[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by zenren

...Also, the cost concious and safety unconcious Indian customer always needs something to show off for every penny he spends on his car. That 'ABS' sticker is probably the only way for him to tell others that he spent another 20k than the regular model. If it makes him happy, what is the harm in having the sticker?..

I agree to this point. In India, ABS & Airbags are still seen as a premium feature. Hence to satisfy the buyer's ego may be! (some people even go to the extent of fabricating fake "ABS" stickers and show it on the ride when the entire line up doesn't feature this).

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

... The top-end SAIL will have ABS and the lower end won't but is it really necessary to differentiate the variant with an ABS sticker?...

Another point is, when Swift introduced ABS initially, it was an option in VDi. People could buy with or without ABS. There was NO way one would understand by seeing the model whether it's an ABS or not (unless they drive it). To make identification easier (for A$$), they might have started it and might have become a norm.

[9thsphinx]

Originally Posted by zenren

For that matter, why would you need any label other than the manufacturer logo and model name? What value does the LS/LT badge add?

ABS sticker at the rear sometimes makes the drivers with non-ABS cars a little cautious while following as they are unsure if they might be able to stop in time. I wouldn't mind that getting that extra caution from the guy behind especially in our road conditions where no one keeps safe distance from the vehicle in front and even an 800 follows a Verna at the same speed without worrying about the addional braking distance it needs.

Also, the cost concious and safety unconcious Indian customer always needs something to show off for every penny he spends on his car. That 'ABS' sticker is probably the only way for him to tell others that he spent another 20k than the regular model. If it makes him happy, what is the harm in having the sticker?

I'll be happy if at least one more ABS version gets purchased due to the sticker. Its a real pain if you are hunting for a used hatch with optional safety kit. They just don't exist in the used car market and the ones that do are usually abused to the core.

LS/LT is so that people know what model it is. But putting the ABS sticker is like putting up Bi/Xenon or Alloys or Leather or A/c sticker on your cars. Who cares? I've seen ABS stickers available in the accessories market and people purchasing them and putting them on their non-ABS cars. So that defies the purpose of safety and acknowledgment for the car behind the stickered car.

Spent extra 20 grand for the ABS? Sure, good for them. But did you put a "2-Din stereo" sticker when you spent that 10 grand on that for your ride? Get what I'm coming from?! Ofcourse, as long as it makes someone happy, who am I to say. We've got a weird and wacky sticker thread for that - all of those make those drivers who have put them on happy. Heck, it makes us happy as well

Your used car theory and the ABS sticker thing makes some sense. That I agree to.

[puchoo]

A lot of car making decisions of-course are personal and what might appeal to some wont to others. GM has done a good job especially so on the pricing front , but clearly there are opinions on both sides whether the product is really that good , and what GM needed at this point was really a car which received more positive reviews than anything else.

I agree with many that a lot of people will still choose the Dzire over this , and honestly the Amaze coming out will probably ensure that the Sail Sedan gets stuck in the mud even further , while there is a good chance of the Amaze being in a different price bracket ( not saying there wont be an overspill) , the fact is that a more aspirational , better brand would be available for entry level buyers for a little more money.

I wont buy the Sail , and if i really had to choose something , i would wait for the Amaze.

[Inquisitive]

Yet to spot a SAIL in Kolkata hence my opinions are based on what I have read in this forum. Basically the bottomline that I could make is that Sail is more a owner's car rather than a driver's car. I think there is a reason for GM to stick to this marketing philosophy. If one could get the actual numbers, I guess most of the GM sedans (Optra/Cruze) in India are chauffeur-driven. Hence having a sophisticated dash with all the state-of-the-art gadgets to satisfy the driving libido will ultimately punch a hole in the owner's pocket without he actually loving it. IMO it is therefore prudent on GM's part to concentrate more on backseat rider and his driving comfort (armrest/suspension/legroom etc.) in the sedan category. In contrast the dashboard in their hatch stable is mindblowing where the owners are mostly the drivers. Mind you GM has opted for above 4m length very much keeping in mind that it will escalate the price and where they have put in these extra length-it is in the legroom. They also did not make a very large boot because how often do you go to the airport with baggage to cater for a month for entire family. Obviously very rarely. In most cases cars are taken out for weekend trips for a mid-sized family and for that the boot is more than enough. The point that I am trying to make is that GM is staying true to its existing clientele of 'sethji and his small family'. Why I think GM has priced it higher than Dzire, pretty simple- they wanted to be different from Suzuki and add a 'pricey' sticker in the same bracket to satisfy owner's ego.
But where GM has to really put in a stellar performance is in the A$$ category. Their advantage programmes or service backup is yet to convince people that these cars have any resale value after 5-7 years. If they could achieve that then there is no reason why their current plan will not work.

[Arch-Angel]

Originally Posted by puchoo

I wont buy the Sail , and if i really had to choose something , i would wait for the Amaze.

I agree with you Puchoo, but i have my own apprehensions regarding how Amaze will do. If i am right, it is honda's first oil burner. The next point would be what price point would honda price it at? GM has been churning our oil-burners for quite a while and they have India's national in the belly of the sail. "Is it all set to sail away to success?" is something that is yet to be seen.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

Spent extra 20 grand for the ABS? Sure, good for them. But did you put a "2-Din stereo" sticker when you spent that 10 grand on that for your ride? Get what I'm coming from?!

Thats unfortunately where the Indian aam junta looks at. He is willing to pay for any feature that he can show off to his friends/relatives. If not, he finds an excuse for why that feature is not applicable for him. He can show off an alloy wheel/2-DIN stereo/GPS navigation system/sunroof etc by just pointing at it. How is he going to show his friends that his car is equipped with ABS except for that small sticker?

Except for the warning light in the dash that comes on momentarily when you turn on the ignition, I still haven't seen any other indication that my Swift actually has ABS. Also, I love the font in which Maruti has written the ABS sticker - subtle yet neat. So no complaints there too

[Sahil]

Great package and pricing by Chevy! I just wish they had launched with a better name than Sail as that model has been a flop in the past. Hope the market accepts this well.

[jojipg]

Sail 1.2 Base petrol model is the 2nd cheapest sedan with power steering , power windows & air condition available as features. The first place obviously goes to Tata indigo eCS. Fantastic pricing I would say. They managed to undercut even swift dzire, even though not eligible for under 4m tax benefit.

[stringbh]

pretty decent cabin space, ride quality, good Ac and Music- to top it all, aggressive pricing making it full VFM, what more do you need to be a hit? I think we have a winner here. Its boot is so well integrated, unlike the chopped Dzire. Say what, this is the best looking entry level sedan in the country !

[jessie007]

Originally Posted by jessie007

With its LS (non-ABS) variant it'll tempt hatchback buyers. Following is a price comparison (I'll soon revise my features comparison thread to include the Sail):

Attachment 1046146

On the other end, the LT variant will appeal to those looking for space in cars like the Manza & Etios, with the Ertiga & Quanto joining in to spoil Sail's (launch) party and the forthcoming Amaze might end it! Following is a price comparison:

Attachment 1046147

The two features comparison threads within the said price range including Sail sedan are up now:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...6-85-lakh.html

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...khs-range.html

[swiftnfurious]

ACI video review of Sail sedan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxZNAAoveeA

[amtak]

It is being reported that Sail has received over 1000 bookings. Not bad start for the car; the more it appears on the road, the better the demand will get.

http://indianautosblog.com/2013/02/c...bookings-63224

48,000 is a realistic target (combined) that GM can achieve if they market the car well. I am also keen to know when they'll launch an LTZ variant of this car?

[anu21v]

Originally Posted by amtak

It is being reported that Sail has received over 1000 bookings. Not bad start for the car; the more it appears on the road, the better the demand will get.

http://indianautosblog.com/2013/02/c...bookings-63224

48,000 is a realistic target (combined) that GM can achieve if they market the car well. I am also keen to know when they'll launch an LTZ variant of this car?

For such a well priced car only 1,000 booking is too low. Mind it this is the lowest price sedan which has a power Steering (except Tata Indigo ECS) despite the fact that it is well above 4 metre (4.25 Metre) and invites roughly 50,000 extra excise duty (additional 12.50% extra Excise Duty plus cascading effect on taxes such as VAT CST etc).

A car like XUV when received bookings in Excess of 15 Thousand plus in the first month is selling 3-4K a month. with only thousand units in booking in first 10 days it is a tough task to sell 4000 units a month (48K units a year as reported in target). Clearly Car is a winner with a much better price point or value for money than any of the competition. Considering the size of the market at that price point, they ought to generate much more number of booking than this. Pity

[deehunk]

I visited the new Trident Chevrolet showroom near Marathalli on friday with my brother-in law, this place is a newly opened outlet and they did not have a test drive vehicle for either hatchback or sedan for diesel version. The sales person Xavier who looks promising took us to a Sail sedan which was to be delivered that day, this car looks very different when seen physically and would say is truly a VFM car. The space and legroom I would say is better than my Accent on both rear and front. The boot is comparatively smaller. The engine bay is tightly packed, turbocharger(Honeywell, GT12 family) mounted at top. We just moved the vehicle back and fro inside the parking lot, quick observations from us were gear throws very short but smooth, shorter clutch play, lesser vibrations in idle condition, OEM audio sound quality average, all internal switches of better quality overall good fit and finish, seats have good cushion and at the rear a better seating position compared to my Accent. The base model price is mouth watering and am still confused between Sail and Quanto for an upgrade. GM could have gone for a 2 stage turbo probably after seeing the Quanto to provide greater power to this sedan. I will be test driving this vehicle sometime later this week.

[amtak]

Originally Posted by anu21v

For such a well priced car only 1,000 booking is too low. Pity

While I agree that 1000 is certainly low but if we look at the competition, leaving aside the Dzire, all are hovering at 2-3K mark. and considering it's been launched only 10 days ago, this is not a bad start.