General Motors stole the show at the Detroit auto show this year, unveiling an electric concept car and winning the 'Car of the Year' and the 'Truck of the Year' awards. The company has an equally action-packed agenda for the Indian market this year.
Plug in, fill up and drive. General Motors electrified this year's auto show in Detroit with its Volt concept car, an electric vehicle that can also use gasoline and other alternative fuels like ethanol. But for the Indian market, GM will focus on a different fuel: diesel.
President, GM Asia Pacific, Nick Reilly told SAW, "We will be bringing our first diesel car to the Indian market, the Optra in 2007. We are going to bring in the Aveo sometime in the future. And we will be looking at what we can do across the rest of our product range. But for us, for sure diesel is going to be an important factor."
GM will also think small with its new offerings to grab a share of the small car segment, which makes up over three-fourths of the Indian car market.
Nick Reilly says, "Our focus has changed in India since last year, when we announced that we were going to be entering the mini and the small markets. We've already brought in a small car and in fact it was 'Car of the Year' last year. This year, we're going to be bringing in a mini car, the Matiz."
General Motors, which is the largest car manufacturer in China, now wants to step up its presence in India, starting with its new $300-million manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. It will also expand its research and development base in India, hiring 200-300 engineers every year.
The Saturn Aura, the 'Car of the Year at the Detroit' auto show is one of GM's offerings for the North American market this year. But for the Indian market it's going to be smaller cars, diesel drives and more investment a plan that GM hopes will pay off in the years to come.
