Chevrolet has launched Sail U-VA two years ago with competitive price, robust structure and spacious cabin, during last month Chevrolet entered again in the market with the refreshed version of Sail Hatchback; you are wondering we were talking about the U-VA than from where hatchback has arrived. Actually Chevrolet has removed the U-VA moniker which is now get replaced with Hatchback, overall design element is moreover same but few add-ons have been made in the interiors front of Sail hatchback. Now let’s see what our experts have to say about the subtle changes Chevrolet has brought in the Sail Hatchback.
Price:
In order to boost up the sales company usually price their car competitively against the rival cars but sometimes it is not possible for car companies to place their cars in that bracket but this is not in the case of Sail hatchback which starts at the affordable price of 4.41 lakh which goes up to 6.81 lakh which is quite aggressive plus affordable as well.
Engine and Performance:
Chevrolet retains the same engines in new Sail hatchback our test car had a 1.3L Smartech Diesel engine which churns out 74bhp power@4000rpm and 190Nm torque@1750rpm. While another one is 1.2L Petrol engine which is able to produce 82bhp power and 108.5Nm torque, both the engines are mated to a five speed manual transmission. Company claims that diesel engine delivers 22.1 KPL mileage but we got around 20 KPL under mix road conditions.
Performance of Sail hatchback is very good and impressive, short gear throw is convenient to use. Most inspiring point about Sail hatchback is its low speed drivability which made it well suited for city driving with linear power delivery. Apart from that mid range is quite impressive as well though it is not a best suited car for Highway spree but it is not a bad performer either.
When you drive Sail hatchback uphill with two occupants and few luggage bags at the back than Sail struggle to cross 140 km/hr mark however we tested it uphill just to check its drivability. Sail is coupled to a five speed manual gearbox with no mess shift during the drive and its short throw will make you ride easy and smooth.
NVH level are very good with hardly any noise evident in the cabin though on bad roads you might get some noise at time but that’s bearable. Overall a good car with firm ride and handling with decent on road performance best suited for mid-range performance lovers.
Space and Dimensions:
The five seater Sail Hatchback carries the overall dimension of 3946mm length, 1690mm width and 1503mm height with the wheelbase of 2465mm same like its Sedan sibling. In ground clearance department it stands tall with 174mm for petrol mill and 168mm for Diesel. Rear bench space is not a problem for 3 occupants though it might be for taller passengers, it also gets 248 liters of decent cargo space and 60:40 rear seats spilt. Storage space is bit of a concern in Sail hatchback as it contains a single cup holder for rear passengers, relatively small glove box and tiny front door pockets.
Exterior and Interior:
Chevrolet Sail Hatchback is a refresh version of Sail U-VA as the company say but is this really a refresh version? We don’t think so apart from very minor changes it is overall a same car like the previous GEN Sail U-VA. The front appearance of Sail Hatchback is somehow gives reflection of Chevrolet Cruze, the only noticeable change Sail has is the hatchback logo which is placed above the Wiper replacing the U-VA moniker.
Front side of Sail Hatchback looks sportier or we can say that Chevrolet has played a safe game in its designing but it look quite attractive with illuminating headlights, chrome surrounded fog lights, spilt front grille and raised bonnet. Side profile looks conservative in styling department with flap type dated door handles etc. Rear profile gets vertically mounded tail lights hampering the rear visibility with increased B pillars, lost in space keyhole etc. Overall Design of a car is still hit or a miss for maximum with dated styling.
Chevrolet Sail Hatchback has showed main improvement in Interiors department with dual tone black-beige dashboard replacing the dull and boring looking color scheme of previous Gen hatch, steering wheel and gear knob is also improved one with leather strapping, A/C vents and power windows switches are now chrome adorned but the placement of power windows switches is certainly annoying.
On the entertainment point of view Sail hatchback now gets 2 DIN music system with bluetooth, AUZ-in, USB support and it now comes with 5 phone pairing facility but the sound quality of music system is average. Apart from that Cabin also feature some other changes like blue ambient lighting at the instrument panel, new leather upholstery for the top variant and revised fabric upholstery for the lower end variants, silvery central console finish.
Absence of basic equipments like steering mounted controls, climate control and electrically adjusted ORVM’s might detach many buyers from the Sail hatchback as its rival cars does come with these features.
Safety:
As far as safety is concerned, it is build on Chevrolet safe cage structure which minimizes the crash effect on occupants in the midst of an accident and equipped with feature like ABS (anti-lock braking), EBD, dual air bags, central locking, engine immobilizer, front fog lights etc. But absence of rear parking camera and sensors are certainly a disadvantage for sail hatchback.
Verdict:
Chevrolet Sail hatchback is good car with decent performance, spacious cabin, excellent ride quality and responsive engine, its minor cosmetic changes somehow failed to eliminate the dated styling norm of Sail hatchback plus competition is getting around now a cut throat level with other cars are offering same and better range of packages in the same price range. But if one wants a good car in affordable price range with traditional styling than Sail hatchback is a steal.
