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Chevrolet serving up a feast at Paris Motor Show

2010-09-30

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Press Kit: Chevrolet at Paris Motor Show

Zurich.  Four world debuts, ground breaking electric technology and a proud display of its racing credentials are making up the mouth-watering Chevrolet presence at the 2010 Mondial de L'Automobile in Paris.

At Paris, Chevrolet has news to tell in just about every segment and corner of the market with world debuts of the new Aveo small hatchback, the striking Orlando MPV and the Captiva SUV, and a first appearance in show car form of the Cruze 5-door hatchback.

Chevrolet's ground breaking Volt electric vehicle also has a significant presence, just weeks before its on-sale date in select U.S. markets, while road and race car versions of the Cruze and Corvette are displayed side by side as a demonstration of the intrinsic link between racing success and production car development.

"Paris 2010 is a once-in-a-lifetime show for Chevrolet with four world premieres," said Wayne Brannon, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Europe. "The Chevrolet stand is a preview of the all-new Chevrolet line-up customers will see at our showrooms in our centenary year, 2011."

New Orlando

Orlando is Chevrolet's first entrant into the European MPV/family van segment, a true family car for the times which combines 7-seater practicality and interior flexibility with striking crossover style design. Orlando brings an exciting new blend of functionality and attitude to the family car segment, adopting a bold, distinctive Chevrolet face, and a low roof-with crossover-inspired silhouette.

Complementing the exterior design, Orlando has a modern, fresh interior with a number of clever features like the 'theater' style seating for the second and third rows and a number of ingenious storage compartments. It also has a generous load area.

Customers will be able to choose from three of Chevrolet's latest fuel efficient engines - a 1.8 liter petrol and two 2.0 liter diesels of different outputs – when Orlando goes on sale in Europe early 2011.

New Aveo

Chevrolet's new Aveo 5-door will bring some 'hot-hatch' style to the small car segment, with the final production ready version looking every bit as good as the Aveo RS show car concept shown at the Detroit and Geneva shows this year.

The new Aveo has benefited from an extensive European development program, the result of which is a car that will satisfy European tastes in terms of design and dynamics. Like the Spark which was launched earlier this year, Chevrolet expects the new Aveo to appeal to younger buyers, while retaining its identity as a practical, spacious small hatchback too.

Coming to market in Europe in the summer of 2011, the new Aveo is both longer and wider than the current model. It has a spacious interior and also boasts a cargo volume that is among the best in segment. Aveo's new interior is not just about space, however; the motorcycle inspired instrument binnacle, the up market backlighting and wrap-round design of the front fascia take Aveo to a new level.

A comprehensive range of four cylinder petrol and diesel engines will be available, incorporating VVT, double continuous variable cam phasing and common rail fuel injection technology. Chevrolet's first 6-speed transmission for a small car will also feature as an option on selected engines.

New Captiva

Sporting a new front end design, a range of enhancements to the interior and new engines and transmissions, Chevrolet's new Captiva SUV makes its world debut at Paris and is scheduled for European launch in spring 2011.

Captiva has won many friends for is exterior design since launch in 2006, and with the latest changes to reflect Chevrolet's distinctive design direction, the new Captiva looks even more athletic and purposeful. Four new powerful engines, mated to either a manual or new six-speed auto transmission prove the changes to Captiva are more than skin deep and will help to reinforce the message that the new Captiva offers a lot of SUV for the price.

The introduction of a new 3.0 liter 258 hp V6 gasoline engine with direct injection and variable valve timing will make the new Captiva one of the most powerful compact SUVs on the market, while the new 2.2 liter common rail turbo-charged diesel units will be available with either 163 or 184 hp outputs. Rounding off the new line-up is a 2.4 liter dual overhead cam gasoline unit, rated at 171 hp.

Captiva's dynamics have also been up-graded with chassis modifications designed to improve body control and ride and handling characteristics. With Electronic Stability Control, (ESC), Traction Control (TCS) and Brake Assist (BAS) all standard, Captiva provides high levels of safety.

Meanwhile, on the inside the new Captiva's interior features an array of new fixtures including new seat fabrics and interior décor appointments to give it a more up-market feel. Engineers have also improved the internal acoustics to reduce road and wind noise, allowing occupants to enjoy the new audio system to the max.

Cruze hatchback show car

The global appeal of the Chevrolet Cruze is set to get even greater when a 5-door hatchback version joins the sedan next year. At Paris, a show car version of the new hatch will be unveiled.

With Chevrolet's intention to bring value for money to all mainstream markets, the 5-door hatchback version should build on the world-wide sales success of the sedan, already sold in 70 countries around the world and which recently surpassed Aveo as the brand's largest selling passenger car nameplate globally.

With its attractive sweeping coupe roofline and short overhangs at both the front and rear, the new Cruze hatchback has the same dynamic stance as the sedan and will be instantly recognizable. It will benefit too from the same taut body feel on the road, being built using the new body-frame integral system (BFI) which is complemented by the final tuning to chassis components. Cargo capacity for the hatchback is close to 400 liters and it will feature 60/40 split rear seating.

The new Chevrolet Cruze 5-door hatchback will go on sale across Europe mid 2011 with prices and further details announced nearer the launch date.

Chevrolet Volt

With the first concept of the Chevrolet Volt electric car seen at the Detroit Auto Show only three years ago, Paris 2010 marks the eve of the car's launch in the U.S.A., where the Volt will go in sale in selected areas in just a few weeks' time. As a fitting way to mark Chevrolet's Centenary next year, production of the Volt for Europe is due to start in 2011, with the first cars launched across Europe before the start of 2012.

The Chevrolet Volt is an electric vehicle with extended-range capability and is different from a hybrid in that the vehicle's wheels are always driven electrically. The Volt uses electricity as a primary source and gasoline as a secondary, back-up source to generate electricity. Hybrid vehicles require both sources – engine and battery – to provide full vehicle performance. Typically, in a hybrid, the combustion engine is the larger of the two propulsion sources and provides most of the power during high-power vehicle maneuvers.

The Volt stands apart from other electric or hybrid propulsion systems. It drives up to 60 kilometers on electricity, stored in a 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the battery's energy is depleted, an onboard generator produces electricity to power the electric drive unit, while simultaneously sustaining the charge of the battery, thereby extending the range of the Volt to more than 500 kilometers.

To recharge, the Volt can be plugged into any 230V household outlet and will fully charge in less than three hours.

The Volt's "Efficiency Meter" in the instrument cluster gives the driver real-time feedback on driving efficiency, while the Volt's "Green Leaf" button provides access to vehicle power flow, charging status and energy information. The driver will be able to set the charging schedule inside the vehicle or remotely, based on time of day or cost.

For all intents and purposes, the Volt is a conventional five-door, front wheel drive hatchback that offers ample space for four passengers and a 300-liter trunk for luggage. With torque of 370 Nm, the Volt can sprint to 100 km/h in an impressive nine seconds, and has a top speed of 161 km/h. Compared to conventional propulsion systems, the instantaneous torque of the Volt gives it the feel of a powerful V6 engine.

Shared technology: race car to road car

While the inventive engineer in Louis Chevrolet would be proud to mark 100 years of the company he founded in November 1911 with production of the Volt electric car, the champion race driver in him would no doubt be equally proud of the performance heritage that the company has built up over the years, and how this expertise is being put to good use in the development of standard production models.

Two of the latest examples of this spirit are on display at the Paris Motor Show in the form of the Corvette ZR1 alongside its C6.R race car cousin which competed at the 24 hours Le Mans and in the American Le Mans series, and the Cruze sedan, currently racing with great success in the World Touring Car Championship where it leads with two rounds remaining.

About Chevrolet

Chevrolet is General Motors' largest global brand with annual sales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. It is the fourth biggest global car brand in terms of sales and also one of the fastest growing brands in the world. Chevrolet Europe delivers attractive, distinctive design, practical, economical cars and outstanding value for money. After re-launching the brand in Europe in 2005, Chevrolet more than doubled its sales to over 500,000 in 2008. In 2009, Chevrolet held its market share in Europe at 2.3 percent, selling 426,000 cars. Chevrolet has a network of 2,900 dealers and service points in Europe. The Chevrolet line-up includes the all-new Spark city car, the small Aveo, compact Cruze sedan, Captiva SUV, mid-size Epica and the legendary Corvette sports car. In 2011, Chevrolet will launch the Orlando, an all-new family van, the Camaro coupe and convertible, the new Aveo and the Cruze hatchback as well as re-launching the Captiva SUV with four new engines. Chevrolet's biggest markets in Europe are Russia, Italy, Germany, France, Spain and the U.K. Established in the U.S. by Swiss émigré Louis Chevrolet in 1911, the brand is preparing to celebrate its centenary with the launch of the ground-breaking Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle. More information on Chevrolet can be found at http://www.chevroleteurope.com or http://media.chevroleteurope.com.