Friday, April 1, 2016

2017 Chevrolet Tigra

Remember the European Tigra? Now, we're going to get an updated version in America.

Are you ready?

Previously unavailable to American buyers, the Opel Tigra was a neat little runabout that GM shoulda/woulda/coulda brought here. There were two generations, based on the Corsa; Opel Tigra A, Opel Tigra TwinTop B and soon the upcoming release of the Tigra C.


The A was built in Spain and there were two engines on offer; 1.4 and a 1.6 liter engines. It wasn't a particularly fast car but it outdid its platform donor due to a more slippery shape and higher gearing.


The French-built TwinTop B was true to its name, featuring a folding hardtop similar to the MB SLK. There were two optional engines, as before; a 1.4 and a 1.8. In addtion, there was a 1.3 diesel available.


The new Tigra C will take on cars like the GTI, with a twin-turbo 1.5 and even a hybrid option. Horsepower will range from 320 in the twin-turbo and 98 in the hybrid. The Hybrid is said to have a 250 mile range in EV-only mode. The diesel will return in Europe but will not be offered in the States. And though the folding hardtop appears to be gone for the moment, the roof is electronically controlled tinted glass, which can be changed with a dial or set to automatic. The same is true of the side and trunk glass. Interestingly, this will be the first Opel with no entertainment system installed by the factory. Bluetooth connectivity will be standard and there's a configurable dock for a smartphone or tablet on the dash. The seats in the C are made of mesh, allowing air conditioned air to pass through them and much needed leg room in the occasional +2 seats in the rear. Another interesting option will be a deletion of all mirrors. Instead, a projector will display configurable images on the inside of the windshield header that includes the view rearward as well as the side views. It will also function as a heads-up display. With this option, there are no gauges on the dash and no other controls other than A/C.

Pricing has not been announced yet, but industry wags are guessing around $25Kish. Are you interested?

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