General Motors India is gearing up for the launch of Chevrolet compact sedan Essentia in India early next year. The company has already started testing Essentia on Indian roads and the car was caught on camera quite a few times.
From the rumours that are making the rounds on the internet, the Essentia compact sedan would see the light of the day in the country in March 2017. The sedan, which was showcased at the Auto Expo 2016, is based on the next generation Beat hatchback.
When launched in India, Essentia will take on the likes of Maruti Suzuki DZire, Ford Figo Aspire, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze, Volkswagen Ameo, Tata Zest and Tata's upcoming Kite 5 compact sedan.
Essentia is expected to pack 1.2-litre STEC II engine and 1.0-litre XSDE unit under the hood. 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.
Expected to be priced starting at Rs 4.5 lakh, Essentia has been designed in the GM Korea Design Studio. From a visual stand point, Essentia is expected to borrow some of the design elements from the Beat 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 the sedan to house MyLink touchscreen infotainment system and dual-tone upholstery.
