India bound Chevrolet Trailblazer enters production for the Thai market

The 2013 India-bound Chevrolet Trailblazer has finally entered the production phase in the Thailand based General Motors factory in Rayong. This top range LTZ model SUV features the 4 cylinder, 2.8 litre Duramax turbo diesel engine which is actually based off the Colorado pickup from the same manufacturer. The base variant of this SUV will feature a 2.5 litre engine of the same make. The 2.5 litre Duramax turbo diesel engine of the Trailblazer will be capable of producing 150bhp and 350 Nm of torque while the 2.8 litre version will hand out 180bhp and 470 Nm of torque.

Both the engines can be mated to a 5 speed manual or a 6 speed automatic transmission. The Trailblazer will be exported to roughly 50 markets around Asia from the Rayong manufacturing base. Plans for the Indian-spec Trailblazer include importing it from Thailand via the CKD route after which it will be assembled in General Motors plant in Halol, Gujarat. This assembling strategy will ensure that the Trailblazer remains relatively cheap at Rs. 17 - 21 lakhs. The SUV is expected to come to India in late 2012 or early 2013, where it will likely compete with the likes of Toyota Fortuner, For Endeavour, Renault Loleos and Mitsubishi Outlander.

The Trailblazer will be built in Thailand for Thailand, and will soon also make its way into the rest of the world. And delivery of the Trailblazer to our customers starts right now,” offered Martin Apfel, president of GM Thailand and Southeast Asia. “Production is now getting into full-swing. Since May this year, we have added a third shift to our assembly and powertrain plants,” Apfel added. “The increase in production isn’t just to meet customer orders for the Trailblazer, but also to address increasing demand for the Colorado truck, which we have started exporting earlier this year. At the same time, demand for other models is also growing. This will be a very busy year for Chevrolet.”

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