The Enjoy, the second multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) from General Motors, promises a lot. But will it deliver? Let’s fi nd out
THE BEGINNING OF 2013 SEEMS TO BE QUITE A busy time for General Motors, for the company has launched two new vehicles in entry-level segments and is on its way to launch yet another product that will cater to a wide variety of customers in the Indian market. This new vehicle is an MPV called the Enjoy and it was fist shown at the 2012 Auto Expo. However, the Enjoy is not entirely a new car from GM. It is a result of the joint venture between GM and the Chinese car-makers, SAIC Motor. GM engineers emphasize the fact that there is a huge difference between the car sold in China and the Enjoy that one can buy here in India. Therefore, it was out of curiosity that we decided to do a quick road test in order to gauge the real-world performance of this new contender in the compact MPV market. We tested both the models, petrol and diesel, and were surprised to see both of them perform well.
When you type Wuling Hongguang in the search bar, you get the image of an MPV that looks exactly like the car seen here and GM have personalised it to some extent in order to give it a more Chevy-like face rather than a copy of the Wuling with a Chevy badge. So instead of a grille with vertically stacked chrome strips, as on the Wuling, the Enjoy gets horizontally placed strips and a big Chevy bow-tie badge. That is the biggest and probably the only visible change on the exterior of the car. GM claim that the quality of material used to build the Enjoy is much higher than that in the Chinese car and this is evident in the robust construction of this MPV. The doors feel solid and plastic components like the bumper, mirror housings, door-handles and other parts have quite a strong feel too. Overall, the exterior looks and feels great and the construction and quality of material very good.
The Enjoy is a good-looking MPV. However, the real magic of an MPV lies inside. When you get into the Enjoy, it doesn’t really feel like an MPV, it feels more like a car, which is a good thing. The interior is minimalistic and there are not many elements to talk about. But this approach works really well for the Enjoy as it has just the right amount of features and components and all in the right place.
The dashboard is laid out neatly and the black-and-beige colour scheme works well and also lends the interior a certain richness. The centre console looks nice, though the standard music system from Nippon looks quite dated, but then it also features an Aux port and USB connectivity. The seats are wide and comfortable with ample support and in the top-of-the-line variant you get an adjustable driver’s seat. There is more than enough leg, knee and head room in the first two rows. However, tall people may find the space a bit too tight in the third row. There is virtually no boot space if the third row of seats is in use, but once you fold the third row down, there is more than adequate boot space. It may look compact from the outside, but it is big inside.
General Motors are offering the Enjoy with two engine options: 1.4-litre petrol and 1.3-litre diesel. Both the engines are mated to a five-speed gearbox that transfers the power from the engine to the rear wheels. First up is the diesel motor. GM are using a 1,248-cc diesel motor that produces 77.5 PS of power and 188 Nm of torque. This engine also powers the Sail cars, though the unit in the Enjoy is tuned differently to deliver a flatter torque curve. The company has concentrated more on making this engine a workhorse rather than a racehorse and it works quite well. The acceleration is quite good and refinement is also decent. However, the engine is a little noisy, which becomes irksome after a while. Where performance is concerned, the diesel motor is quite a decent unit. It took 20.73 seconds for us to go from 0 to 100 km/h. Roll-on timings were also good and considering the Enjoy diesel’s girth of 1.26 tonnes, the top speed of 150 km/h was quite an achievement. Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to test fuel efficiency and, therefore, we would reserve our comment on that aspect.
If you prefer a petrol engine, then the 1,399-cc motor will fulfil your needs quite happily. It produces 104 PS of power and 131 Nm of torque, which are more than enough in any situation. It is a refined power-plant by MPV standards and linear power delivery and strong mid-range are the noteworthy attributes of this motor. The refinement level is good in the petrol motor and there is almost no engine sound. It did well in our roll-on test and also impressed us with its top speed of 168 km/h and 0-100 km/h timing of 15 seconds. As mentioned earlier, we did not have the time to do a fuel efficiency test.
Overall, both the engines perform well despite having lower capacity than most other MPVs available in the market.
The first impression that I got while driving the Enjoy was that it never felt like an MPV despite being tall and weighing 1.26 tonnes. It felt as if I were driving a hatchback, though, of course, your perch is slightly higher in the Enjoy. At first I expected it to shake my bones when I took it off the tarmac and on to a rough trail. To my surprise it absorbed the bumps and undulations quite well, only the bigger undulations were felt inside the cabin. GM engineers have done a good job with the suspension set-up. I noticed slight body-roll, which was less discernible than in some other MPVs. In fact, you never feel nervous; the Enjoy boosts your confidence and inspires you to take the corner at high speed. The steering feedback and feel is pretty good and that adds to the confidence. This is enhanced by the good ride quality and the superb stability that inspires you to push this MPV harder.
GM have strengthened the overall structure by adding more metal, which has made the Enjoy a stable and sturdy MPV.
After all this discussion you must be curious about the price, but I am sorry to say that is still under the wraps. If GM want the Enjoy to enjoy success, then they have to price it very competitively. 
The Enjoy is a good product that comes with decent power, spacious interior, simple yet pleasing design, good handling and ride quality and a sturdy build. We believe that the ideal starting price for the Enjoy should be Rs 6.5 lakh for the petrol model and Rs 7.25 lakh for the diesel model. Anything more than that it may lose out in the market.
GM have planned a launch later this month and it will be exciting to see how the company prices this practical and nononsense MPV.
Story: Ravi Chandnani
Photography: Sanjay Raikar
