Chevrolet Sail U-VA
General
Motors India doesn’t have a proper offering in the premium hatchback
segment, and that’s where both the numbers and the money lies.The Sail U-VA is the biggest diesel car in its segment.
Now when most of the car
makers are eyeing this segment in India, Chevrolet has decided to start a
new innings in this segment with a new car. This new car is known as
Sail U-VA
and has been launched ahead of the festive season in India.
The Sail U-VA has got the typical Chevy face. Everyone is
fighting hard for the number 1 spot in this segment and many cars like
Ford Figo and Toyota Etios Liva are giving a tough competition to Swift.
So if they can why can’t Chevrolet? And with this hope Chevrolet is
ready to fight hard. Will it be able to mark its presence? Let’s find
out.
Chevrolet Sail U-VA Variants price
- PChevrolet Sail U-VA Petrol Base
1199cc, Smartech
Rs. 4,44,000
- PChevrolet Sail U-VA Petrol LS
1199cc, Smartech
Rs. 4,83,000
- PChevrolet Sail U-VA Petrol LS ABS
1199cc, Smartech
Rs. 5,18,000
- PChevrolet Sail U-VA Petrol LT
1199cc, Smartech
Rs. 5,57,000
- DChevrolet Sail U-VA Diesel LS
1248cc, Smartech
Rs. 5,87,000
- DChevrolet Sail U-VA Diesel LS ABS
1248cc, Smartech
Rs. 6,19,000
- DChevrolet Sail U-VA Diesel LT
1248cc, Smartech
Rs. 6,62,000
Chevrolet Sail U-VA Exterior
Chevrolet has
paid a lot of attention to the designing of new U-VA.
It’s quite clear when you look at it for the first time. The car may
not be as stylish as Swift or VW Polo but certainly looks much better
and modern than other rivals like Ford Figo and Toyota Liva. The car
looks best when seen from its front. The face of this car is very simple
yet stylish. Chevrolet has done a commendable job as this car truly
feels a generation ahead of Aveo U-VA. Its angular headlights and split
front grille makes it an attention seeker. The bonnet also complements
the front styling and gives it a mature and stable look. The front
bumper has nice edgy lines on it which makes it look aerodynamic. This
bumper houses two round shaped fog lights and a simple air dam in it.
Move to the side of this car and you can easily notice the high
ground clearance of this car. Body coloured outside mirrors are mounted
on the front gates. The car has noticeable wheel arches and along with
14 inch alloy wheels it does look sporty. The car has full size gates
and features nice lines on them. The rear quarter glass is absent and
the C-pillar is not that stylish. The rear look of this car is very
subjective. Tall tail lights are fitted in this car with a simple boot
gate. This type of styling is out-dated and only Chevrolet can answer
why did they opt for such design. The
simplicity at the back may not work in the favour of this car.
Rear bumper is also quite basic and features two reflective lights on
it. You can say it resembles to Figo from its back and undoubtedly Figo
looks much better than it. The top variant of Sail U-VA also features
rear wiper and body colored spoiler. The car is not extraordinary in
terms of designing but can easily be remembered.
Chevrolet Sail U-VA Interior
Similar to Aveo U-VA, Sail is also
very spacious from inside.
The car uses dual tone interiors and looks completely different from
its predecessor. The cabin has taken a big leap forward but if you
compare its quality with others, there is still room for improvement.
The plastic quality specially is a matter of concern which should have
been better. Other than this everything looks perfectly placed. It’s a
very airy cabin with stylish door pads and triangular inside door
handles. The V-shaped three spoke steering wheel and gear knob is
wrapped in leather and enhances the aura inside. You will be amazed by
the legroom and shoulder room inside. The front sitting is quite
comfortable and offers ample amount of headroom but tall people at the
back may complain about the headroom. It’s very spacious for five
people.
Comfort and Convenience
There are many features stuffed in this car for your comfort and convenience. The
front seats of this car are very comfortable
and offer you maximum comfort as there is adequate amount of back and
under thigh support. However, its driver seat is not height adjustable.
The rear seat is also comfortable and feels optimum for seating of three
adults but don’t offer you the comfort which you get in Swift or Polo.
The car features power steering, AC with heater and all four power
windows with buttons placed ahead of gear knob. It has electrically
adjustable outside mirrors, tilt steering and digital tachometer. Other
features include remote key less entry, rear defogger and digital clock.
Dashboard and Storage
Dashboard also uses dual tone colors on it and comes fitted with an
aggressive V-shaped central console which
makes it look attractive. The shape of central AC vents and the area
above it looks extremely dynamic and with silver finishing on this
central console, things just get better. The design and texture of this
dashboard is completely different from every other Chevrolet car. This
dashboard feels better than its competitors like Toyota Liva but it
can’t match the standards of Swift and especially VW Polo. The plastic
quality of the buttons used on its central console could have been
better as these things matter in this department. This dashboard sports a
glove box in it. It has a decent boot capacity of 248 litres which can
be increased by folding its rear seat. The car also has cup holders in
front console, bottle holder, front door pockets and back pockets on its
front seats.
Music System of Chevrolet Sail U-VA
The central console comes with an integrated audio system. It’s a radio,
CD and MP3 player
with four speakers. It has in built AUX-IN and USB ports for direct
connectivity of music gadgets. The car also features Bluetooth
connectivity with vital features like Mobile music streaming, hand free,
phone pairing and make or reject a call. There is also a 12V accessory
socket at its front. However you will miss the steering mounted audio
and Bluetooth controls which should have given in the top variant.
Engine and Gearbox of Chevrolet Sail U-VA
Chevrolet Sail U-VA is available with one engine each of petrol and
diesel. The petrol motor is 1.2L Smartech DOHC engine which churns out a
maximum power output of 85 bhp at 6000 rpm with utmost torque output of
113 Nm at 5000 rpm. The unavailability of a diesel engine in Aveo U-VA
has been a major reason for its failure .To get rid of that problem,
Chevrolet has equipped a diesel engine in Sail U-VA. This unit generates
a maximum power output of
76 bhp at 4000 rpm with a torque output of
205 Nm available at 1750 rpm. Both petrol and diesel engines are mated to five-speed manual transmission.
Acceleration and Performance
First, let’s talk about its petrol engine. Sail feels much better if
we compare it with its both siblings, Beat and Aveo U-VA. The
responsiveness and refinement of this engine is very satisfactory. Being
a DOHC engine, it tends to be less noisy and there is not much
harshness even if you push it hard. We won’t say this engine is a trend
setter but certainly feels better than many of its competitors like
Figo, Liva and even Polo if it’s about refinement. The engine pulls up
brilliantly at low speeds due to its accurate gear ratios. The gearbox
equipped in this car feels the best in its segment. Yes, once you go
pass 2500rpm, it’s not as smooth and quick as the K-series engine used
in Swift but is quite capable to give it a tough competition. It’s only
its heavy weight which makes it feel a bit slower in comparison to
Swift.
Otherwise this car manages to complete 0-100km/hour within 14 seconds
which is not bad at all. However, after crossing the speed of
150km/hour, this engine becomes a bit audible. No car stands in front of
the diesel version of Sail U-VA in its segment; not even Swift. Don’t
be surprised if you find this car much exciting than Swift and others in
terms of performance. The engine used in Sail is similar to that of
Swift but the torque output has increased considerably and the turbo
kicks in as early as 1750 rpm in comparison to 2000rpm of Swift which
can easily be noticed in its performance. The engine feels extremely
refined and cars like Figo are nowhere near Sail U-VA. The engine
suffers almost no turbo lag and does 0-100km/hour within 15 seconds
which makes it quickest in its segment. The additional 15 Nm of torque
plays a vital role in its better performance than Maruti Swift. The
mid-range is a blast and once you go pass 2000rpm, soon you will find
yourself touching a speed of 160km/hr. The car needs no frequent gear
shifting and gives you a stress free and enjoyable ride.
Chevrolet Sail U-VA Mileage
The petrol variant can give you a fuel efficiency of around 14km/ltr
in city condition while on highway it may give you a mileage of around
16-17km/ltr. The diesel engine makes it an excellent car with a fuel
efficiency of around
16-17km/ltr in city conditions and expects these figures to increase by 2-3km/ltr on long runs.
Safety Features
The top variant comes with front
dual air bags, key
in reminder and security alarm system. Other safety features include
speed sensitive auto lock, engine immobilizer and child door locks.
Suspension and Braking
The
gas filled shock absorbers of Sail U-VA makes it
an extremely comfortable car. You won’t need to slow down the car on
every speed breaker as most of the bumps are taken very easily by this
car. Even with full seating of five, the car doesn't complain much. The
braking system in this car involves disk brakes at its front with drum
brakes at its back. The top variant also features ABS with EBD for safe
driving.
Ride and Handling
Thanks to its
high ground clearance (174mm for
petrol and 168mm for diesel), wheelbase of 2465mm and superb suspension,
this car manages to give you a pleasing ride. It’s perfect for long
journeys and bad city roads. You can easily go pass those nasty speed
breakers and potholes which often bother you in other cars. The tyres
are capable enough to hold the car around sharp corners. The stability
of this car at high speeds is also commendable. Its steering response is
pretty accurate but its minimum turning radius of 5.1 is a matter of
concern and it’s not that easy to handle it in city traffic. You will
miss the light handling of Swift and around corners also, Swift feels
better than Sail. Ride quality of this car is very good and even better
than Swift but loses out in terms of handling.
Price of Chevrolet Sail U-VA
The base model of Chevrolet Sail U-VA petrol
is priced at ?4.44 lakhs and base variant of Sail U-VA diesel is priced at ?5.87 lakhs. These prices are ex-showroom prices in New Delhi.
Shades Available
Chevrolet Sail U-VA
is available in seven exciting shades:
- Summit White
- Linen Beige
- Caviar Black
- Misty Lake
- Velvet Red
- Sandrift Grey
- Swift Blade Silver
Warranty
Similar to other Chevrolet cars, Sail U-VA also comes with a
warranty of 3 years/100000 kilometres.
Verdict
Chevrolet Sail U-VA ranges from ?4.44 lakhs - 6.62 lakhs
(ex-showroom, Delhi). This car will be sold along with Aveo U-VA.
Chevrolet has priced this car very close to its biggest rival, Maruti
Swift. It’s a full size hatch offering optimum space and comfort with
decent looks. If you have to choose the petrol variant between Swift and
Sail then we won’t recommend you Sail because it lacks that sporty
character and high on performance of Swift. Moreover Swift has a much
higher resale value than any Chevrolet car. But if you talk about diesel
variant then for the first time in many years,
Sail is the first car which feels much faster and enthusiastic than Swift.
In fact it’s the diesel avatar of this car which makes it a complete
value for money car. Yes, Sail is more expensive than Swift and things
would have been much better if it would have been priced low but as for
now this car has all the abilities to cut down the waiting list of
Swift.
VEHICLE SUMMARY
|
| Name: | Sail U-VA Diesel |
| Model: | LS ABS |
| Car Body Type: | Hatchback |
| Segment: | B+ Segment |
| Top Speed: | 160 |
Fuel Consumption:
Highway | 22.10 kmpl. |
Fuel Consumption:
City | 16.00 kmpl. |
| Warranty: | 3 years/100000 kilometres |
VERDICT
|
FOR
AGAINST | Looks
Features
Fuel Efficient Engines
Interior Build Quality
No Automatic Climate Control
|
OUR RATINGS
|
| Appearance: |
|
| Comfort: |
|
| Features: |
|
| Performance: |
|
| Value for money: |
|
ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS
|
| Displacement: | 1248cc, Smartech |
| Engine Type: | Diesel |
| Maximum Power: | 76 Bhp @ 4000 rpm |
| Maximum Torque: | 205 Nm @ 1750 rpm |
DIMENSIONS
|
| Length: | 3946 mm |
| Width: | 1690 mm |
| Height: | 1503 mm |
OTHER SPECIFICATIONS
|
| Seating Capacity: | 5 |
| Tyre Size: | 175/70 R14 |
| Suspension: | McPherson Struts, Twist Axle |
| Turning Circle: | 5.10 mtrs. |
| Boot Space: | 248.00 ltrs. |
| Steering: | Tilt |
| Brakes: | Front Disk, Rear Drum |
| Gears: | 5 Manual |
| Ground Clearance: | 168.00 mm |
| Kerb Weight: | 1124.00 kgs. |
| Fuel Tank: | 40.00 |
|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
