10 FORGOTTEN Chevrolet & Opel cars & SUVs of India

General Motors, one of the biggest car manufacturers around the world shut its shop a few years back in India. Before that, General Motors has sold under various brand names in India including Opel. Well, General Motors launched a lot of products in the Indian market and many of them became quite popular too. However, most of them are now forgotten. Here are a few forgotten Chevrolet and Opel cars and SUVs that were sold in India once upon a time.

Opel Astra

This was General Motor’s first-ever car launch in the C2 segment. The Opel Astra launched in the Indian market in 1996 and came with luxurious high-end features. The Astra was the reason for the arrival of the German build quality and high-end features to the mass market segment in India and it did become quite popular in the market. The sedan was available with both petrol and diesel engine options while the high-end Astra Club was available with a sunroof, which was a big deal in those days.

Opel Corsa

The Opel Corsa was positioned below the Astra in the market and was one of the last cars to be launched in the Indian market from the brand. It competed with the Maruti Suzuki Esteem and Ford Ikon. The Corsa was popular for great ride quality and offered two petrol engine options, which are a 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre.

Opel Corsa Swing

The Corsa Swing was launched in India when most of the manufacturers were still trying to understand the Indian market. Among the slew of station wagons, Corsa Swing was also launched in 2003. The Swing was based on the Corsa sedan and looked quite good. The car came with a 1.6-litre petrol engine that produced a maximum power of 92 Bhp. It was one of the fastest station wagons in India and could touch the speed of 170 km/h.

Opel Cora Sail

Opel launched the Corsa Sail, the hatchback version of the Corsa in India in 2003. The premium hatchback was launched at an affordable price of Rs. 4.39 lakh and featured some high-tech devices like crash sensors that unlocked the doors after a crash. The car also boasted of power windows and pollen filter. The Sail was powered by only petrol engines. There was a 1.4-litre engine produced 86 Bhp while the Sail Sport came with 1.6-litre 103 Bhp engine.

Opel Vectra

It was launched in 2002 and was positioned as the most expensive sedan from the brand. It came powered by a 2.2-litre 146 Bhp engine, which was considered as very powerful in those days. It also offered a high level of features but there were not many buyers for the car.

Chevrolet Forester

The rebadged Subaru Forester was launched in India in 2003. It was way ahead of its time in the Indian market and was powered by a supreme 2.0-litre boxer engine. The engine produced a maximum power f 120 Bhp and peak torque of 178 Nm. It came with a hefty price of Rs 16 lakhs, which is why it did not find many buyers in the market.

Chevrolet SR-V

The large, powerful hatchback from Chevrolet did not live a long life but it sure did leave a lasting impact on the car lovers. The SR-V was launched in 2006 and continued to be on sale for 5 years before GM India pulled it out of the market. The SR-V was basically an Optra minus the boot. The car came with a high asking price of nearly Rs. 7 lakh which did no good for the price-conscious Indian market. The SR-V came powered by only one 1.6-litre petrol engine that produced a maximum power of 103 Bhp.

Chevrolet Optra Magnum

The Optra Magnum was the most powerful mid-size diesel sedan in its time. It came powered by a 2.0-litre diesel engine producing a maximum power of 125 Bhp and peak torque of 305 Nm. The Magnum was launched in 2007 and was on sale till 2012.

Chevrolet Aveo

The Aveo was a successor of the Opel Corsa and came powered by the same 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engine options. It offered a comfortable cabin and was an overall good package. However, the Aveo did not excel in any of the features and offered a value-for-money proposition in the market.

Chevrolet Trailblazer

Known for their SUVs around the world, Chevrolet did not launch many in the Indian market. Towards the end, the manufacturer launched the Trailblazer that came powered by a 2.8-litre engine generating 197 Bhp and a massive torque of 500 Nm. It also offered Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and was the quickest car in the segment. However, the likes of Endeavour and the Fortuner were much more popular than the Trailblazer in the segment.

Also Read: 10 FORGOTTEN Chevrolet & Opel cars & SUVs of India