Chevrolet Enjoy Test Drive Review
2013 Chevrolet Enjoy – Click above for high resolution picture gallery

Chevrolet Enjoy Review

Car Tested: 2013 Chevrolet Enjoy

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 8-10 lakhs (est.)

The Chevrolet Enjoy’s practical nature will win GM many buyers.

The MPV market in India is now looked upon by car manufacturers as an opportunity to generate some good sales, thanks to the success of the Toyota Innova and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. The latest entrant into this space is the Chevrolet Enjoy. GM recently introduced two new value for money offerings, the Sail U-VA and the Sail sedan which the company hopes will lift their fortunes. Similarly, the Chevrolet Enjoy has been targeted to enter the compact MPV segment which directly rivals the Ertiga and is expected to be launched with a very competitive price tag. The Chevrolet Enjoy will be offered with a choice of a 1.3-litre diesel motor and a 1.4-litre petrol motor. We expect the diesel variant to be more popular for obvious reasons. Is the Chevrolet Enjoy capable to take on the Maruti Ertiga? Let’s find out!

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Exteriors – At first glance, the Chevrolet Enjoy appears to be a full sized MPV featuring conventional MPV styling elements, but on a closer look it is apparent that it is much more compact, thanks to its tight dimensions. The front fascia of the Chevrolet Enjoy looks sleek, the vertical chrome highlighted grille engraved with the Chevrolet gold bowtie merge well with the wrap-around headlamps. The leaf shaped front fog lamps cluster is a neat touch on the front bumper with the smiling air dam placed in between, treated with a line of chrome.

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Coming to the side profile, the 14-inch wheels look a bit disproportionate, but on the move they are quite impressive to ride on. The prominent side crease running from the headlamps to the tail lamps lends it some character and looks good. At the rear, the boxy feeling of an MPV is evident but the roof mounted spoiler breaks that monotony to a certain extent. The tail lamp cluster is pretty big in size and the tail gate gets a thick slat of chrome. The Chevrolet Enjoy may not be as good looking as an Ertiga, but considering that it is utilitarian urban MPV, we can’t expect anything more in terms of the exterior styling.

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Interiors – Chevrolet has played it safe with the styling of the interiors with a simple layout of the dashboard and average build quality compared to the rivals. The center console gets a single din audio player without steering mounted audio controls. The Audio unit is AUX and USB compatible and sounds decent to the ears. The instrument panel with silver outlining provides easy readability with blue night-time illumination. The Enjoy lacks automatic climate control but the front and mid mounted AC vents (standard on all variants) take good care of the temperature inside the car with an impressive throw of air and effective cooling.

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In terms of space, the Ertiga will definitely feel the heat as there is tremendous amount of space inside the Enjoy with an option of 7-seat as well as 8-seat layout. Our test model had the 7-seat layout and we expect all the seven occupants with average height to have no complaints in terms of the space on offer even in the third row. Ingress and egress is quite easy, thanks to the large doors and the monocoque chassis.

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The front seats offer good comfort levels with the driver’s seat being height adjustable. The footwell is narrow and there is no dead pedal on offer. The individual captain seats with arm rests in the second row offer great thigh support and can be reclined as well as pushed forward and back for added flexibility.

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The third row has class leading knee room but lacks under thigh support and is a convenient place to be in as it has a 12V socket to get your entertainment or work going on the move. The door pockets have limited storage ability and you need some effort to shut the doors. The cabin feels airy with a good view outside. The large windows all around and the beige interior treatment highlight this effect. The boot can swallow a couple of bags and has good space on offer.

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Performance – The Chevrolet Enjoy is powered by two engines that are plonked longitudinally. This kind of setup can only be seen in big German cars in India. This setup aids refinement and is used in cars which have a monocoque chassis and rear wheel drive. The tried and tested 1.3-litre turbo diesel engine with a maximum power of 77.5 PS at 4000 RPM with a peak torque rating of 188 Nm at 1750 RPM and the 1.4-litre DOHC petrol engine churning out 104 PS of peak power at 6000 RPM with a maximum torque of 131 Nm at 4400 RPM, both mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox. Firing up the diesel engine will filter some initial vibrations through the cabin and then it settles down to idle within a couple of seconds. Slot in the first gear and the Enjoy flags off quickly with minimal turbo lag, which proves to be a boon for congested city driving conditions. The engine feels torquey throughout low and mid level rev bands with linear power delivery and you don’t need to shift down frequently to get going. It’s only at high RPM levels where the power seems to be fading away and the diesel motor feels strained.

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The gearshifts are not as precise compared to the Ertiga but you will get a hang of it eventually. The 1.4-litre petrol engine on the other hand needs to be pushed hard to extract the maximum power available at 6000 RPM. The 5-speed gearbox needs to be worked frequently in order to get going. Once the petrol powered Enjoy puts up a good pace, it feels smooth at cruising speeds but is quite audible. The diesel-powered Enjoy will be very frugal and GM has chosen the non-VGT version to offer better drive-ability and mileage. Expect the diesel Enjoy to return around 14 km/l while the petrol version should return 10 km/l (in city driving conditions).

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Driving Dynamics – The suspension setup of the Chevrolet Enjoy consists of McPherson struts at the front and a 5-link coil spring layout at the rear. The soft suspension settings are well suited for Indian road conditions, as the Enjoy takes on undulated surfaces decently at low speeds and as the speed builds up, the ride feels composed while the rear bobs a bit on bouncy roads. Surprisingly, the driving dynamics are quite impressive for an MPV of this height and weight. Handling is predictive and the Enjoy turns its face quickly into the corners with some body roll which is acceptable considering the tall stance and the soft suspension setup. The 14-inch wheels are small for a car of this size and lose grip early than expected.

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The Chevrolet Enjoy features ventilated discs up front and rear drum brakes which are well-equipped with ABS and EBD providing confidence inspiring braking with a crisp brake pedal bite. The steering weighs up nicely with increasing speeds and takes good care of stability at high speeds. At parking speeds, the steering feels light and the Enjoy is easy to maneuver with an impressive turning radius of 5.5 meters. We got the fully equipped LTZ variant featuring parking sensors that are convenient to use in tight parking spaces and you don’t need to strain your neck while reversing.

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Verdict – All in all, the Chevrolet Enjoy has a lot going for it. It serves the purpose of a MPV having good amount of space for passengers as well as luggage, comfortable ride, easy drivability on highways and also in the city. The interior styling doesn’t look as upmarket compared to the Ertiga and has a limited list of features. This vehicle will definitely please the fleet taxi owners and may appeal to people with large families. If Chevrolet plans to position this new offering at a price point similar or lower than the Maruti Ertiga, the American carmaker is expected to Enjoy decent volumes. Apart from the Maruti Ertiga, the Chevrolet Enjoy has some formidable competitors in the Indian market namely the Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo and Nissan Evalia. It remains to be seen if the Enjoy will bring some joy to Chevrolet and cheer up the currently dull Indian car market.

The Chevrolet Enjoy has a lot to offer, with high amount of space, good ride quality and decent performance being its forte.

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What’s Cool

* Spacious interiors
* Ride quality
* Diesel engine drivability

What’s Not So Cool

* Basic interior design
* Limited list of features

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Chevrolet Enjoy Specifications

* Engine: 1248cc, 4-cylinder (Diesel); 1399cc, 4-cylinder, DOHC (Petrol) Longitudinal, Rear-wheel drive
* Power: 77.5 PS @ 4000 RPM (Diesel); 104 PS @ 6000 RPM (Petrol)
* Torque: 188 Nm @ 1750 RPM (Diesel); 131 Nm @ 4400 RPM (Petrol)
* Transmisson: 5-speed manual (Diesel and Petrol)
* Fuel Type: Diesel, Petrol
* Suspension: McPherson Struts (Front), 5-link Coil Spring (Rear)
* Tyres: 175/70/14 Tubeless Radials
* Brakes: Ventilated Disc (Front), Drum (Rear)
* Safety: ABS, EBD, Dual Airbags

Chevrolet Enjoy Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4305 mm X 1680 mm X 1750 mm
* Wheelbase: 2720 mm
* Front/Rear track: 1420/1440 mm
* Ground clearance: 161 mm (Diesel), 165 mm (Petrol)
* Turning Radius: 5.5-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 50-litres
* Kerb Weight: 1345 kgs (Diesel), 1260 kgs (Petrol)