General Motors India Private Limited (GMIPL), the country's fifth largest passenger car maker, is working round-the-clock towards the launch of its Chevrolet Sail sedan in the domestic auto market on February 1, 2013. The company will pitch its Sail sedan against other segment contenders, including the likes of Maruti Suzuki Swift DZire, Tata Manza Club Class and Nissan Sunny, upon its arrival in India.
General Motors India has also introduced a sleek preview of its Chevy Sail sedan on its official website. The upcoming model is an extended sedan version of the recently launched Sail U-VA premium hatch, on the similar lines of popular Maruti Suzuki's Swift and Swift DZire. From the website preview, the Sail sedan seems like an interesting mix of stunning exterior design and best-in-class interior features.
Speaking of under-the-hood specifications of yet-to-be launched Chevrolet Sail, the sedan will come in both petrol and diesel models in the domestic passenger car market. The Sail Sedan is expected to come assimilated with a 4-cylinder, 1,248 cc, 1.3 litre, SMARTECH diesel engine, which belts out a maximum output power around 77 bhp, along with a peak torque delivery of 205 Nm. Further, the petrol Sail model will come fitted with a 4-cylinder, 1.2 litre, 1,199 cc, SMARTECH engine, capable of producing a peak power and torque outputs close to 85 bhp and 115 Nm, respectively.
At present, Maruti Suzuki offers its Swift DZire in the price range of Rs. 5 to 7.5 lakhs, whereas Tata Manza and Nissan Sunny carry retail prices between Rs. 5.7 and Rs. 8.8 lakhs. As per industry sources, the upcoming Chevy Sail U-VA could be launched with an introductory price tag around Rs. 6 lakhs. The American auto giant has a mountain to climb, if it aspires to snatch market share from Swift DZire, which is the undisputed champion of the segment.
From the initial spy shots Chevy Sail sedan looks stunning and has the style quotient to lure the buyers away from its direct competition comprising, Swift DZire, Sunny and Manza Club Class. Further, General Motors' models come with attractive discounts on insurance and warranty, which can come handy towards recording decent sales in the country. Industry experts feel that Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Nissan will be closely following the developments regarding Sail sedan, which looks like a mean new segment rival on Indian turf.
