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Review of Tavera

Tavera has been Manufactured by Chevrolet

Chevrolet Tavera brings success to General Motors General Motors has had a rough ride in the Indian market. Their Opel range of cars was seldom upgraded and was too expensive to lure the Indian customers. As a result, the company decided to launch the cheaper vehicles from their other brands under the highly regarded Chevrolet brand name and the results are showing.

With its better average mileage of 14.3kmpl; ergomax seating arrangement with flexible and comfort option; noise Vibration Harshness (NVH) and other features are making this car more and more reliable to the buyers. Chevrolet Tavera is a practical multi-utility vehicle from General Motors. Its ‘Ergomax’ seating with flexible options provide unmatched space and comfort.

“As expected, the Tavera is turning out to be as popular in India as it is in other parts of the world thanks to the many engineering changes and build quality that was carried out to meet local customer requirements. We believe that the Chevrolet Tavera is just the right product for India,” said GM India Vice President (Corporate Affairs), Mr. P. Balendran. The Tavera has received the thumbs up from both customers and the media. Besides rave reviews in the press describing it as an excellent package in terms of value proposition and product attributes, the customers who have taken delivery of the cars are also absolutely excited and upbeat about the performance and attributes of the vehicle, Mr. Balendran added.

Customers are also very excited with an industry first 5 years/ 150,000 kms Introductory Warranty on its 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine known for its excellent fuel economy and healthy delivery of low-end torque. This reinforces and demonstrates GM India’s confidence in this product and therefore customers looking for an MUV with car like comfort will have no hesitation to go in for Tavera with its assured performance.

In another industry first for a global vehicle manufactured in India, GM India achieved 85 percent localization on job one for the Tavera. This resulted in competitively pricing the product thereby offering an excellent package in terms of product attributes. GM India’s goal is 93 percent localization by the end of 2004 to let the customer enjoy a lower cost of ownership through lower part prices and the ready availability of parts. .

In preparation for the launch of the Tavera, GM India had upgraded and expanded its dealer network with most facilities adopting the state-of-the-art “3S” integrated facility norms. Two other Chevrolet products sold in India have won laurels for GM India. The Chevrolet Optra midsize sedan and Chevrolet Forester SUV have won seven major automobile awards between them over the past year. The Optra was named BBC World “Wheels” Car of the Year, BBC World “Wheels” Viewers Choice, and Best Car in its Segment. The Forester was named CNBC Auto car - Viewers Choice and Best Value for Money, CNBC Auto car - Best Drivers Car, and BS Motoring - Import Car of the Year.

The Chevrolet Optra has quickly emerged as the sales leader in its segment, having captured a 31 percent share in the first five months of this year. Chevrolet Tavera is equipped with 2.5-liter direct injection insta-torque turbo diesel engine that eliminates turbo lag. Tavera gives a superior mileage of 14.3 kmpl (overall) and 20.1 kmpl (highway driving). Chevrolet Tavera is loaded with top-of-the line safety features. They include powerful ventilated front disc brakes for better stopping power, load-proportioning valve for brake force distribution, body-on-frame construction, passenger cell with front crumple zones, and side-impact beams in all side doors.

First Drive

Over the years, General Motors have come to understand the psyche of the Indian consumer. They know what the Indian car-buyer wants. The origins of a car are of little consequence - just give us reliability, fuel economy and above all, great value for money. Moreover, GM has learnt to oblige. In Chevrolet, they are building a VFM brand under which they can sell various cars sourced from their multiple alliances from all over the world. Witness the Chevy Forester (Subaru), Chevy Optra (Daewoo), and now, the Chevy Tavera, which is a born-again Isuzu Panther. With the Tavera, GM hopes to capture a slice of the one, 00,000-units-a-year MUV market in India.

We were invited to GM’s plant in Halol (near Baroda) to drive a pre-production Tavera and the first thing about Baroda that struck us was the heat. On the day of our drive, the city was baking in temperatures of 42-degrees Celsius. Moreover, while being transported from our hotel to the GM plant in an Optra, we caught our first glimpse of a Tavera that was being driven out of the plant. Painted in pristine white and free from any add-on adornments, the Tavera looked like a clean, honest, and well-proportioned utility-vehicle. In the styling department, it quite whoops the current-generation Quails, though the next-gen Quails (which are due to arrive soon) might change that.

We were slated to drive a top-of-the-line Tavera SS and I could not help noticing the snazzy-looking bull bar at the front, ‘Turbo’ budging on the flanks, chrome-plated mirror-housings, front fog lamps, side cladding and twin-tone paint. Okay, so it will never be an SUV, but you can make out that the Tavera’s been trying. The Chevy is a mite longer (2 cm) than the Quails and a full 11 cm longer than the Scorpio, but the latter is 2 cm wider. Bottom-line is, the Tavera does not come across as ungainly and carries its heft well. Our Tavera had a set of smart-looking 7-spoke alloys, which, combined with a short front overhang, lent the UV an almost sporty stance. Only, the long-is rear overhang spoilt that effect a bit. Look at the SS from the front and it almost does a convincing SUV impression. However, look at it from the back or in profile and we are back in people-carrier territory. Which is just as well? We are told that GM has plans of selling this car in 8-, 9- and 10-seater versions and I am sure taxi-operators around the country will love them all. In addition, so will back-seat occupants. The Tavera, bless its Japanese/American soul, has separate zircon vents for both rows of rear-seat passengers.

Time to peek under the bonnet then. Lift the lid and you are greeted by a four-cylinder, 2499cc, and direct injection turbo diesel. A low-stressed unit, it produces 79 horsepower at 3900 rpm and a more respectable 19 kgm of torque at a suitably low 1800 revs. This engine has been locally optimized for our driving conditions and is being manufactured under the guidance of Isuzu engineers, at Hindustan Motors’ Pithampur facility. In fact, the Tavera will go on sale with the highest level of indigenization (85 per cent, compared to the Optra’s 30 per cent and the Corsa’s 60 per cent) amongst all GM cars.

The Tavera’s engine is certainly no scorcher, but power output is adequate - enough to get the job done. We pitted a pre-production Tavera against the clock - with more or less predictable results. The Chevy went from 0 to 60 kph in 9.09 seconds and took 23.36 seconds to hit the 100-kph mark. It also did 130 kph down the Baroda-Halol highway, but I suspect the Tavera had another 10 kph in reserve. This compares well with the diesel Qualis, which takes 9.46 seconds to hit 60 kph, 24.23 seconds to get to 100 kph and has a 130 kph top whack.

The Scorpio, with its 30 bhp advantage over the Tavera, is significantly quicker and faster than the Chevy, but still, I would say the Tavera’s performance is acceptable for an MUV. It will not go scorching down the road, but if that is what you want you are Chevy to do, go buy a ‘Vetted. What will be more relevant in the case of the Tavera is fuel economy and while we are yet to test that, GM claim it will be better than either the Scorpio or the Quails. So let us wait and see…

Climb inside the Tavera and there is a sense of deja vu. You feel like you have been there, seen that before. There are shades of the Qualis in there, though personally, I would prefer the Tavera’s cabin, which counters the Qualis’ austerity with good cheer, lashings of plastic-wood, good quality cloth upholstery, and a Chevrolet-branded FM/cassette-player. The fascia is straightforward and controls are all stone simple to use. The glove box seemed a bit small to me and there is also a fair amount of grey plastic in there, but overall, I think I can live with the Tavera’s cabin. The seats are more comfortable than; say, a Qualis, though ride quality is about the same. What I do not as if so much is the Tavera’s long-is gearlever. I found it a bit awkward to use and shift-quality was not very good either. Then again, GM representatives made it very clear that this was a pre-production car and that things will improve by the time the car is actually launched.

Surprisingly enough, the Tavera’s handling is not very bad either. Given that it is a big, heavy MUV, I would not have been too surprised if it handled like a bag of potatoes, but the Tavera handles its bulk fairly well. In order to see how easily the Tavera would get out of shape, I tapped the brakes hard (from a steady 70 kph, in a straight line) and swerved to the right. The Tavera squealed and squirmed and did a violent little tail-wag, but ultimately fell back in line, with its 205/65, R15 Bridgestone is clinging to tarmac for all they were worth. I will admit I was impressed - the Tavera’s behavior was better than I would have expected from a body-on-chassis MUV with leaf springs at the rear.

After the Optra, GM might have another sales success in the Tavera. Though it does not really break any new ground - style wise or mechanically - this car has the potential to unseat the Qualis. I must say I did not enjoy driving it as much as I enjoy a Scorpio, but the Tavera does no wrong either. We are told that the Tavera will be sold in various seating configurations and prices will start from Rs 6 lakh for the base model, stretching all the way to Rs 9 lakh for the top-end variant. In my opinion, the lower-priced variants will probably make more sense and should provide good value for money. GM has picked the right mass-market niche and if they play their cards right, the Tavera might just give a fresh lease of life to GM’s and Chevrolet’s record of accomplishment in India.

Exterior

The Chevrolet Tavera is clearly not an SUV and it is not a family van either. Its design is somewhere in-between and is probably an attempt to pander to the tastes of both, the individual, family car buyer and the fleet owner looking for a large, but comfortable people’s carrier. With that objective, GMI calls it a multi-utility vehicle and offers six variants with the same engine but different trim levels at a range of price points.

For the untrained eye (if we can call it that), at first glance, the Tavera is almost like a bigger version of the Maruti Suzuki Versa, except for the longer bonnet and the larger wheels. The shorter roof, the sharp sloping bonnet and the long wheelbase makes the Tavera seem to have more car/family van genes than of a utility vehicle. That is part of the gamble that GMI is taking with this new Chevy vehicle. The company is hoping that unlike the existing MUVs (read the Qualis) the Tavera’s more contemporary, almost car-like styling will be an attraction among the more discerning, family UV buyers.

The Tavera design is also meant to offer a more elegant, yet utilitarian set up by retaining the underpinnings of a ladder chassis and leaf-spring suspension construction. The vehicle’s car-like features include the fluid lines that define the Tavera’s exterior and make it visually seem more compact than the Toyota Qualis, while it is actually longer and wider than the latter. Clear-lens headlamp and tail lamp clusters, which are now an industry-standard, also lend the Tavera more ‘car-character’.

However, the small radiator grille, though it gels with the overall design, does not give the Tavera the benefit of a visually larger frontal appearance. Pre-formed panels and wheel arches that run around the vehicle in the upper-end variants give the Tavera a more elegant, yet rugged look. However, the step-up ladder chassis that this MUV is built on makes the floor of the vehicle rise gradually towards the rear and, as such, the seating position is raised at the second and third rows. As a result, ingress and egress from the Tavera’s second and third seat rows is quite a climb, without the assistance of side steps. Aluminum side steps are standard fitment only in the top-end, SS variant.

The exterior styling of the Tavera has an element of contemporariness compared to the more ‘boxy’ and dated (but very functional) design of the Toyota Qualis. However, that still does not make Tavera the looker in the budget SUV/MUV class. The Mahindra Scorpio will surely walk away with that honor, despite its age in the market. The Scorpio owner will also get a more dominating street presence.

Interior

The interior of the Tavera is a bit of a let down for the buyer who is essentially looking for a luxury passenger car that can accommodate his extended family. The seating is comfortable in the higher trim variants and the dashboard plastic and door panels with fabric inserts look better finished and more elegant than the tacky interior finish in the lower trim variants. However, then, that appears to be in keeping with GMI’s plans to push the lower trim variant as a value-for-money option for the fleet owner. That also explains the bench seats in the entry-level variant, which also does not feature an air-conditioner. Nevertheless, even the LT-2 variant’s (one shy of the top-end) interior is very spartan.

Though the two higher trim variants - LT-2 and SS, which will be targeted mainly at the individual car buyer - have a few innovative touches in terms of storage space, one will still miss the cubbyholes and other floor-mounted storage options. The large emptiness surrounding the gearshift stick and between the two bucket seats in the front would be visually unattractive for the car buyer.

Tavera’s three higher trim variants also come with dual air-conditioners, as in the higher trim variants of the Qualis. The only difference that GMI has scored with in the Tavera is that the roof-mounted air-conditioning console comes with opposed vents to simultaneously spread cool air to both the second and third rows. This makes it more effective and quickly cools the interiors. However, the roof-mounted air conditioner’s fan is noisy.

The dashboard and instrument cluster in the Tavera is neatly laid-out and has a few firsts to its credit. However, though the knobs and switches feel rugged, they are puny, and do not gel with the Tavera’s overall design theme. They do not give the Tavera’s interiors the look of a luxury car, not that the competition’s vehicles in this class offer any better.

Engine and performance

Clearly, the Tavera’s biggest and point is its 2.5-litre Isuzu diesel engine. The 2,499cc, four cylinders, direct injected, turbo-charged JA-1L Isuzu diesel burner comes up with a decent 80PS of maximum power at 3,900 rpm. However, more importantly, the Isuzu engine and the soft turbo-charger combo enable the vehicle to come up with a sprightly performance with the turbo kicking in at very low engine rpm levels.

The Tavera’s engine, the same tried and tested one in the Isuzu Panther, comes up with a class-leading maximum torque of 19 kgm at a low 1,800 rpm. The engine is thus very responsive. Ultimately, the low-end torque goes on to reduce the need to shift into lower gears in city traffic and adds to the vehicle’s fuel efficiency. GMI claims that the Tavera is at least ten per cent more fuel efficient than the competition.

In comparison, the Qualis’ 2,446cc 1-RZ E diesel engine comes up with a max output of 75PS at 4,200 rpm and a maximum torque of 15.4 kgm at 2,400 rpm. The Qualis also feels a bit sluggish in the lower rpm range and in the first two gears. However, at higher speeds and into the higher gears, there is hardly any difference between the two vehicles.

Handling and suspension

Dimensionally, the Tavera is longer and wider, but shorter than the Qualis. The Chevy vehicle’s wheelbase is also longer, but despite these bigger dimensions, its kerb weight is only on average about 65 kg more than the Qualis. In the Tavera, the shorter height of the vehicle, the ladder chassis and the more precise re-circulating ball and nut steering system (instead of the more common rack and pinion set-up) gives it a slight edge in handling.

The power-steering response is good and the sharp sloping bonnet gives the driver more confidence in city traffic. But reversing into a parking slot is a bit of a problem as the view is compromised a bit due to the high mounted position of the rear windscreen.

The suspension set-up in the Tavera features independent torsion bar springs in the front. This gives a good ride and improves its shock absorption abilities, while simultaneously limiting nose-dive during sudden braking. The rear features leaf springs with ‘front-back’ dampers that are designed to improve stability. The Tavera’s rear overhang is also lesser than its immediate competitor the Qualis.

Therefore, while ride quality in the third row will be better, the rear leaf spring suspension set-up limits the level of improvement. Moving over to the inside, the Tavera greets you with reasonably soothing interior trim, good seating space for both front and middle row passengers and a commanding driver’s view with well laid out steering-seating arrangement. Even though leg room is more than what we have seen on any vehicle of its category, the third row of front facing seats is quite close to the floor thereby not offering adequate thigh support as the knees are raised.

The instrument cluster is very basic comprising of the odometer, and fuel and temperature gauges, and it is only the top of the line variant that also gets a tachometer. High-end variants of the Tavera will come with a split air condition with dual evaporator coils, one for the front and the other for the second/third row of seats. The air conditioning vents for the two-rear row of seats are uniquely placed on the roof and throw air on both the rows.

Seating arrangement also varies with a bench seat accommodating three in the front and/or a bench seat at the rear accommodating three and facing front or two bench seats facing side-ways instead of the third row and accommodating four persons, two on each bench. Thus with various permutations and combinations the Tavera can seat from eight to 10 people. GM is planning to get the Tavera to be very competitive in the Indian market by starting with a high level of indigenization, which from day one will be up to the tune of 80 per cent.

That combined with cutting costs in order to offer competitive pricing has been the hallmark of this project, and for now its showing. The roof lining for one is of the soft type, something that is passe in current generation automobiles. And though we have heard many arguments in favor of this type of lining the most conclusive has always been the fact that a molded roof costs close to 75 per cent more than the soft one, resulting in significant cost savings.

But for a vehicle costing close to nine lakh rupees, as the top end version of the Tavera is expected to be priced, it surely does not seem justified and we hope General Motors will look into this before making the final decision and the actual production of the Tavera starts, for these are after all pre-production stage vehicles that we have seen. The plastics on the insides apart from the dashboard unit (which is imported), feel tacky as well and some of the switchgear is not of the quality one would expect in a vehicle of its class and cost.

The starting of the engine reveals a pleasant surprise with noise levels inside the cabin, especially with a DI engine I running the show, being fantastically low as well. As we take the Tavera out to the nearby hills for a short drive, we realize that the turbo kicks in un-noticed. Although GMI engineers claim that the boost of the turbo has been kept especially mild and is to enhance low-end torque, ensure better drivability, good fuel efficiency, and help meet emission norms, we feel that the MUV misses the extra pep that could have been another one of the turbot’s advantages. In addition, apart from a little bit of frantic gear shifting which one had to resort to go up a rather steep slope, the engine feels adequate.

The gearshift is nice and smooth but there is a slight problem with the 2nd and 3rd gears being slightly far apart, and inducing rather frequent shifts when going up inclines. The suspension has been set up rather well keeping in mind Indian road conditions and the Tavera has a rather car-like ride. The visibility from the front is great and the Tavera is as easy to drive as any car, and in fact drives better than many cars. The steering, which feels fine at normal speeds, does become slightly vague at higher speeds, but should not be a cause for any great concern.

Overall, we feel that GM has a winner on its hands if it can optimize a few things before the Tavera goes into production. The quality of switchgear and the tacky plastics no one will forgive, even if the performance of the drive train is overlooked because of the fuel efficiency of the vehicle, which is being claimed to be high in normal city driving conditions. That apart, the positives that the Tavera comes with are many. GM India is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation. Besides the Chevrolet Optra, GM India manufactures the Chevrolet Tavera and the Opel Corsa at its facility in Halol, Gujarat. GM India also sells the imported Chevrolet Forrester.

Technical Specification

ENGINE
Engine Type	2.5L Direct Injection Turbo Diesel
Displacement (cc)	2499
Max. Output Ps/rpm	80 / 3900
Max. Torque kgm/rpm	19 / 1800
No. of Valves/OHC	8
Fuel Type	Diesel
Compression Ratio	18.5 : 1
TRANSMISSION, DIMENSION, WEIGHT
Transmission	5-speed Manual
Length (mm)	4435
Width (mm)	1680
Height (mm)	1765
Wheel Base (mm)	2685
Track (Fr/Rr) (mm)	1445/1420
Ground Clearence (mm)	184#
Fuel Tank Capacity (litres)	55
Gross Vehicle Weight (kg)	2335-2375
Kerb Weight (kg)	LS - 1585, LT - 1640 / 1660, SS - 1660
CHASSIS
Tyre	205/65 R15
Turning Radius (m)	5.6
Brakes (FRONT)	Ventilated Disc & Caliper
Brakes (REAR)	Drum, Leading - Trailing (Self Adjusting)
Suspension (REAR)	Semi-elliptical Leaf Spring
Suspension (FRONT)	Double Wishbone with Independent Torsion Bar Spring & Anti-roll Bar