Chevrolet Essentia
Chevrolet

The Chevrolet compact sedan, Essentia, is likely to arrive in India early next year. The launch of the compact sedan is expected to take place in the country in March 2017.

To be pitted against Maruti Suzuki DZire, Ford Figo Aspire, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze, Volkswagen Ameo, Tata Zest and Tata's upcoming Kite 5 compact sedan, the Chevrolet Essentia has been designed in the GM Korea Design Studio.

Auto enthusiasts in the country first saw the Essentia at the Auto Expo 2016 and the sedan has been on test on Indian roads since then. Based on the next generation Beat, the car is expected to borrow some of the design elements from the hatchback. It is expected to get a split grille with a bowtie logo at the front along with swept back smoked headlamps. As for features, expect it to pack MyLink touchscreen infotainment system and dual-tone upholstery.

Under the hood, the Essentia is expected to pack 1.2-litre STEC II engine and 1.0-litre XSDE unit. While the former can churn out 77bhp and 107Nm, the latter will be tuned to generate a 1.0-litre XSDE unit that can make 56bhp and 142.5Nm. The transmission will be handled by five-speed manual gearbox.

The American carmaker is also expected to launch the facelifted version of its flagship SUV, the Trailblazer, in India in early 2017. The new avatar of the Trailblazer SUV, which was unveiled at the 37th Bangkok International Motor Show earlier this year, features more angular and trendy design. Under the hood, the SUV is likely to remain untouched and is expected to continue with the 2.8-litre Duramax four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine that develops 197bhp of power at 3,600rpm and 500Nm of torque at 2,000rpm mated to six-speed automatic transmission.