Category: General Motors

Former GM Boss Says Apple Should Refrain From Making Cars

Former General Motors(GM) boss, Dan Akerson has warned Apple to stay away from manufacturing their own car, instead he advised the Cupertino based giant to focus on making in-car technology (something like CarPlay). He also suggested that profit margins on cars are relatively meager in comparison to iPhone which is practically a money minting machine.

[quote text_size=”small” author=”Dan Akerson” author_title=”Fomer GM Boss”]

A lot of people who don’t ever operate in it(automobile manufacturing) don’t understand and have a tendency to underestimate. They’d better think carefully if they want to get into the hard-core manufacturing. We take steel, raw steel, and turn it into car. They have no idea what they’re getting into if they get into that.

[/quote]

Reports of Apple prepping its own electric vehicle surfaced last week. The report further stated that the Cupertino-based giant has a team of up to 1,000 employees working on a secret project code-named ‘Titan’. Anonymous sources also suggest the possibility of a car that resembles a minivan.

Meanwhile, earlier it was also reported that Apple’s market value stands at a whopping $745 billion, making it the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization, could be a factor that prompted CEO Tim Cook to venture into a new territory.

February 19, 2015
Chevrolet Beat gets a minor interior upgrade

General Motors has given the Chevrolet Beat two minor cosmetic upgrades. The exterior is unaffected, with both changes taking place on the inside of the budget hatchback. These updates come in the form of driver-side seat height adjust and additional silver accents on the otherwise unchanged dashboard. These accents were earlier seen only on the steering wheel.

The Beat continues to be available in a choice of petrol, CNG and diesel powerplants. The same 1.2-litre petrol and the India specific 1.0-litre diesel engines are on offer with, the petrol engine producing 90PS of power and 108Nm of torque, and the diesel churning out 58PS and 150Nm of torque.

Owing to poor sales figures, GM has also introduced a limited period offer of Rs. 3.39 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) for the base PS petrol variant. Additionally, all versions of the Chevrolet Beat are on offer with free insurance that saves you upto Rs 15,000. There’s a Rs 10,000 loyalty bonus for those who currently own a Chevrolet and want to also buy the Beat. In case this is your first Chevrolet car, Rs 15,000 will be offered as exchange bonus when you trade in your old car at the showroom.

July 13, 2013
Peugeot Citroen to allow GM takeover due to financial troubles

Reports suggest that the founding family of PSA Peugeot Citroen is running out of cash and could step back to let US-owned GM take over the ailing business. Sources have already warned that PSA could get close to not having enough free cash to run the business by the end of 2013, having burned 3 billion euros in operating cash last year. GM, which operates Vauxhall, Opel and Chevrolet in Europe, already owns 7% of PSA having invested in March 2012.

Both GM and PSA are suffering from over-capacity, in spite of plans to scale back production. A report from news agency Reuters suggests that if GM were to take control of PSA, it would want to shut down factories and make redundancies in France and Germany, something that would be especially unpopular with French president Francois Hollande.

Peugeot is reported to have sought finance for the business elsewhere, but a lack of willing bidders has forced it to turn to GM, which owns seven percent of the current business. The move was made with the support of current PSA Chief Executive Phiippe Varin.

The Peugeot family initially asked for financial support from Chinese partner Dongfeng, but turned to GM when those talks came to nothing. According to Reuters, GM is ‘playing hardball’ by holding out for assurances that it can cut plants and jobs at a reasonable cost. It’s also reported that any decision is unlikely to be made before the German general election in September.

The Peugeot family has now accepted that they’ll lose control.

Plans are already afoot to produce a range of Peugeot, Citroen, Vauxhall and Opel models with shared engines and platforms, including a new Vauxhall Zafira, Peugeot 3008 and Citroen C3 Picasso.

Overall the Peugeot family owns a 25.4 per cent stake in the company, but controls 38.1 per cent of the voting rights. Peugeot currently employs 77,000 people in France, while sales of Peugeots and Citroens fell 13.9% in the first five months of 2013 versus 2012, slightly worse the GM Europe’s drop of 11.0%. Neither Peugeot nor GM has commented on the story.

[Reuters]

June 29, 2013
Autogyaan: 5 Hatchbacks We’d Love to See in India

We as Indians love hatchbacks. We love how they are practical and economical. We love how they can be easily manoeuvred out of any traffic jam and parked in the tightest of corners, doing all this while not emptying our bank accounts. Here are 5 hatchbacks we’d love to see on Indian roads (only if they were assembled here, of course).

1) Volkswagen Golf

The quintessential hatchback, the VW Golf is one of the all-time best selling cars, and has graced international ‘car of the year lists’ time and again. The newest iteration is over a 100kg lighter than the previous one, and has impressive safety features such as lane keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control. It’s still a great ‘driver’s car’ and does everything that a hatchback should, and how.

2) Ford Focus

Like the Golf, the Focus is hatchback royalty. It has been an unmitigated success since its launch in 1998. The 2013 model manages to improve upon an aging design with new stylish looks and a well thought out interior. Very refined and practical, it still handles brilliantly and the pricier sporty versions offer some of the quickest engines in the range. Hot hatches really don’t get better than this (just look at those alloy wheels!).

3) Renault Clio

First things first, the Clio’s menacing looks ooze character, you can’t help but notice it. The supermini ticks all the boxes its accomplished predecessor dealt with, and still manages to improve upon others. It’s wider, lower and lighter than before making it handle much better and providing a very composed and comfortable ride. It has a bold, lively interior and comes with a punch-filled economical engine. It may not be as refined as some of its competitors, but it might put a bigger smile on your face.

4) Volkswagen Up

Volkswagen has built more than its share of hatchbacks, and there have been quite a few misses (read VW Fox) to go with the hits. But let there be no doubt, the Up belongs with the latter. This agile, little city car has a lot more space than it seems, and an interior that will put many pricier hatchbacks to shame. It’s not the most powerful or the best equipped car in its class, however it more than makes up for it with a very forgiving ride and a snappy gearbox. The Up does a lot more than is expected from it, and is just too much fun to drive for us to ignore it.

5) Kia Rio

Considerably cheaper than the Golf and the Focus, the Kia Rio will fit in well in the Indian market. Although its performance and handling is not at par with most of its pricier competitors, it has an extremely spacious and stylish interior. Coupled with great modern looks, the gulf between it and its rivals isn’t as big as you’d expect it to be. Boasting a five star NCAP crash test rating, it’s very safe and sturdily built. On top of what is simply a very solid and reliable car, Kia offers a mind-boggling 7 year warranty on all its models in more than 20 European countries. If that won’t sell a car, god knows what will.

March 24, 2013
General Motors To Launch Sail U-VA in November; New Spark Launched Today

General Motors India have successfully launched the new Spark at a base price of Rs 3.16 lakhs, and a topend price of Rs 4.10 lakhs for the LPG variant. Now, the American car maker is all set to launch their next car, Chevrolet Sail U-VA, in India. Chevy Sail is a sub 4 meter hatchback and is expected to be launched in November.

This is the first model to be launched in India from the General Motors SAIC joint venture. Sail U-VA will sit on a 2465mm wheelbase, promises a generous amount of internal space while external styling is also up to expectations. The vehicle will be fitted with a 79 bhp 1.2 liter petrol engine and a 1.3 liter diesel engine, while prices are expected to be in the Rs.4.2 lakh range for the petrol variant and going upto Rs.5.8 lakhs for the diesel counterpart. ARAI has pegged mileage to be at 22.1 kmpl for the diesel variant

The company website displays the Sail U-VA with a new front fascia, interiors are done up in a two tone finish while safety features are at a premium. Fuel tank being strategically positioned means that boot capacity is extended to 1134 liters when seats are folded down. Once launched, Sail U-VA will compete with Maruti Swift, Ford Figo and Toyota Etios. Chevrolet has also launched a new video to promote their new Sail hatchback in India.

[Rush Lane]

October 25, 2012