GM launches Chevrolet Sail sedan at starting price of Rs. 4.99 lakh

General Motors has launched the Sail sedan at a starting price of Rs. 4.99 lakh for the base petrol model, going up to Rs. 7.51 lakh for the top-end diesel variant, across at total of eight variants. The pricing is quite competitive, as it pits the car directly against the Maruti Dzire on one end and Toyota Etios on the other.

 

Chevrolet Sail Prices

Petrol models (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Chevrolet Sail 1.2 base: Rs. 499,000

Chevrolet Sail 1.2 LS: Rs. 549,300

Chevrolet Sail 1.2 LS ABS: Rs. 570,300

Chevrolet Sail 1.2 LT: Rs. 641,550

Diesel models 

Chevrolet Sail 1.3 base: Rs. 629,000

Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LS: Rs. 659,300

Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LS ABS: Rs. 680,300

Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LT: Rs. 751,550

 

Plain and functional looks

The Chevrolet Sail is a rather plain looking sedan, one that will blend in with the crowd, and looks purely functional. Yet, it is apparently the largest selling sedan in China – so it’s got to have something right? Well, it does – it’s got a boot, and that’s the only differentiating factor it has with its sibling the Chevrolet Sail U-Va that was launched in November.

From the front, you can’t make out anything different – it has the typical Chevrolet family look, split grille, Bowtie, upswept headlamps. It is 4249 mm in length, which means it doesn’t benefit from lower excise duties, but yet GM has managed to price it quite aggressively (which probably means slimmer profit margins for the company). The rear of the car is quite neatly integrated and notably the boot doesn’t look like an add-on, forced job like it does with the Maruti Dzire for instance.

The boot can hold 370 litres of luggage, which is not really much. The Toyota Etios can hold 590 litres of luggage, while the diminutive Dzire can hold 316 litres of luggage. The Mahindra Verito has 510 litres of luggage space. Also read: Chevrolet Sail U-Va launch

Spacious interiors, quirky design

The interiors have decent fit and finish, and there are quite a few storage nooks. The car is quite spacious, with good rear-seat legroom and there’s even some storage space under the seat. But the placement of controls is a bit quirky – and cost savings are obvious. The power-window switches are placed near the gear-lever in a single row and are not illuminated (making it difficult to operate in the dark). The instrument cluster has a rising sun design with a large speedometer and a digital tachometer. The steering is rather plain, and the horn buttons are an old-school – with two rectangles on the steering spokes (like the old Maruti 800 style).

Fuel-efficient engine choices

The engine choices in the Sail sedan are good. The petrol variant is powered by a 1.2 litre Smartech engine that puts out 85 bhp of power at 6000 rpm and 113 Nm of torque at 5000 rpm. This is mated to a five-speed manual transmission. Chevrolet claims a fuel economy of 18.2 kmpl for the petrol engine.

The diesel is a rather familiar unit, the 1.3 litre diesel engine used in the car is similar to the multi-jet engine in the Swift/Dzire and other cars. This Smartech 1.3 litre diesel engine in the Sail puts out 77 bhp of power at 4000 rpm and 205 Nm of torque at 1750 rpm, which makes it slightly more powerful than the Dzire, but equal when you look at power-to-weight ratios. It has a claimed mileage of 22.1 kmpl.

Good features list

The Sail comes in four variants each in petrol and diesel. The top-end LT variant in both petrol and diesel features two airbags, ABS, alloy wheels, a Bluetooth/USB/Aux-in enabled integrated music system, power adjustable door mirrors, remote central locking, power windows, tilt steering, rear defogger, front fog lamps, body coloured mirrors etc.

The LS ABS variant does not have a defogger, comes with only a single airbag, loses out on remote locking, leather wrapped gearknob, body colour mirrors, fog lamps and alloy wheels.

All variants come with power-steering, manual AC, tilt steering and power mirrors. The base variant has only front power windows, while others have all four.

Excellent warranty and maintenance package

One key factor that will work in favour of the Sail is the warranty package that General Motors is offering with the car. It comes with a five-year / 150,000 km warranty on the engine and transmission, which is good reason enough to put the Sail on your shopping list. The car also comes with a comprehensive three-year / 100,000 km warranty on the rest of the vehicle. And then there’s the three-year Chevrolet maintenance package – where buyers won’t have to pay for any maintenance for three years.

What we think

The Chevrolet Sail isn’t a car that will stand out in a crowd or one that will win any quarter mile races. Rather, it’s a car that is purely functional and practical. The big reason to pick this car up is if you want low running costs – given the maintenance package and warranty being offered by General Motors. And it’s among the more spacious cars in its class – equal to what the Manza, Verito and Etios have to offer. Also see: Chevrolet Sail U-Va walkaround video 

Technical Specifications

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