Three Chevrolet Global Minicar Concepts

Wicklow Motoring

/ Motoring /

Three Chevrolet Global Minicar Concepts

Thursday, April 5 2007

Small is beautiful. This is a surprising lesson Americans visiting the Chevrolet stand at the New York Motor Show are likely to learn. GM’s biggest brand revealed three Chevrolet Matiz sized global concepts designed to appeal to young car buyers in urban markets. They show to the American public what Europeans already know: that art needn’t take a back seat just because the canvas is small. The highly creative Chevrolet Beat, Chevrolet Groove and Chevrolet Trax concepts drive the energy, diversity and excitement of city life into cars that deliver good-looking fun, fuel economy and value.

All three concepts were designed at GM’s Design Studio in Incheon, South Korea. One of GM’s 11 Global Design Studios, the designers in the Korean centre are experts in small car product development, proven by two successful Matiz generations.

Built on GM’s global mini architecture, these concepts demonstrate the flexibility, creativity and innovative focus of design in GM’s Asian Pacific region. The Chevrolet Beat concept, a running prototype of a sporty mini, was built in India; while the Chevrolet Groove and Trax urban crossover concepts were built at the GM Tech Centre in Warren, Michigan (USA). The concepts offer three different fuel-efficient engines, including a diesel.

“The Chevrolet Beat, Groove and Trax concepts highlight the strength and diversity of GM’s Global Design capabilities, as well as the ability of our Global Product Development team to anticipate and quickly meet the evolving needs of our diverse markets around the world,” said Ed Welburn, vice president, GM Global Design.

"The design team was so enthused about being given the assignment to develop the perfect small car for urban commuters that they created not one, but three interpretations of how this car may be developed for Chevrolet customers around the world."
Chevrolet is one of four GM global brands, meeting diverse customer needs in 120 countries with vehicles that range from subcompacts and family saloons to full-size pickups and SUVs and iconic sports cars such as the Corvette.

Here’s a look at Chevrolet’s three mini-car concepts:

 Chevrolet Beat: Designed to evoke the mood of a speedy mini, the Beat is a front-wheel-drive, three-door hatchback concept built to be personalized, and powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an automatic transmission.

 Chevrolet Groove: It is too tough-looking to be “cute,” the Groove concept is a retro-inspired vehicle with bodacious fender flares and an upright windshield. It looks much longer than it is, thanks to its short hood and long cabin. The front-drive Groove is powered by a small, efficient 1-litre diesel engine.

 Chevrolet Trax: An urban crossover concept that’s equally at home on the trails or in traffic, it showcases an affordable all-wheel-drive system and looks the part of a rugged SUV many times its size, thanks to a voluminous one-piece bumper and fender system in the front and back, a rear-mounted spare tire and a roof rack. Trax is powered by a 1-litre gasoline engine.

GM’s Global Product Development process
The Chevrolet Beat, Groove and Trax concepts were designed and built leveraging GM’s Global Product Development process, created from best practices around the world that integrate design, engineering, powertrain and manufacturing organizations to ensure each vehicle program meets its quality, timing and business targets, yet is responsive to the needs in regional markets.

As part of its global product development process, GM is growing the skills and capabilities of its design and engineering centres in several emerging markets, using key tools and technologies, such as a global virtual design and engineering network, that allows engineers and designers to collaborate with each other around the world.

Chevrolet’s global footprint
Chevrolet is one of the fastest-growing brands in the world, with a sales increase of 158 percent outside North America since 2001. Chevrolet sold 4.3 million vehicles worldwide in 2006, 2.8 million – or 65 percent – in the United States. From 2005 to 2006, Chevrolet’s sales grew 19 percent in the Latin America, Africa and the Middle East region; 19 percent in the Asia/Pacific region; and 15 percent in Europe.
In Europe, Chevrolet reached record sales of over 340,000 units in 2006. In the first quarter of 2007, Chevrolet Europe is well on track for a sales increase of 25 percent over the first three months in 2006 – with estimated sales of 94,000 units.

About General Motors:
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2006, nearly 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

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