GM to cruise on Sail Sedan

Chevrolet Sail now in sedan format.
(Based on news release from the company)

General Motors India has just driven into the ‘entry level sedan’ category with a new car which is also pitched against India’s largest selling sedan Maruti Suzuki’s Swift Dzire. General Motors (GM) has just launched Chevrolet Sail sedan, an extended version of its hatchback ‘Sail UVA’ launched a few months ago.

Sail Sedan comes in two engine variants, 1.2 litre petrol and 1.3 litre diesel (common rail direct injection) and the ex-showroom price of the car starts at Rs 4.99 lakh for petrol and Rs 6.29 lakh for diesel. Surely, the introductory prices are very attractive and are likely to go up after a few months.  

The Sail Sedan is built on a new global passenger car platform created mainly for the fast-growing emerging markets. Launched in some emerging markets earlier, including China, the Sail has been modified significantly to suit the Indian road conditions, the company officials claimed. The ground clearance, for example, has been enhanced to 168 mm for diesel and 174 mm for petrol to clear the killer humps on Indian roads.

Engine options

The 1.3-litre common rail diesel engine, the company calls it SDE Smartech, is a new small diesel engine developed by the GM Diesel Engine Technical Center in Turin, Italy, with the support of engineers in Pune and Bangalore. Both petrol and diesel engines are now manufactured at GM’s Talegaon (near Pune) plant. The four-cylinder diesel engine delivers power of 78 PS @ 4,000 rpm and maximum torque of 205 Nm @ 1,750 rpm along with fuel economy of 22.1 km a litre, the company claimed. GM said that a fixed-geometry turbocharger with a vacuum-operated waste gate for smooth and efficient operation delivers superior torque from very low engine rpms. This feature helps in slow city-driving conditions without the need for frequent change of gear.

The 1.2-litre petrol engine, created by the GM Technical Center-India in cooperation with GM India’s Power train plant in Talegaon, Pune, delivers maximum power of 86ps@6000 rpm and a maximum torque of 113@5000 rpm.

GM also highlighted that the diesel engine comes with a premium F17 transmission, which is popular in Europe and other parts of the world. It features a high-efficiency two-shaft single housing gearbox with slick shifting for sporty and spirited performance.

 Sporty look

 The Sail’s exterior exudes Chevrolet’s sporty styling. It has an aggressive front end based on the dynamic sculpture design philosophy, enhanced by wide-angled jewel-effect tail-lamps and wrap-around headlamps.

The front view features a dual-port grille adorned with a gold bowtie that gives it a bold look. From the side, its unique waist-line accentuates the sedan’s dynamic stance. It has a long front and short rear, with a lower stance in front that moves upward in back.

“The eagerly anticipated Sail is an important addition to GM’s sedan line-up in India. It competes in one of the largest and fastest-growing segments,” said P Balendran, Vice President, GM India at the recent launch event in Bangalore. “The Sail embodies the bold pioneering spirit and ingenuity that have become the hallmark of Chevrolet.” 

Comfortable interior

The Sail’s interior combines comfort and ergonomic convenience. Its dual cockpit design incorporates well-supported seats and fold-away rear armrests. The “Rising Sun” instrument cluster complements a luxuriously blended two-tone interior with highlights in silver and chrome.

The spacious design ensures the space of a family car, giving the sedan room for up to five people in comfort siting. Interestingly, Sail’s fuel tank has been positioned below the front co-passenger’s seat creating large storage space under the rear seat. The 370 litre boot space is also one of the best in this category.

Safety

Sail comes with an extensive array of active and passive safety features. It includes safety cage body construction, which is supported by the extensive use of high-strength steel. The fuel tank is protected by steel beam-rolling ribs.

An engine immobilizer, central door locking, speed-sensitive automatic door locks and remote keyless entry enhance active safety. In addition, three of the four Sail variants come with air bags, while anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake force distribution (EBD) are available in the top two variants. The car comes with a three-year/100,000-km (whichever comes first) standard warranty and a five-year/150,000-km (whichever comes first) engine and transmission warranty.

The ex-showroom Delhi prices for Sail Sedan are as follows: for petrol it ranges between Rs 4.99 lakh to Rs 6,41 lakh and for diesel it is between Rs 6.29 lakh and Rs 7.51 lakh.

The writer is a car enthusiast writing test drive reports for the last ten years.

Can be reached on: dilipmaitra@gmail.com