Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LS

General Motors India has launched the facelifted version of its popular sedan, Sail in the country's car market with a few modifications to its exterior and interiors. It will compete against the likes of Tata Zest, Toyota Etios, Ford Classic and other in this segment. It is available in quite a few variants, out of which, Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LS is the mid range trim. Its internal cabin is designed in a dual tone (Black and Beige) color scheme, which is now complemented by icy blue illumination. It also has silver accentuated steering wheel, AC vents and center console that gives it a classy appearance. The exteriors comes with a few modifications, which includes an updated bumper, headlight cluster and radiator grille. At present, it is being sold in quite a few exterior paint options like Sandrift Grey, Caviar Black, Summit White, Switch Blade Silver, Linen Beige and Super Red metallic finish. The company has not made any technical changes to this sedan. It is powered by the same 1.3-litre diesel engine that has the ability to displace 1248cc. It is cleverly mated with a 5-speed manual transmission gear box, which distributes the engine power to its front wheels. The company is offering this hatchback with a standard warranty of 100000 Kilometers or three years, whichever is earlier. The owners can also avail an additional service maintenance package for three years or 45000 Kilometers.

Exteriors:

This variant has an aerodynamic body structure along with a lot of striking features. The front fascia is designed with an updated radiator grille. It is fitted with a thick horizontal chrome plated slat, which is embossed with a golden company logo in the center. This grille is flanked by a new headlight cluster that is incorporated with high intensity halogen lamps and side turn indicator. The body colored bumper has a wide air dam for cooling the engine. Its windscreen is made of green tinted glass that is integrated with a pair of intermittent wipers. Coming to the side profile, it has body colored door handles and outside rear view mirrors. Its neatly carved wheel arches are fitted with a sturdy set of 14 inch steel wheels. These rims are covered with 175/70 R14 sized tubeless radial tyres. The company has also given a full size spare wheel, which is affixed in the boot compartment with all other tools required for changing a flat tyre. The rear end gets a bright tail lamp cluster and a body colored bumper. The expressive boot lid is embossed with variant badging. Its windscreen is fitted with a centrally located high mounted stop lamp. Its overall dimensions remain the same with a total length of 4249mm along with a width of 1690mm and a decent height of 1503mm. It has 168mm of minimum ground clearance. The large wheelbase measures 2465mm, which offers a spacious cabin inside.

Interiors:

Its internal cabin is incorporated with comfortable seats, which provide ample leg space for all occupants. These are integrated with head restraints and are covered with fabric upholstery. Its dual tone dashboard is equipped with chrome accentuated AC vents, a large glove box and an instrument cluster with ice blue illumination. The tilt adjustable steering wheel is quite responsive and makes it easy to handle even in heavy traffic conditions. It is bestowed with a number of utility based aspects, which includes front door map pockets, cup and bottle holders, remote fuel lid opener and so on. It also has a spacious boot compartment, which can be increased by folding its rear seat. The chrome finished door handles and parking lever tip gives the cabin a stylish look.

Engine and Performance:

This Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LS variant is powered by a turbocharged diesel engine that displaces 1248cc . This 1.3-litre mill carries four cylinders that have 16 valves and is based on a dual overhead cam shaft valve configuration. It has a sequential injection fuel supply system that helps in producing a mileage of 22.1 Kmpl on bigger roads. This motor is skilfully mated with a 5-speed manual transmission gear box that distributes torque output to its front wheels. It has the ability to churn out a peak power of 74bhp at 4000 rpm along with a peak torque output of 190Nm at 1750rpm, which is quite good considering the Indian road conditions.

Braking and Handling:

This vehicle has its front wheels fitted with a set of robust disc brakes, while the rear ones are equipped with sturdy drum brakes . Its front axle is affixed with a McPherson strut and the rear one gets a twist axle. These are further loaded with passive twin tube gas filled shock absorbers for enhancing this mechanism. It is incorporated with a highly responsive power assisted steering system. It has tilt adjustment function and supports a minimum turning radius of 5.15 meters.

Comfort Features:

This trim includes a long list of comfort aspects like a tilt adjustable steering wheel, co-driver side sun visor with vanity mirror, remote keyless entry, day and night inside rear view mirror and a luggage compartment lamp as well. The front seats have height adjustable headrests and there is center armrest with cup holders in the rear seat. It has all four power windows, while there are electrically adjustable outside rear view mirrors. It is blessed with an advanced air conditioning unit that cools the cabin quickly. For in-car entertainment, there is an integrated 2-DIN audio unit available . It has a radio tuner, CD/MP3 player along with four speakers and supports USB socket and auxiliary input. It allows pairing up of five phones through Bluetooth and lets the occupants to stream music from their phones. The 12V power outlet is quite useful for charging mobile phones and other electronic devices. Apart from these, it includes an interior courtesy lamp, remote fuel filler and tailgate release and rear seat integrated headrest, which enhances the comfort levels.

Safety Features:

This Chevrolet Sail 1.3 LS trim is bestowed with a number of protective aspects. It has a high strength steel body structure that minimizes the impact in case of a collision. The front seats have three point ELR (Emergency Locking Retractor) seat belts, while the engine immobilizer avoids any unauthorized entry into the vehicle . The driver seat belt warning, key-in reminder and door ajar notifications on instrument panel alerts the driver. In addition to these, it includes a centrally located high mount stop lamp, central door locking, speed sensitive door auto-lock, dual horn, side impact beams and rear seat child protection door locks offers maximum protection of its occupants and the vehicle as well.

Pros:

1. Refined exteriors and interiors further adds to its competitiveness.
2. Engine performance is quite reliable.

Cons:

1. Fuel economy can be made better.
2. Ground clearance needs to improve.