Chevrolet has revealed the Corvette C6 with some mild upgrades for 2012, rather than the anticipated all new “C7” model. The changes to the 2012 model are limited only to interior for the base model and optional external changes for the higher models. These enhancements however should improve driving performance and on-road comfort.
While taking a walk around Sharjah I happened to spot this weird tiny car parked right next to an elegant Chevy Malibu wearing the same bowtie badge. A walk around it and the badges read a plain ‘Sail’. It was a manual variant with an interior as plain as the Empty Quarter; or maybe the Empty Quarter looked better. The front looks fine, rear looks ugly and the whole thing looked as if some revengeful dismissed ex-designer from Chevrolet had messed up with the Aveo design.
General Motors has been releasing stupid “teaser” photos online of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in a bid to get multiple stories out of insipid bloggers. However, the first full photo of the redesigned Malibu has been leaked, although it is very likely GM “leaked” it themselves for publicity.
Recalls are boring news. They’re in fact so boring that we only cover them once in a while now. The number of recalls per month has actually reduced since the last time we did a rundown, by about 35%. Of course, the general media still chooses to sensationalise some recalls more than others, especially anything to do with Toyota. In the past two months, there have been recalls by Lexus, Land Rover, General Motors, Ford, Honda, Suzuki, Chrysler, Saab and even Mazda, the last of which is a hilarious one.
The 2011 Ford Mustang GT, the 2010 Dodge Challenger and the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS all have three things in common. All three are retro-styled Americans, all three are V8-powered muscle cars, and all three have more than 400 horses. Each. This comparo has been a long time coming. Everyone else has already done their armchair evaluations, simply comparing manufacturer figures, snapping a few photos and calling it a day. It took us a spread of six months to be able to drive all three of these direct competitors. We have neither the time nor the resources to pull in all three cars together.
The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 debuted at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show. It will be the most powerful Camaro developed by Chevrolet. It will have a more developed chassis with improved suspension and brakes for better handling. And of course, the engine will churn out a lot more power with the help of a supercharger.
Chevrolet recently revealed the Sonic, which is a replacement for the Chevrolet Aveo. The 2012 Chevrolet Sonic will have two body styles: as a four door sedan and a five-door hatchback.
The recalls were piling in hard and fast during this year. While we kept up with most of the ones which could’ve potentially affected car owners in the Middle East, we simply stopped keeping track around two months ago, because it became interminably boring writing up repetitive “recall” stories. However, we have a duty to at least highlight the ones which could matter, so here is a rundown of all the recalls in the last 60 days, most issued in the U.S. but which may also affect some GCC-spec cars. Consult your local dealer.
General Motors Middle East has announced that they will be revealed three new 4×4 models at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Motor Show, namely the 2011 GMC Acadia Denali trim package, the all-new 2011 GMC Terrain, and the facelifted 2011 Chevrolet Captiva.
Our 2010 Chevrolet Cruze long-termer has left the building, having served as our primary mode of transport for the past month. It was practical, efficient and easy to manoeuvre around cramped city streets, so it was the car of choice many times over our Jeep Grand Cherokee, even when the occasion required us to make a good first impression. The Cruze looks upscale enough, with its angry face, big 17-inch wheels and relative rarity.