GM stakes sales on design and environment

GM unveiled a raft of new cars for the Middle East market today, on the pre-show press day at the Middle East International Motor Show, including two hybrids and a Camaro.

The Tahoe Hybrid starts production next month in the US, although there is no firm date for its appearance in this region or price. The car follows the classic Tahoe design with a six litre V8 engine, but Terry Johnsson, Vice President, GM Middle East Operations, said it has a 'fuel efficiency comparable to a family sedan'. He claimed a fuel efficiency improvement of 50 per cent. Also making its Middle East debuts were the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo 5, which GM said has been completely reworked, the Corvette inspired Camaro Coupe, which goes into production next year, an Escalade designed exclusively for this region and the GMC Terrain, a 4x4 making its first showing anywhere in the world. The most interesting car on its stand though was the Volt, an electric car that's capable of travelling 60km on a full charge with zero emissions. However, when pushed, the company admitted that it was zero emissions whilst travelling, but that there was a carbon cost to charging the car in the first place, because most homes take their electricity off the main grid. Speaking to AME Info, Michael Duhraine, chief engineer for advanced hybrid systems at GM, said the company was working with battery manufacturers to improve the distance the car can travel. And he said alternative ways to charge the car are being investigated for the future, such as solar energy. 'That's solar on homes to charge the car and whether you can put a solar array on the car,' he said. This he said would not provide a full charge, but may help keep the battery running for longer. Once the electricity runs out, the car is charged by a three litre generator, pushing the distance to 1,000km. The engine uses 4.7litres per 100 km of distance. The company said the first generation engine will run on petrol, but that it is being designed so that in future it can run on different fuels, depending on the main source in the region the car is in. Ed Welburn , vice president of global design, said of the Volt: '[This is a] game changing concept that we really take very seriously.' A production date for the car hasn't been set, but it is expected to be around 2010. Welburn, a lifer at GM who first contacted the company when he was 11 years old, said that most - if not all - of its cars would eventually be rolled out as hybrids. A key trend, he said, was improved aerodynamics. 'I believe we are moving into an era of drag reduction,' he said. He added: 'A great car begins with the proportions. That takes a great working relationship between the designer and engineer. Get that right and it makes it a lot easier to drive the body shape.'