an already efficient small car a hybrid.
noz 12:44PM (1/26/2009)
That's not the point. The consumption of resources doesn't start and end with only how much fuel you use.
You also consume more to build that giant SUV. You also require more oil to put into the engine....more waste, more rubber for tires, more plastic for the interior, on and on and on.
Saving fuel is a big part of the equation but it's only part of the equation.
Also, there is no reason whatsoever for the majority of people on this planet to be driving around in 7 passenger vehicles. Those days, I hope are over.
BoneHeadOtto 3:38PM (1/25/2009)
oops sorry...
that is if they move from a 14mpg Tahoe to a 21mpg Tahoe hybrid. - all mpg numbers taken from fueleconomy.gov expected combined MPGs.
With the Tahoe it makes an even larger difference in town going from 11mpg to 20mpg
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Mike!!ekiM 4:41PM (1/25/2009)
- They need to rapidly turn the Tahoe hybrid pretty much into the Only powertrain option, not that that's going to help much.
India, Population 1.1 Billion. 500 million gas engines in India means the Death of the Planet.
BoneHeadOtto 8:14AM (1/26/2009)
Yes GM needs to put this excellent hybrid system in its entire lineup. I feel it is better tech than the Prius hybrid system but when comparing MPGs it obviously looses out to the Prius. GM needs to get something like this in the cruz, or even better let america have its cake and eat it too. Put this in a v6 Camaro and get 25/32 mpg or better. If the saturn vue can do it, so can a 300hp camaro. But GM needs to get this hybrid system smaller and put it in a light car to show what it can really do.