The potential of Indian car market is known throughout the globe and can be seen by the high number of companies operating in it. Be it a firm that produces a compact hatchback or a manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles, everyone wants to have a share in the Indian auto market. The most popular automobile event that takes place in India is the Auto Expo, which is conducted once in every two years.
Till now, 11 editions of the Auto Expo have been organised, each being more popular than the previous one. The 11th edition, organised in 2012 at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, saw the unveiling of a high number of cars from several brands. General Motors owned auto maker, Chevrolet, was one such firm that, incredibly, displayed a total of 15 vehicles at the 2012 New Delhi Auto Expo. Interestingly, Chevrolet's enclosure at the mega event was divided into three main sections, namely Chevrolet Next, Chevrolet Technology & Innovation and Chevrolet Performance.
Chevrolet Next section featured a number of models that were going to be launched later. One of these models was the Tavera Neo3, an upgraded version that was spacious and had improved luxury levels. Introduced in the market some time ago, the Tavera Neo3 is equipped with a 2.5-litre insta-torque turbocharged powertrain with direct injection technology. The other variant is fitted with a 2.0-litre diesel engine that comes with common rail direct injection mechanism. While the 2.5-litre variant of the Tavera Neo3 is BS3 compliant, the 2.0-litre version comes with BS4 compliance.
The other vehicle that was displayed in this section was a refreshed version of the Captiva Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Incidentally, the Captiva was introduced in India during the Auto Expo in 2008. following the unveiling of this upgraded version at the 2012 Auto Expo, Chevrolet launched in Captiva with a 2.2-litre engine that is mated to an six-speed automatic gearbox. Featuring a sporty and muscular design, this Captiva boasts of features like cruise control, electric parking brake and a sunroof.
Chevrolet's Technology & Innovation section attracted a lot of interest from visitors at the 2012 Auto Expo. General Motors, through this section, displayed technologies that it hoped to bring in the future. One of the highlights of this section was the Chevrolet Volt, considered to be the world's first mass produced electric car. Along with the Volt, Chevrolet also put on display the Beat BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle), which earned praise from all corners. This car was equipped with a battery that weighed around 270 kg and had the capability of powering the Beat BEV for approximately 98 km (normal driving conditions). The Performance section, on the other hand, saw the highest number of visitors due to amazing lineup of cars that was on display. Some of the vehicles on display at the Chevrolet Performance section were Camaro Convertible, Cruze Racing Car and Corvette Stingray Concept.
Lowell Paddock, President and Managing Director at General Motors India, was present at the event and talked about the firm's proud association with the event. “We are proud to be introducing our latest products, which offer industry-leading technology, performance and designs, as well as our environmentally friendly transport solutions in India for India. Our leading position at India's foremost auto show reinforces our company's commitment to this important market,” he was quoted as saying.
Industry experts feel that the Auto Expo is a great platform for any auto maker that wants to make a name for itself in India. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that this event is attended by buyers, potential buyers and people from the industry. Another notable factor is that the Auto Expo sees a number of popular celebrities in attendance, something which attracts attention due to their popularity. Analysts have said that companies have good chance of gaining prominence in tabloids and media sections by putting up a good show at the Auto Expo. After the grand success of the 2012 edition, organisers will be willing to take things to another level at the 2014 Auto Expo, which is scheduled to held in Greater Noida. And if reports are to be believed then organisers already have their hands full in terms of participants. However, no details about the 2014 Auto Expo have been revealed by any official from the organising committee.
