A General Motors executive said today that the company has plans to build a second minicar for the Indian market. GM introduced its first main competitor in the Indian segment, the Chevrolet Spark (pictured above), in April of last year.
President of GM Asia Pacific Nick Reilly told reporters at a press conference, “We believe there is space for us to have another entry in the minicar segment in India.”
While GM currently produces six Chevy models in India, including the Aveo hatchback, the automaker feels that the blooming Indian economy could support a further lift-back. Market leader Suzuki currently sells as many as five hatchbacks in Indian local markets.
GM has said that the new model will not be positioned to compete directly with Tata’s $2,500 Nano minicar.
(Check out another Chevy India offering, the Aveo, in our gallery below.)
+ CNN Money: GM plans second tiny car for India
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A GM mini for India and none for the U.S. - go figure. As long as they can sell the big gas guzzlers here they’ll continue to. It will be 10 years before GM, Ford and Chrysler produce a mini for the U.S. and by then there will be a half dozen foreign manufacturers selling them.
Here’s an article from MSNBC from a year ago. GM ponders the question of whether there is a market for a mini vehicle in the U.S. that gets 50 mpg. Are you kidding me!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17878603/
Ziggy, a mini-car like that would never sell in America considering how bare bones the Tata Nano is, not to mention with a more affordable car, more people would be driving, meaning we would need even more oil, just like India and China will need when more people start driving in those countries
The most difficult part about getting one of these minicars to the U.S. is overcoming the misconceptions surrounding them. They’re not unsafe, they’re not poorly built, they’re not going to get eaten by an SUV, and they certainly aren’t the bare-bones econoboxes of yesteryear. Though I wouldn’t get one, the smart Fortwo is certainly the first step in the right direction for this market.
Bit of a difference between a Mercedes designed and built vehicle and something built by an Indian corporation, built exclusively for EMERGING markets
The Nano would probably not do well in the U.S and would not meet our safety standards. The Mitsubishi i and the Honda Zest would do well. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. This is why the compact & sub-compact classes are doing very will. Cars that get 50mpg, seat 4 and are priced around $15k will sell well in the U.S. Size doesn’t matter - saving money does.
There is a market. If they do plan to being these ‘Indian’ cars over, they should really improve them heavily. Throw in a diesel, and up the interior.
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