General Motors showed off the Chevrolet Miray Concept car at the 2011 Johannesburg International
Motor Show. Some reckon it’s the next Corvette,
but with a hybrid engine, one would be sceptical of this thought. Miray (pronounced
My-Ray) is powered by two electric
motors and a double-clutch
transmission. It’s shaped like a speedster, with a low windscreen and no roof. The
car is GM’s showstopper this year.
For those still on earth, the GM stand features some of the most
exciting products on display. From Opel you’ll be able to see the brand new Astra GTC, all-new Meriva MPV and facelift Corsa
OPC. The Astra GTC is based on the current Astra shape launched in 2010,
and features 3 doors, a coupe-like silhouette,
large eagle eye headlights, and a 1.6-litre
turbo with 132kW. Indeed it is less
powerful than the 147kW GTC it
replaces. Opel’s HiPerStrut system
ensures the car limits torque steer and performs as it should.
Little Corsa features a new front end, rear end and interior
bits. The powertrain remains the same, with a 1.6-litre turbo engine doing work for its 141kW and 230Nm. It’s
the entry-level OPC model and is fitted with sports Recaro seats, a 7-speaker
sound system and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The Meriva is a small MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) with
flexible seating arrangements and spatial use. A first for the segment is the FlexDoor layout which allows for the two
rear doors to open rearwards or suicide-style. The seats are extremely flexible
and adjustable for the most optimal space usage. The 4.2 metre-long Meriva will come with a few engine options,
including a 1.4-litre turbo making 103kW. At some point we expect even an
OPC version to show up.
Apart from the concept Miray, Chevrolet displays two upcoming
cars, namely the Sonic and the new Utility bakkie. Sonic will be sold
alongside the Aveo, a strange
decision considering the cars are playing in the same field. GM might
differentiate them in pricing, spec and engine options though. The Sonic will
be sold in hatch and sedan variants, with three engines on the counter. A 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre (both petrol) and
a 1.3-litre turbo diesel are being
considered.
With the Utility bakkie, Chevy is keen on keeping its sub-one ton segment leadership that has
lasted well over 5 years. It is
targeted at payloads of at least 666kg
depending on the model. A Sport model we spotted at JIMS is one of 10 that will
be offered here, including petrols and diesel. Chevy Corsa Utility will be
built at GM’s just outside of Port Elizabeth.
4 comments:
oh I really wanna be at jims pls pls
Miray looks very good I must say. But it has the Chevy badge which counts against it. Love the OPCs though.
I wish the OPC could produce like 240kW or something like that
I never noticed the bakkie was a chervrolet
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