Chevy's gas variant promises much but will customers sacrifice pick-up for a marginal rise in mileage?
Chevy's gas variant promises much but will customers sacrifice pick-up for a marginal rise in mileage?
Chevrolet's just added to the crowd in the mini-car segment with a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) version of its popular Spark. While the company is confident of sales, others are not so sure.
Spark LPG, which will compete with Maruti's Wagon R and Hyundai's Santro, the two other LPG small cars in the market, offers an impressive three-year warranty. It's equipped with a "superior" sequential injection-type LPG kit, introduces new beige interiors based on customer feedback and can switch from petrol to LPG at the press of a button.
But auto experts wonder if consumers will warm up to these advantages.
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Gearing up: Karl Slym, president of GM India and P Balendran, VP ofu00a0 GM India, pose with the Spark LPG at the launch of the car at Hotel Windsor Manor last Thursday pic Ramesh H S |
"Though its three-year warranty isu00a0 impressive, no one will want to sacrifice pick-up power for a marginal difference in the fuel consumption," said auto expert M R Indresh.
Spark LPG has a mileage of 13.7 km and maximum power of 61.2 ps, as compared to the petrol version that runs 18.3 km a litre and has a maximum power of 63 ps.
But General Motors thinks around 20 per cent of customers in Bangalore will choose the LPG version, which would lead to sales of around 40 units per month.
After all, Spark is the big volume driver for GM in India, accounting for almost half its total sales last year. And Ankush Aurora, vice-president, marketing sales and aftersales, said he was confident of seeingu00a0 the sale of Spark accelerate in the last half of the year.
Steep roadIndresh, however, thinks the optimism is misplaced. For one, GM's recent bankruptcy has affected the momentum of Spark.
"Spark is not moving in the market as much as other vehicles", he said. Besides, the price of the LPG Spark is "a little too high".
The car is priced between Rs 4.2 to 4.5 lakh (on road).
Unfazed
K C Harish, sales manager of the Hyundai showroom on Hosur Road, says he is not afraid of the new car. "We have confidence in our product. The Santro is a well-established product while LPG Spark is new."
But if there's one thing the customer is smiling about, it's the wide choice.
Prices of fully loaded LPG variants
> Maruti's Wagon R: Rs 4.22 lakh
> Hyundai's Santro: Rs 4.27 lakh
> Chevrolet's Spark: Rs 4.43 lakh
(Source: Auto expert M R Indresh)What's new in the Spark LPG?
> Sequential injection-type LPG kit, which GM claims is superior compared to the Venturi injection used by Maruti and Hyundai.
> New beige interiors changed from charcoal, on customer's feedback.
> It can run on petrol as well as LPG. The change can be made by pressing a button "without engine backfire"
