CHEVROLET CELEBRATES A CENTURY OF MILESTONES AND LOOKS AHEAD TO THE FUTURE

SEOUL, South Korea, March 31, 2011: GM Korea is celebrating the start of a new era for the Chevrolet brand at its first Chevrolet stand at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show, which starts today.

Marking “Year One” in Korea while turning 100 worldwide, Chevrolet is greeting visitors with a variety of historic vehicles, new products and cutting-edge technology that represent the past, present and future of the brand.

At the top of the bill is the world premiere of the Mi-ray roadster concept.

The Mi-ray represents the future of Chevrolet, along with the Volt, the 2011 North American Car of the Year, and the Alpheon eAssist, which is making its Asian premiere at the show.

GM Korea is also showing the Corvette.  The legendary sports car is making its Korean premiere.  Two upcoming products are likewise making their debut in Korea on the Chevrolet stand: the new Captiva SUV and the Cruze hatchback.

In order to showcase the rich heritage of Chevrolet, the company also has on display two historic Chevrolet models that led their times: the 1956 Bel Air and the 1960 Corvette.

“Chevrolet is the right answer for our future, as we’re demonstrating with the unprecedented introduction of several exciting new vehicles,” said Mike Arcamone, President and CEO of GM Korea.

“On our very first Chevrolet stand, we are showing how these models are building on Chevrolet’s proud heritage of offering outstanding vehicles that consistently raise the bar for design, performance and value. We are also showing how we are carrying on that heritage and moving forward with a clear vision of the future with the Mi-ray concept and Volt.”

Chevrolet Yesterday: Early Innovations and Milestones

Chevrolet, which was founded in Detroit in November 1911 by famed race car driver Louis Chevrolet and General Motors founder William C. “Billy” Durant, quickly earned a reputation for performance, durability and value. Those traits remain at the core of Chevrolet in its 100th year.

From the very start, Chevrolet brought technology and features typically reserved for more expensive cars to its lineup of affordable cars and trucks. The first Chevrolet – the Series C Classic Six – came with an electric starter and electric headlamps at a time when both were rarities, even among luxury cars.

In the decades that followed, innovations such as safety glass, fuel injection, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control would be introduced on Chevrolet models across the brand’s lineup.  Chevrolet’s early adoption of landmark technologies fundamentally changed the way they were applied to new vehicles.

To represent the great history of the brand, GM Korea is displaying two historic vehicles that enjoyed a solid reputation for performance, durability, value and styling in their era.

One is the 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air, which was the first low-priced car to adopt an automatic transmission, heralding the beginning of a new era of convertible hardtop styling. The other is the 1960 Chevrolet Corvette, which is regarded by many automotive critics as one of the best-looking cars ever designed.

Chevrolet Today: Top-Four Global Brand with Over 4 Million Annual Sales

Chevrolet is one of the fastest-growing vehicle brands in the world. More than 4.25 million Chevrolets were sold in over 130 countries in 2010, an average of one vehicle every 7.4 seconds. Of the top five global vehicle brands, only Chevrolet grew its market share last year.

Thanks to its wide spectrum of products, which range from the Spark global mini-car developed in Korea to the Corvette sports car, Chevrolet stands for great value, offering a product for every purse and purpose.

Chevrolet also offers great value for Korean consumers, just like it does for car and truck buyers elsewhere around the globe. GM Korea has already launched the Orlando, the Aveo hatchback and notchback, and the Camaro – four of the eight new products Chevrolet plans to roll out this year.

These models have been joined on the stand by the 2011 Corvette, which is powered by a 6.2-liter LS3 V-8 engine that generates 430 horsepower and 424 lb.-ft. of torque. The Corvette is slated to reach Chevrolet showrooms across Korea in the near future.

Arriving in showrooms across Korea next month is the new Captiva SUV. On top of a fresh new look that gives it a more confident and dynamic presence, the new Captiva features a new range of more powerful and efficient 2.2-liter turbocharged diesel and 2.4-liter Ecotec gasoline engines. Buyers also have a choice of a new six-speed automatic or manual transmission.

Chevrolet Tomorrow: Greener Future with Sustainable Mobility

“Green” is a key word for Chevrolet tomorrow. Offering a vivid vision of Chevrolet’s future is the Mi-ray.

With the DNA of iconic Chevrolet sports car from the past, the Mi-ray’s sporty open top and scissor doors create a unique segment entry. The Mi-ray features a concept propulsion system that is “mid electric” and has the capability of switching from front-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive.

It is propelled by front-mounted 15-kilowatt electric motors for quick acceleration and zero emissions, for pleasurable urban driving. For performance driving, a high-tech 1.5-liter turbocharged engine combines with the electric motors to drive the rear wheels.

The Volt is a vehicle that is already making Chevrolet greener. The Volt is a one-of-a-kind, all-electrically driven vehicle designed and engineered to operate in all climates, with a range of up to 610 kilometers. It can be driven up to 80 kilometers on electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the battery’s energy is depleted, an onboard generator kicks in and produces electricity to sustain the charge of the battery.

The Alpheon eAssist is expected to improve fuel economy by up to 30 percent compared with the gasoline version of the Alpheon, enabling local consumers to enjoy great fuel economy in the comfort of a luxury sedan when it come to the Korean market later this year.

The powertrain receives an electric boost during heavy acceleration and while driving on inclines. Engine start-stop and fuel shut-off during deceleration provide added fuel savings.