Chevrolet Sail was first introduced by General Motors in China in 2005 and a second generation model was subsequently launched in 2010. In India, the Sail U-AV was launched in 2012 as a hatch back and the sedan version came in February 2013. The Sail built on the U-AV platform as a limited edition has become the favourite of many an urban driver.
Developed by their Chinese partner SAIC, General Motors expects Sail to compete successfully with similar sedans like the Maruti Dzire, the Honda Amaze, the Ford Classic and the Toyota Etios. This five seater entry level sedan has class and exclusivity in its look. The duel port grille with the central Chevrolet logo and the hawk-wing shaped head lamps make the front stylish. The muscular contours of the sides, the chrome tail garnish, the electric rear view mirrors with turn lights, a pair of wide angled jewel effect tail lamps and the eight spoke 14” alloy wheels are prominent on the exterior. Sail comes in seven colours of velvet red, switch blade silver, summit white, caviar black, linen beige, sand drift grey and misty lake.
The cabin has a duel cockpit design with lots of leg and shoulder space and has a beige and grey theme. Luxuries include an automatic climate control system, a blue tooth enabled music system with a radio and CD player and a mobile hand free system. Top-end variants come with power windows, ABS, EBD and front airbags. Convenient armrests of the rear seats and an anti glare interior rear view mirror are added attractions. The available boot space of 370 litres is comparable with other similar models.
There are eight variants of the Sail; 4 in petrol and 4 in diesel and the trim levels are specified as base, LS, LS ABS and LT ABS. The petrol version has an 1199 cc, 86 bhp, 113 NM torque engine giving a mileage of 18.2 kmpl and the diesel one has a 1248 cc, 78 bhp, 205 NM torque engine with a mileage of 22.1 kmph. For all models the transmission is five speed manual system.
The physical dimensions of the Chevrolet Sail are 4249 mm length, 1690 mm width, 1503 mm height, 2465 mm wheel base and 1124 kg kerb weight with a ground clearance of 168 mm. The design of suspension with MacPherson struts at the front and the torsion beam axle at the rear will suit the Indian roads. The brake system is the disc type for the front wheels and the drum type for the rear.
The Chevrolet Sail is priced competitively from Rupees 5,07,300 to 7,45,000 lakhs (on road) depending on the version.
