9 Forgotten Chevrolet Cars in India, From Chevy Trailblazer to Beat

General Motors targeted the Indian automobile market in the early 2000s by introducing Chevrolet. But due to global challenges, the inability to read the market properly and a poor network Chevrolet couldn’t make a strong customer base and ultimately in 2017 GM terminated its pan-India sales. Anyway, during its time in India, it introduced many cars, Some were able to attract customers while others were barely noticed.

Let’s talk about nine such cars that were sold by Chevrolet in the Indian market.

1. Chevrolet Forester | The first attempt

   

   This SUV was the first vehicle under GM’s leadership sold in India by Chevrolet and with it being a rebadged version of the Subaru Forester which was then available in the global markets. The Chevrolet Forester debuted in 2003 and had a wonderful 2.0-litre Boxer motor which could push its ultimate power to 120hp with 178Nm of maximum torque.

   The Forester soon turned out to be the only car in India which came with a boxer motor. This crossover had plenty of top-notch features and came with a price tag of Rs. 16 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) which made it one of the most expensive vehicles in its segment. But just like many other Chevrolet cars, the Forester could have been the answer to the infamous Tata Safari but unfortunately, it failed to make an impact on the Indian auto market and was then discontinued in 2007 after 4 years of struggle.

   Read More: 10 Forgotten SUV in India, From Premier Rio to HM Trekker

2. Chevrolet Tavera | The champ played well

   

   The Chevrolet Tavera was first introduced in the Indian market in early 2004 and was an instant hit. The chevy Tavera single-handedly dominated the commercial market pushing all of its rivals aside. It was priced at Rs 8.54 Lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and was considered a steal.

   Despite doing its best on the commercial front. The latter top of the line variants served as an ideal family car. With its extremely spacious cabins and Effective air conditioning, this car served as the ideal choice for long-distance travel. On the mechanical front, the Chevy Tavera featured a ‘Sonalika’ sourced 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine and a 2.0 litre TDCi diesel engine (with VGT).

   This commercial classic departed the Indian road with the company’s departure from the Indian market in 2017. The Chevrolet Tavera was one of the few successful cars of Chevrolet in India.

3. Chevrolet Aveo | They designed it well

   

   This C-segment sedan can be considered as the Opel Corsa successor. Just like its big-daddy, the Chevrolet Aveo was available in a 1.4-litre and a 1.6-litre petrol engines, which made it a relatively powerful sedan for the Indian market. It was also very spacious and had a comfortable cabin. The Aveo was sighted on Indian roads for almost 7 years from 2005 to 2012 and had a starting price of Rs. 5.47 Lakhs(Ex-showroom Delhi).

   However, due to its high aftermarket service cost and fewer service facilities countrywide this car wasn’t preferred by Indian consumers. Well, Chevrolet Aveo was one of the biggest projects for GM as the car was launched in over 120 countries under different brand names. We do not know its response at other places however we do know that it definitely failed to make its name in the Indian market.

   Wait There’s More: 10 Forgotten Station Wagons (Estate Cars) Of India

4. Chevrolet SR-V | The best or the worst

   

   Well, Chevrolet did introduce some amazing cars in India, one of them being SR-V. This was a really good looking hatch-back and under its hood was a muscular 1.6-litre gasoline burner. It was available in both petrol and diesel options and was paired with a 5-speed manual transmission. Depending upon the variant and the fuel type the SR-V could manage to go anywhere around 13 km with one litre.

   The car managed to stay put in the Indian market for almost 4 years from 2006 to 2010 but never managed to get any attention from the customers. One of the reasons for its failure was its high price which was Rs. 7 lakhs, higher than most of the hatchbacks during that time. The failure of the SR-V turned out to be a major setback for Chevrolet.

5. Chevrolet Optra Magnum | The Jack of All trades

   

   This Sedan was launched in India in 2007 and was probably the most promising medium-sized sedan of its time. It got its power from the muscular 2.0-litre motor which could deliver a maximum power of 125hp and a peak torque of 305 Nm. It was available in both diesel and petrol variants and had a 5-speed manual transmission. The Chevrolet Optra Magnum was sold at a base price of Rs. 7.41 Lakhs (Ex-Showroom Delhi).

   This car managed to hit the right spot or 5 years from 2007 to 2012 and was able to impress many buyers, however, its popularity reduced considerably with the release of D-segment sedans such as Honda Civic and the Skoda Octavia. These newly launched cars offered really tough competition to the Magnum and ultimately the company had to discontinue its ultimate sedan in India.

6. Chevrolet Captiva | The most expensive in the fleet

   

   The Chevrolet Captiva was a premier SUV by the company. It came with a price tag of Rs. 25.13 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and was one of the most expensive cars sold by Chevrolet India. It came powered to a 2.2-litre VCDi turbo engine which could produce 184hp and a peak torque of 424 Nm. Though the car stayed in the Indian market for four years from 2008 to 2012 but failed miserably to grab the buyer’s attention and was yet another huge failure of Chevrolet in India.

7. Chevrolet Beat | Not all heroes wear masks
   

   

   The famous Chevrolet beat was a classy hatchback that offered looks that set it apart. It had a great driveability, compact size, and a stunning value-for-money proposition. The Chevy beat was available with the choice of diesel and petrol variants. The Beat catered to a wide audience. Apart from being economical, the Beat’s USP lied within its design and futuristic MID setup. It had a price range between Rs. 3.94 lakhs to Rs. 6.09 lakhs.

   The Chevrolet beat was the smallest passenger vehicle that was available in the diesel line-up and offered competition to the likes of Maruti Suzuki Celerio, Hyundai Grand i10, and the Nissan Micra Active. The Chevy Beat stayed in the market for 9 years from 2008 to 2017 and more than 178,000 units were sold.

8. Chevrolet Spark | Not sparky enough
   

   

   This car was launched in 2009 and was one of the successful offerings of the company. The Chevrolet Spark had a starting price of Rs 3.63 lakh and offered tough competition to the likes of Maruti Suzuki Alto and Hyundai Santro. This hatch came powered by a 1.0-litre Smartech engine, which churned out 63 bhp and 90Nm of peak torque. The Chevy spark rivalled the likes of the Maruti – Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon.

   This car had a good run until competition intensified and it started to lose its momentum and finally was lifted from the showrooms in 2017. The company sold more than 1,65,000 units of Chevrolet sparks in India since its launch.

9. Chevrolet Trailblazer | The American SUV

   

   The company tried bringing the trend of its big bad SUVs of America to the Indian shore with the Chevrolet trailblazer. When introduced, it was one of the most powerful SUVs in the game. It featured some classic characteristics of an American muscle SUV.  Under its hood, was a powerful 2.8-litre engine that could produce 197hp and a peak torque of 500 Nm which placed it amongst the fastest SUVs in India at that time.

   The Chevrolet Trailblazer couldn’t compete with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, Mahindra Scorpio and the Mahindra XUV500 which were priced much lesser. The car could only stay for two years and was lifted from showrooms in 2017.

   Well, Chevrolet’s journey in the Indian market was no less than a roller coaster ride. It tried really hard to make its place in the market but unfortunately couldn’t do so. But still, even after two years of its departure, we can still see some of its products on the Indian roads.

   Hold On! 5 Forgotten OPEL Cars in India. The Company that Was.