Amid much fanfare American automaker Chevrolet unveiled the new 2017 Essentia at the 2016 Auto Expo event in India. The company puts forth the new product as a car that is loaded with ample space to seat five occupants comfortably while also being loaded with interesting set of features. The company would be revealing official details on the vehicle at a later date, it is stated to be based on the Beat platform it could carry similar details.
The Chevrolet Essentia could be offered with a 1.0-litre three cylinder diesel that may generate about 56bhp of power and 142Nm of torque. While the petrol trim may be powered by a 1.2-litre petrol engine that generates about 77bhp of power and 106Nm of torque. Being offered as a compact sedan, it shall measure well under 4,000mm in length. Apart from 5-speed manual transmission the sedan may also be offered with an optional automatic.
The one unveiled at the Auto Expo featured decent amount of leg room and is quite spacious on the inside. The un-conventional dual tone shade in brown and white added a unique and fresh appeal to the vehicle. It is to be seen if the production version would also be offered with a similar color combination. As for features, the Essentia shall be loaded with state-of-art connectivity and technology like the Android App, Apple CarPlay and MyLink infotainment system.
Along with the Essentia, the company also unveiled the Beat Activ concept at event. The concept has reportedly been developed by the company in an effort offer a youthful car that stands-out in crowd. The Beat Activ and the Essentia have reportedly been developed at the company’s Korea Design studio. The Essentia is likely to be priced around Rs 6-8 lakh.
Post launch, the Essentia shall emerge as a strong competitor to the likes of Swift Dzire from Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Xcent, Honda Amaze and the upcoming Volkswagen in India. However, the pricing aspect and features could indeed be important here that could help Essentia have an edge over the rest. On the style aspect thought the vehicle does not get an aggressive design, it does flaunt a street smart design that can go well with the mid-age car-buying group. Going by its first look, the Essentia does look like a promising car.
