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When General Motors launched the Chevrolet Cruze with the new engine, the company also spoke about the Sail U-VA. At the press conference it was revealed that the Sail U-VA would carry the 1.4-litre petrol engine, rather than the 1.2-litre petrol engine. However there was some confusion with the information and it is the Sail sedan which will be getting the 1.4-litre petrol engine and not the Sail U-VA. Our sources have confirmed to us that the Chevrolet Sail U-VA will be powered by the Beat’s 1.2-litre petrol motor, which produces a peak power output of 82 BHP at 6400 RPM and peak torque output of 108 Nm at 4400 RPM. This engine is paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. The 1.3-litre Multijet engine will power the diesel version of the Sail U-VA.
GM has rightly decided to use the 1.2-litre engine as it will give them excise benefits and help them price the Chevrolet Sail U-VA very aggressively. The Sail htachback is one of the best selling cars in China but to sell it in India won’t be an easy task. In India, the interiors of the car play a vital role in its success. That is the reason why the Renault Duster and Nissan Evalia have changes made to the dashboard to make it more appealing. The Sail has outdated interiors, with abundant panel gaps and bad ergonomics. Thus GM will have to be very aggressive with pricing if they want to play the volume game.
Our source also informs us about the competitors of the Chevrolet Sail U-VA. The hatchback is being put against the Maruti Suzuki Swift, Maruti Suzuki Ritz and Toyota Etios Liva. GM has been testing the Sail U-VA extensively and has bench-marked the above mentioned three vehicles as the Sail’s main competitors.
A couple of months ago, GM also held a small drive event for select dealers at its Talegaon facility (drive route was Talegaon – Amby Valley – Lonavala – Talegaon). The dealers were given a chance to drive both petrol and diesel variants of the Sail U-VA along with the Toyota Etios Liva, Ritz petrol and new Swift diesel and petrol models. They were asked to give their feedback on various parameters across a scale of 1-10.
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