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Motoring @ AsiaOne
Epica to help Chevy continue climbing higher
Chevrolet continues its expansion into the higher end of the market
Samuel Ee
Wed, Jul 11, 2007
The Business Times
CHEVROLET is continuing its expansion into the higher end of the market with the Epica mid-sized saloon.
In March, Chevy launched the Captiva, a seven-seat sports utility vehicle (SUV) with a 2.4-litre engine and all wheel drive. Before the Captiva’s arrival the Chevrolet marque, which was launched here in September 2003, was mainly associated with lower-end models with small engines.
With the SUV, the car maker hoped to reach a wider audience by targeting a newer and more affluent group of customers.
Now, Chevrolet is introducing a sedan to take on what the company categorises as the upper-medium class. This segment includes the best-selling Toyota Camry, as well as the Nissan Cefiro and Honda Accord.
But General Motors (GM), which owns the Chevrolet brand, believes the Epica will stand out because of its value for money. The new model comes with a choice of two inline six-cylinder engines - 2.0 litres or 2.5 litres.
‘We are the only one in the two-litre sedan market which offers a six-cylinder engine,’ says Harold Koh, managing director of General Motors Overseas Distribution.
He says the straight-six unit, which drives the front wheels, is smoother than a V6. He says that with a five-speed automatic transmission that provides comfortable gear shifts, the Epica’s strengths are its driveability and stability. ‘It is very good value for money.’
The Korean-made Epica will be launched this weekend, with the 2.0 priced at $79,888 and the 2.5 at $85,888, both with COE.
By comparison, the Thai-made Camry 2.0 currently costs $92,988 while the 2.4 is priced at $99,988.
The Epica 2.0’s standard features include two airbags, climate control airconditioning, ABS and ESP, while the 2.5 has additional equipment such as four airbags, an electric sunroof and cruise control.
With the Epica, Chevy now offers five models and eight variants in Singapore. But Mr Koh says there will be more.
‘The introduction of the Epica is an expansion of our product range, but this is by no means a complete line-up,’ he says. ‘In future, we also plan to bring in more new models.’
But Mr Koh will not play a part in that future. Next Monday is his last day with GM as he is leaving for a global capital goods conglomerate where he will be responsible for its Asia-Pacific operations.
‘I am excited about my new role but at the same time I feel some emotion because I am leaving with a lot of good memories. This is the place where I have worked the longest,’ he says.
Mr Koh joined GM 10 years ago and assumed his current position two years ago.
Since his arrival, sales of Chevrolet and Opel, which GM also owns, have grown in Singapore. Chevrolet attained a top 10 ranking when it was in 10th place at end-2006.
But while total volume has grown, Chevy’s ranking has since slipped to No12 after the first six months of the year on total passenger car sales of 1,183 units or a 2.6 per cent market share among members of the Motor Traders Association of Singapore.