Chevrolet Sail Sedan Testdrive and review know our impressions

Chevrolet  launched the Sail sedan on 1st February. Prices Announced

Sail Sedan

There is a new trend going on in Indian Market, which is launching a hatch as well as a sedan under the same platform. We have seen it on the Swift and Swift Dz-ire which was a huge hit, Etios and Liva, Fiat Linea and P unto and the newest entrants are Chevy Sail hatch and Chevy Sail sedan. Car makers are now making flexible platforms which can support hatchbacks sedans and some times even mini SUV s. This trend has worked well in India. But now we see some sub 4 m half sedans instead of a full size sedan on the road. Cars like Swift Dz-ire , upcoming Mahindra Verito, new Honda Amaze and Chevrolet sail sedan are all sub 4 m sedans with a stubbed boot to benefit from low excise duties.

Most Indian car buyers who have some money in their pocket prefers a sedan more than a hatch. For Indians sedan is a car of luxury and comfort while hatchbacks are agile and sporty. Indians prefer sedans as a more practical options because of the extra space and large boot they offers. The sedans have a more complete look than hatchbacks. Some people say sedan is more safe, some say sedan has more space, some even say sedans have better aerodynamics and control. What is your opinion about sedans?

So Chevrolet Sail Sedan is the latest entrant in Entry Sedan Class to the Indian market. We have got a chance to test drive sail sedan in India itself. We will say how we felt driving it.

Handsome Exteriors

At first a we had a deep glance at the Sail Sedan. The sub 4 m sail sedan hasn't got the looks of a complete sedan. It looks like a Sail UVA with a spawned boot. But it is well proportioned than other sub 4s like Swift Dz-ire and Honda Amaze.

Sail Sedan Front

As expected the front look exactly like the Sail UVA. Chevrolet hasn't even done some minor tweaks to distinguish the sedan from the hatch. You get the same tin U shaped grilles with a Chevy cross separating them. The headlights and the fog lamps are same as well.

The change to a sedan occurs from the B pillar onwards. There is only a waist line that runs from the front wheel fender to the rear tail lamps. The sedan also gets an elegant and funky free design without awkward detailing. The sedan gets anew 8 spoke alloy wheels different from the hatch which looks sporty. The design theme works well with the sedan than the hatch. There is no C pillar and the roof quickly slides down to obtain a flat boot under 4m.

The rear looks good too expect for the Chevy logo which seems to have come from somewhere else. There are wrapped around tail lamps on the rear and thats all.

Chevrolet Sail Sedan rear

The Sail sedan has a simple and elegant exterior design where there is nothing fantastic and nothing awkward about it. But the sedan looks like a photo copy of the Sail hatch, it would have been nice if Chevrolet had done some more detailing on to the exterior. Does the exteriors feel old for a new car?

Cabin and Interiors Are they the Same

When you step on the cabin you will be surprised with the space this sub 4m car offers. Sail sedan is the most spacious sub-4m sedan in India for sure. You get a massive 2465 wheelbase like on the hatch so their will be no complaint about space. The front seats are supportive and comfortable but one misses the driver seat height adjust.

Sail Sedan Dashboard

On the rear Sail sedan as as spacious as the Hyundai Verna or Toyota Etios. You get sufficient legroom and headroom unless you are a big shaw. The seats offer plenty of width for three people to comfortability travel at the rear.

But the interior design will terribly disappoint you, it is exactly the same as on sail hatch. The simple designing in the interiors have given the cabin a pale feel. The dash broad looks prehistoric for a new car. There is no swishes and slashes on the dash and there is no arrogance in the central console either. The switches and and knobs have a cheap feeling. However the car offers plenty of storage spaces to store your knickknacks. Chevrolet should have done some tweaks to the interiors? Whats your view about it?

The boot is fairly large and it is easy to load stuff due to the perfectly placed loading bay.

 

How does it Feel to be in the Driver Seat

Now it is time to take a quick spin to see if there are any changes on the engine. We first tested the S-TEC II petrol engine to find how it manges the extra cock weight of the sedan. The engine felt shaggy a when moving in a slow pace, you need to hit the gas and shift down to get 86 PS out. When on the boil the engine feels very responsive and sails along pretty well. The problem is that the you will have to work hard to keep the car moving in the city. You will have to constantly change the gears or the engine will begin to stall.

Driving the Sail Sedan through Indian Country Roads

Once you are out of the city and at the power-band this engine will delight you. The car is responsibility quick and you will never feel the car underpowered. The car is quicker than the swift dz-ire with its flat performance.

Next was the important of the two the Diesel sail. The engine is the same 1.3 l multi-jet diesel found on Maruthi Swift Dz ire, Tata Manza and Fiat Linea. But this engine is co-developed by GM and Fiat, GM has made some tweaks to make the engine for ridable. The engine develops 78 HP at 4000 rpm and 205 Nm of torque at 1750 rpm. The diesel is completely different from the petrol. The diesel has strong bottom end grunt, it is evident that you wont feel any lag. You will be surprised with the Diesel sails strong bottom end performance. The car is hassle to free to drive in the city and you don't need to keep changing gears. The engine responds well at the midrange too. But the power trails of above 4200 rpm , so it is best to up shift earlier.

Overall the diesel sail is the more drivable of two with better drivability and strong bottom end. So the diesel is a better choice. Isn't it?

On corners the sail sedan feels well planted and you wont feel unsafe. The steering is well weighted and responds well to the driver input. You can corner in high speeds without any fuss. The tall 175 70 R14 tires provide good grip around corners. But there is a bit body roll when cornering really hard and it is not a big problem.

How will it Handle Indian Roads

We took a turn to a small pocket road of find how the sail sedan handles Indian roads. The car headed all the undulations of the road well. The suspension absorbed all the potholes and nothing filtered into the cabin. We can say that the car simply flattened the road above it. The secret behind this outstanding ride quality is the tall 75 mm tires. Chevrolet has set up the suspension perfectly to give shear ride and handling as well.

We haven't tested mileage of the car yet we will do it soon on the detailed test drive.

We can expect Chevrolet sail sedan to be priced corresponding to the Maruthi Swift Dz ire. But we are not sure about it.

Verdict

Overall Sail sedan is outstanding as well as average. The car has handsome exterior looks,spacious cabin, responsive diesel and petrol engines and offers a comfortable ride quality. But there some disappointments with bland interiors and styling similar to the Sail hatch. If Chevrolet price the sail well we can expect lot of takers for the sail. Pricing will be crucial for the Sail sedan in India.

You can buy Sail Sedan with out any hesitation if you don't care much about styling.

Pros

• Handsome Exteriors
• Spacious Cabin
• Responsive Engine
• Comfortable Ride

Cons

• Bland interiors
• Same styling as the hatch
• Outdated design philosophy

If you have any comments about Sail Sedan post them on the comment box.