GM India has announced that it will introduce the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV in 2015 and Spin multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) in 2016. The company apparently first shared this news with GM India dealers during their annual meeting in Bangkok on February 13.

“GM India’s focus is on significantly expanding its presence in the Indian market by enriching its products, quality and the entire purchasing experience,” said Arvind Saxena, president and managing director, General Motors India.

The Trailblazer is a full-blown SUV that will rival the likes of the Ford Endeavour, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and the Toyota Fortuner in India. This ladder-on-frame Trailblazer is said to be a proper seven-seater and more spacious than its rivals.

Under the skin, the Trailblazer comes with the choice of a 2.8-litre, 180bhp or 2.5-litre, 150bhp diesel units in the international markets. However, it is still unconfirmed what engines will make it to Indian markets. Also not yet known is whether the Trailblazer will replace the slow-selling Captiva or will be sold alongside it. In order to keep costs in check and keep prices competitive, Chevrolet is likely to bring the Trailblazer in India via the CKD route.

The other model, the Spin, will jump into the MPV fray in 2016. The Chevrolet Spin is a spacious seven-seater MPV which will compete against the likes of the Maruti Ertiga, Honda Mobilio and the upcoming Renault Lodgy.

Unlike the Chevrolet Enjoy MPV which is based on an older-generation Wuling CN platform, the Chevrolet Spin MPV is based on the GM Gamma II platform that also underpins the Chevrolet Beat sold in India and various other models sold in other markets. The Chevrolet Spin MPV is available with a 1.2-litre petrol, a 1.5-litre petrol and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel engine overseas.

Currently, Chevrolet sells the Enjoy MPV in India which is basically a re-badged version of the Wuling CN-100 MPV sold in China. Although the Enjoy is cheaper than the Ertiga and Mobilio, it has still not managed decent sales, numbers actually halving over the last six months.

Both the SUV and MPV segments in India are currently witnessing exponential growth, and the Trailblazer and Spin are going to be extremely important for GM in India, if it intends to win back some considerable market share.

Focus on exports  
Meanwhile, during the dealer meeting, Arvind Saxena and GM executive vice-president and GM International president Stefan Jacoby also announced that GM will increase GM India’s export activity. In 2015, the company plans to export around 19,000 cars to nearly 40 countries. A major part of this export activity will be to Mexico and Chile. The company began exporting cars in September 2014. It exported 984 vehicles last year.

“We recognise the growth potential of India and are focused on the fundamentals to ensure long-term sustainability,” said Jacoby.