Chevrolet
Chevrolet brand has been known for more than a century now, and bears the name of the prominent inventor, mechanic, motor racer and businessman of Swiss descent Louis Chevrolet who manifested his astute engineering skills in younger age while working in winery and later in motorcycle workshops. After leaving France for the U.S, he was hired by De-Dion-Bouton car company as a mechanic. Being an amateur of bikes he showed great results in bicycle racing which helped to promote him to a Buick racing driver, and later to the acquaintance with William C. Durant – the founder of GM. The latter was dismissed from GM in 1910, and the both men set the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911. Their first product to be sold was 4.9-liter Series C Classic Six touring car with six-cylinder engine.
Relatively cheap Chevrolet cars were designated for the mass market and had been the best-selling vehicles during the period of 1936 – 1976. The marque managed to overrun Ford in 1927, becoming best-selling car in the U.S, and in 1941 the firm produced and sold 1.6 million cars and trucks. The most remarkable milestones of Chevrolet's history include the first fully automatic “Powerglide” transmission presented in 1950 and mounted on a Chevy; the 1953 Corvette model branded as “The first all-American sports car”; one of the most successful engines first assembled in 1955 – a compact, small-block V8 which contributed to Corvette racing victories; the 1957 fuel-injected engine, the first in the U.S auto making history and the debut of famous Chevrolet Camaro in 1967.
However the history of the brand is not impeccable as the 1960 rear-engined Corvair proved to be unsafe and led to numerous reclamations from consumers, claiming the car has poor stability on the road due to its heavy tail. The model was withdrawn from production in 1969. Since 1918 Chevrolet brand has been within GM, and despite the fact that its commercial light and medium-duty trucks have much in common with its “rival” GMC division, Chevrolet has broader range of cheaper models available for an average consumer.
As of today, Chevrolet produces the impressive gamut of cars, including smart cars such as Spark, compact sedans like Aveo and Cruze which is available in three variations – sedan, hatchback and estate; a midsize sedan Chevrolet Malibu and luxurious full-size Impala with a truly attractive linear profile equipped with 3.6 L V6 engine. It's all about comfort, electronic gadgets, modern interior and safety assured by 10 airbags. However both cars indicate a mileage close to that of an average SUV – 6.9 and 10.9 liters per 100 km accordingly. In this regard 1.0 liter Spark is the most fuel-efficient member of Chevrolet family requiring only 4.8 liters per 100 km.
Unlike GMC, Chevrolet SUVs and medium-duty trucks have lower MSRP in some cases, but upmarket models such as the 2015 All-New Tahoe provide only different interior and exterior outlines and additional technical changes. In comparison with GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado offers almost the same package at somehow lower price – 32.200 $ against 33.585 $. Generally, it's only a matter of choice and individual preferences when choosing between GMC and Chevrolet commercial vehicles.
