General Motors showed off the Chevrolet Miray Concept car at the 2011 Johannesburg InternationalMotor Show. Some reckon it’s the next Corvette,but with a hybrid engine, one would be sceptical of this thought. Miray (pronouncedMy-Ray) is powered by two electricmotors and a double-clutchtransmission. It’s shaped like a speedster, with a low windscreen and no roof. Thecar is GM’s showstopper this year.
For those still on earth, the GM stand features some of the mostexciting products on display. From Opel you’ll be able to see the brand new Astra GTC, all-new Meriva MPV and facelift CorsaOPC. The Astra GTC is based on the current Astra shape launched in 2010,and features 3 doors, a coupe-like silhouette,large eagle eye headlights, and a 1.6-litreturbo with 132kW. Indeed it is lesspowerful than the 147kW GTC itreplaces. Opel’s HiPerStrut systemensures the car limits torque steer and performs as it should.
Little Corsa features a new front end, rear end and interiorbits. The powertrain remains the same, with a 1.6-litre turbo engine doing work for its 141kW and 230Nm. It’sthe entry-level OPC model and is fitted with sports Recaro seats, a 7-speakersound system and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The Meriva is a small MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) withflexible seating arrangements and spatial use. A first for the segment is the FlexDoor layout which allows for the tworear doors to open rearwards or suicide-style. The seats are extremely flexibleand adjustable for the most optimal space usage. The 4.2 metre-long Meriva will come with a few engine options,including a 1.4-litre turbo making 103kW. At some point we expect even anOPC version to show up.
Apart from the concept Miray, Chevrolet displays two upcomingcars, namely the Sonic and the new Utility bakkie. Sonic will be soldalongside the Aveo, a strangedecision considering the cars are playing in the same field. GM mightdifferentiate them in pricing, spec and engine options though. The Sonic willbe sold in hatch and sedan variants, with three engines on the counter. A 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre (both petrol) anda 1.3-litre turbo diesel are beingconsidered.
With the Utility bakkie, Chevy is keen on keeping its sub-one ton segment leadership that haslasted well over 5 years. It istargeted at payloads of at least 666kgdepending on the model. A Sport model we spotted at JIMS is one of 10 that willbe offered here, including petrols and diesel. Chevy Corsa Utility will bebuilt at GM’s just outside of Port Elizabeth.
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