Paris Motor Show 2012: Chevrolet

The main attraction of the American brand has been the Chevrolet Trax, which makes its world debut, along with comfort improvements for the Chevrolet Spark, the 1.4 turbo engine for the Orlando, the Cruze Station Wagon and the diesel Malibu, together with the appearance of Chevrolet’s two “Youth Concepts,” the Code 130R and the Tru140S.

Focusing first on the Trax, this marks the debut of Chevrolet’s first foray into the expanding segment of compact SUVs, which will be added to the range below the seven-seat Captiva. The engine range will include a 1.4 petrol turbo, a 1.6 petrol and a 1.7 turbodiesel. The 1.4 petrol turbo will come with a six-speed manual gearbox, delivering 140 hp and a maximum torque of 200 Nm. We were also told that the AWD system is available for the 1.4 petrol turbo or 1.7 diesel engines.

We did not find the Trax to be overly spacious in the rear seats, but the Chevrolet team showed us that cargo capacity will be up to 1,370 litres, and the rear seats are split 60/40 and the front passenger seat can be folded flat. Eight seating configurations can be chosen.

On the smaller Spark, they have offered a new design for the double front grille and front bumper, combined with a refreshed look for the headlights and front fog lamps, plus new 14- and 15-inch alloy wheels, which add a little more presence. At the rear, they have placed the LED brake light integrated into the upper central part of the spoiler, above the rear window, while the interior changes include new decorative elements and a redesigned centre console, which now offers more options for storing small items.

For those who like the Orlando, it adds a new 1.4L turbo engine, complementing the current 1.8L petrol and 2.0L diesel offering. The new engine delivers 140 hp and reaches a maximum torque of 200 Nm between 1,850 and 4,900 rpm. For 2013 the Orlando will add a rear camera and a folding front passenger seat as options.

Next to the Cruze Station Wagon, we find the quintessentially American 160 hp diesel Malibu with a claimed top speed of 213 km/h. We also saw the brand’s two “young prototypes,” the Code 130R and the Tru 140S, created from information gathered through surveys of American consumers under 30 years old, about what they would add to a new car.

True to one of its strong points on the other side of the pond, the brand also had a section dedicated to muscle cars, with the Camaro (including a convertible in a lovely shade of blue), which has already been on sale in Europe for a year, as well as the Chevrolet Corvette.

Photos | Highmotor Team