[buddha]

To me the Sail looks like the Logan/Verito of hatchbacks. Simple looks but rather well put together car. Plus other 'honest' elements like competent engines and great ride which suits broken roads.

However I feel the Sail might do much better than the Logan because its looks, though middling, are quite ok where the Logan's were barely acceptable to most people (no offense to Logan fans).

@Suhaas, so at no stage does it seem to be a 'typical Chinese car' with poor underpinnings?

Also guys, any info on how the Sail fares on safety? ABS and airbags is fine, but how does it perform in crash tests like the Euro-NCAP?

[MAS]

Excellent, crisp and detailed review. Kudos to your great work Suhaas & Rehaan.

General Motors have made a big gamble here by offering an old model with the new Diesel Engine (atleast for General Motors) I'm not sure how many people would appreciate its practicality over its plain jack looks. I don't think it will be able to challenge the Swift.

IMHO, the Beat sells more due to its cute funky looks... How i wish General motors made the Sail U-VA more attractive...

[Vid6639]

I'm thoroughly impressed with the Sail. I love understated looks so the Sail works for me. Good engine, neutral dynamics, great space. Perfect recipe for a blockbuster. Only thing stopping this car from a run away hit is the Swift. I can never underhand the faith people put in a Maruti hatch priced at 8 lakhs. But that's how the market goes.

Sole reason I got a Figo was understated looks, decent engine and excellent underpinnings. All of which the Sail as well.

The maximum heat will be felt by the Liva and Figo because they are very similar to the Sail. The Swift enjoys cult status and will not be ruffled much.

Just price it right GM. Go for the Liva and Figo. Leave the swift, i20 and Micra alone.

Ps: Excellent review Suhaas and Rehaan.

[subratasenn]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Sole reason I got a Figo was understated looks, decent engine and excellent underpinnings. All of which the Sail as well.

The maximum heat will be felt by the Liva and Figo because they are very similar to the Sail. The Swift enjoys cult status and will not be ruffled much.

Just price it right GM. Go for the Liva and Figo. Leave the swift, i20 and Micra alone.

I think Sail would be doing exactly that. Looking at people like you and me who prefer understated competent cars. You went for Figo, I went for Liva and probably both of us would have chosen SAIL had it been around at the time of buying our cars.
There will be more buyers like us for sure.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by aditya116

Have one query, i felt all MJD engines run out steam north of 130 especially when loaded, contrary to tall claims by some on the forum.What did you guys feel?

That is true.

With two burly people and a few bags of luggage onboard, the car struggled to get past 140 kph on the Amby Valley Airstrip.

MJD equipped cars do feel like they're running out of breath once you attain 3-digit speeds.

Originally Posted by buddha

@Suhaas, so at no stage does it seem to be a 'typical Chinese car' with poor underpinnings?

Also guys, any info on how the Sail fares on safety? ABS and airbags is fine, but how does it perform in crash tests like the Euro-NCAP?

1) I'm not familiar with Chinese automobiles. I mean, I've never had the opportunity to drive or be driven in one so it will be difficult for me to comment on that. From what I've seen, modern Chinese cars have come a long way in terms of build quality and reliability. The Sail feels solid and well put together. It does not feel any different from the rest of the hatchbacks around. Sure, it isn't as solid as a Punto or a Polo, but it does not feel like it will come apart like the way it's been perceived.

2) Again, I'm not sure if the Sail has been put through Euro-NCAP tests. But I have read that it had been put through C-NCAP (the Chinese iteration) and it fared rather well. Not sure if it holds value and I'm not sure of the parameters either. This is information from the internet and I'm not sure how reliable it is.

[Mpower]

Overall the car's styling and spec is designed to hit the sweet spot and please the buying masses. Hard to comment before pricing is announced. Its a steal at Figo price but unlikely that will happen because they have to differentiate it clearly from the Beat.

Also one thing I would point out is the lack of clear message when it comes to the design language of their fleet in India.

For example, the Beat and Cruze/Captiva and trendy, flashy and cutting edge while the Sail and Tavera and conservative/almost-bland and look a generation old.

So, what is their design DNA and what image are they trying to project to the customer? What does Chevrolet stand for???

[misquitas]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

I'm thoroughly impressed with the Sail. I love understated looks so the Sail works for me. Good engine, neutral dynamics, great space. Perfect recipe for a blockbuster.

I can never underhand the faith people put in a Maruti hatch priced at 8 lakhs. But that's how the market goes. Sole reason I got a Figo was understated looks, decent engine and excellent underpinnings. All of which the Sail as well.

Just price it right GM. Go for the Liva and Figo. Leave the swift, i20 and Micra alone.

Well said, and I agree with you a 100%.

The Sail appears to be a great all-round hatch which has -- and as Lou Bega would say it ('I got a girl') -- a little bit of this and a little bit of that...

In fact, the Sail seems to perfectly address the needs of a 3-4 member family, which emphasises great cabin/boot space, great leg room, great diesel engine, great FE, etc. A similar achievement by Ertiga, which addresses the 5-6 member family.

It is almost as if Chevy has "borrowed" the positives of various other hatches and has "fitted" them on the Sail...something that China has mastered!

In fact, I can almost predict a Chevy advert....

_____________________

You always wanted the Perfect Hatch...

...The diesel engine and FE of a Maruti Swift
...The rear seat comfort of a Tata Vista
...The space management of a Honda Jazz
...The gear box of a Hyundai i10
...The 3-year zero maintenance of a Chevy Beat
...The ergonomics of a Honda Brio
...The reliability of a Toyota Liva
...The simple/clean understated looks of a Ford Figo

Now, what if ONE hatch could have ALL those features...

Well, that One Hatch has just set Sail...

You call it Ultra-Value
We call it U-VA

_____________________

What say?

Till now, I was under the impression that my i10 was this great little all rounder... no particular outstanding feature, but with a little of everything. Now, the Sail has just replaced the i10 as my perfect all-round hatch.

I cant even imagine what could have been the Sail's sale, had this vehicle been a part of the Maruti family.

In any case, an excellent review, Suhaas, and I enjoyed reading every bit of it. I sincerely hope that Chevy has an attractive price for the Sail. If it does well, the Sail could well be -- like its logo -- the bow in Chevy's bouquet. Else this spacious hatch could well end up emulating the sad sales story of two other spacious hatches -- Jazz and the Fusion.

[tckanth]

Originally Posted by misquitas

In fact, I can almost predict a Chevy advert....
You always wanted the Perfect Hatch...
...The diesel engine and FE of a Maruti Swift
...The rear seat comfort of a Tata Vista
...The space management of a Honda Jazz
...The gear box of a Hyundai i10
...The 3-year zero maintenance of a Chevy Beat
...The ergonomics of a Honda Brio
...The reliability of a Toyota Liva
...The simple/clean understated looks of a Ford Figo
Now, what if ONE hatch could have ALL those features...
Well, that One Hatch has just set Sail...
You call it Ultra-Value
We call it U-VA

@ misquitas thats an excellent ad

@ Suhaas and Rehan - Excellent crisp and clean review. Thanks for touching all the points we would want to know.

This is a nice, subtle car with a great engine and I believe this has made it even more difficult for someone who wants to buy a new car.

my 2 cents on Sail Vs Competition (only diesel engines and base variants of top 3 cheapest cars in the market), assuming that Chevy will price it between Beat diesel and Figo.

Indica ev2 - Sail = Indica eV2 wins, courtesy price (I expect Sail to be expensive) and taxi guys

Beat - Sail = Sail wins, bigger better engine and lots of space for a marginally higher price

Figo - Sail = Sail wins, only if it is priced lesser or almost as much as the Figo

Indica Vista - Sail = Draw It can go either way: I expect Sail to be expensive than Vista TDI and cheaper that Vista Quadrajet. In metros (where TDI is not sold) Sail might win, but overall Vista prevails.

I don't think Sail will be a Swift killer. The majority of sales for Sail should come from Figo, Liva, Beat, Indica, Ritz, Vista, Micra/Pulse, Fabia (in that order).

[anu21v]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

2) Again, I'm not sure if the Sail has been put through Euro-NCAP tests. But I have read that it had been put through C-NCAP (the Chinese iteration) and it fared rather well. Not sure if it holds value and I'm not sure of the parameters either. This is information from the internet and I'm not sure how reliable it is.

To my understanding C-NCAP, Euro NCAP and Aus-NCAP are very very similar when it comes to final ratings.
China has this requirement of having at-least 4-Star rating for all new cars to be launched. If this car is same or better build than China Version of Sail, It should easily have 4-Star rating or better.

A simple comparison of curb-weights from China Sail and India Sail will tell whether it is at-least as safe as china car (or minimum 4 -star) or not.

Edit: Indian Auto Blog claims Sail has 4-Star C-NCAP rating (I guess in china version)
http://indianautosblog.com/2012/10/c...ns-and-details

[dkaile]

The hatchback space is getting very very crowded. Good for us customers but it may get confusing at times. So many similar products with similar engines, each trying to create its own niche. With its brilliant ride and competent engine, Sail may just turn out to be the dark horse in this race to get into the homes of the Indian middle class.

Excellent review BTW. Kudos to Tbhp team once gain especially Suhaas and Rehaan.

[quadbike]

Is C-NCAP similar to Euro-NCAP? Topgear was very critical about the Chinese safety tests so that they simulated one themselves.

[fuel_addict]

Splendid review. The SAIL has the potential to be a good value for money hatchback (if Chevy prices it right) albeit with dated styling and sparse equipment list. The interiors in particular look very plain. Having said that, Chevy's efforts in tuning the engine for better urban drive-ability is commendable. I wonder how they managed to squeeze out 205 Nm of torque from a FGT MJD engine.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Great review mate! Just a small correction if you may; the BS IV DDiS Swift and Ritz produce the 200 Nm torque @ 1750 rpm like the Sail. The older BS III Swifts had it @ 2000 rpm. In fact all the DDiS iterations from the Suzuki stable now produce it from 1750 rpm onwards.

Are you sure about that? Maruti's tech specs for the Swift/Ritz still talk about peak torque of 190 Nm at 2000 rpm. The 200 Nm at 1750 rpm is for VGT engines used in SX4/Ertiga.

[supertinu]

Thanks for the detailed review Suhaas and Rehaan.

I must say that Chevy has done well this time. They have probably taken a bit too long to get into the premium hatchback segment (ignoring uVA) but never too late. This car seems to have taken off from where cars like Figo left. Developed on the strengths and not added any obvious negatives. Interior space is a killer and modified improved version of our national engine is a only a good thing.

Looking at the overall fit n finish and interior quality Chevy needs to be careful in pricing this car. As long as its in Figo/Liva category I would think it can easily manage 3k+ figures and definitely scope for more with good marketing. I expect it to beat Beat's figures eventually. As already mentioned earlier in the thread that i20 and swift probably wont get impacted but Figo/Liva/Visa are in for a strong challenge. Goob Job Chevy.

[anachronix]

Great job with the review as always!

The U-VA scores well on all parameters, the job is now with the marketing team to make its USPs turn into sales numbers.

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

That is true.

MJD equipped cars do feel like they're running out of breath once you attain 3-digit speeds.

How does the 1.4 TDCi (Ford) and the 1.5 DCi (Nissan/Renault) fare in this aspect?