Having released a teaser of the Sail sedan, Chevrolet is all set to launch the new sedan on 1st February 2013. With the launch of the new model, the auto maker is anticipating a boost in sales figures, as only 1173 units of the recently launched Chevrolet Sail U-VA hatch were sold in December 2012. Sales are usually high in December due to a diesel price hike in the following year, but this did not happen for the hatch.
The new vehicle will be a three-box saloon developed from the Sail U-VA. It is expected to be offered in two engine options, 1.2 litre petrol and 1.3 litre diesel. The engine would be taken from the Sail U-VA, producing a maximum of 85 bhp and 113 Nm of torque. The XSDE diesel engine in this vehicle would be generating 77 bhp.
India would be the first country in the world to get the Sail sedan with a diesel engine. The current Chevrolet Sail UV-A may have lost out to the competition on price fronts and thus, General Motors hopes to price this new sedan competitively. Though the vehicle is 4.2 metres long, it will not be receiving any excise relief. An LTZ variant of the new Sail sedan is expected to replace Chevrolet Optra Magnum, which has been phased out.
Numerous test mules of the new Sail sedan have been seen all across the country. From this, it seems that General Motors does not want to put a foot wrong with the launch of this new vehicle, and is determined to make it succeed. The price of the sedan would play an important part in deciding its fate.
