General Motors India sets Sail anew

General Motors India has been working hard to make its place in the top 5 Indian car manufacturers’ list. The company has been aggressive in updating its models and introducing more models in popular segments like compact and mid size. Latest to come out from the GM stable is Sail which is riding on the back of Sail UVA hatch. Ammar Alvi checks it out.

The Sail UVA did spell some magic for GM India when it was launched in last November. However, the new Sail sedan may just be a winner for GM as it prepares to get aggressive in the mid-size sedan segment. The new Sail sedan also marks the first sedan launch of 2013, that comes with a smashing starting price of Rs 4.99 lakh (ex showroom Delhi). With this model, GM hopes to take on its mighty competitors.

If we have to compare Sail sedan with the Sail UVA, both the width and the wheelbase are exactly the same as the Sail UVA, and because of that there is ample space. There is a lot of room inside and a lot of boot space, around 370 litres.

The Sail sedan is powered by a 1.2-litre petrol unit, the same that you will find in the UVA developing 86 PS @ 6000 rpm and 113 Nm @ 4400 rpm, whereas the diesel model is powered by the extensively shared Fiat 1.3 litre Multijet engine, which develops 78 PS @4000 rpm and 205 Nm @ 1750 rpm with a claimed fuel efficiency of 22.1 kmpl. This makes the Sail sedan a very good competitor in the mid size segment as it’s sturdy, efficient, spacious and a decent-looking sedan.

Other features include dual port grille, new headlamps, metallic colours, a decent yet not so great interior which is a little disappointment. However, as a whole package the car is neat, frugal and a good value for money. The top diesel variant will cost Rs 7.51 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi) and you can choose from eight variants. It will be available in seven exterior colours—Velvet Red, Switchblade Silver, Summit White, Caviar Black, Linen Beige, Sandrift Grey and Misty Lake.

The main competitors for the Sail include Swift Dzire, Toyota Etios, Ford Classic, Mahindra Verito and the Tata Indigo eCS. We expect there will be some fireworks now that the Sail has taken off!