Chevrolet Sail Hatchback 1.2 LS

Chevrolet Sail Hatchback 1.2 LS is a variant in the already prevailing Chevrolet hatchback series. It is introduced as a replacement for hatchback Aveo UVA. As it failed to grab the eye-balls. As a result of this, the General Motors company has came up with this hatchback for India. It is placed in the premium hatchback segment where it is competing against Toyota Etios Liva, Nissan Micra, Skoda Fabia, Maruti Ritz, Volkswagen Polo and Tata Indica Vista. This particular trim looks splendid and is powered with a Smartech 1.2-litre DOHC petrol engine with 4 cylinders placed in-line formation. The engine of the hatch is capable of churning out a power of 82.45bhp at 6000rpm and produces a maximum torque of 108.5Nm at 5000rpm. The powertrain comes mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. Externally its appearance is dominated by the chrome highlighted frontage featuring golden bowtie, hawk-wing styled headlamps along with body toned bumpers, door handles and mirror housings. Cabin is brimmed with elements such as multiple storage spaces, stylish steering wheel, chrome accents on handles, AC vents and center stack. Apart from possessing an air-conditioner unit, there are front electrically operated windows, power steering, adjustable seats, power socket and headrests. Central door lock, key-less entry and engine immobilizer guard the car while the protection of the occupants can be safely reliable over the features like speed sensitive door locks, child protection locks, seatbelts and reminders. This variant can be considered to be a perfect small car for a reasonable price tag.

Exteriors:

The hatchback is larger in size than most of the others present in the segment, with a length of 3946mm, width of 1690mm and a height of 1503mm. The ground clearance of the vehicle is 174mm and the wheelbase is 2465mm. The front fascia of the hatchback sports the company's design scheme that can be seen across models. At the front one can see the usual honeycomb grille, which has a golden bowtie in the center. One can see chrome bordering the grille, adding to the premium look of the hatchback. Giving the hatch its good looks are the swept back headlamps, round fog lamps, which are mounted on the front bumper. The side profile has a backward sloping roofline that adds to its sporty silhouette. The rear end looks flat and has an attractive design, as opposed to its edgy front. It runs on 14 inch steel wheels covered with 175/70 R14 tyres. Looking at the size of the car, 14inch tyres seem to be a little smaller.

Interiors:

Owing to its large size and a huge wheelbase, it has a lot of space in the cabin. When we say space, not just the front seats have enough legroom, but also the rear seating has an extremely good spacing along with a very good under-thigh support to the seats. The boot volume of the car is close to 248-litres, which is extremely good considering the competition that it faces in its segment. If the rear seat is folded, then this volume increases to about 1134 litres, which is massive. The interiors are two tone and there are lot of chrome inserts, which one can see. The look and feel of the cabin is plain and simple with no flashy stuff on the dashboard or anywhere else. The center console is also conventional and simple. The console consists of a music system with lesser buttons, giving it a neat and tidy look. The air-conditioning unit is complimented by well placed vents, which has chrome rings to them. The seats have been covered by fabric upholstery and are very cozy to sit on. Instrument panel has a blue illumination to it.

Engine and performance:

It is powered by a 1.2-litre SMARTECH petrol engine that is based on a dual overhead camshaft valve system. This mill comprises of 4 in-line cylinders and has a displacement capacity of 1199cc . It is capable of producing a power of 82.45bhp at 6000rpm and delivers a maximum torque of 108.5Nm at 5000rpm. This output is transmitted to the front wheels through a five speed manual gearbox.

Braking and Handling:

This hatchback uses ventilated discs with caliper brakes in the front and drum type brakes in the rear. Though, this trim has been made simple, there seems to be no compromises with the braking system. It has ABS with EBD for additional support. The McPherson Strut with coil spring and stabilizer bar are assembled to the front axle. While the rear gets semi-independent suspension with coil springs. This suspension system along with power steering in this variant makes the drive very comfortable and quite smooth. The car is quite responsive, which adds to the pleasure of driving.

Comfort features:

It has a lot of amenities that include power assisted steering system and power windows integrated to all the four doors. Tilt adjustable steering wheel is bestowed for the convenience of the driver and another support feature is that the external mirrors can be internally adjusted. Remote key-less entry, central door locking system are few other advantages. The front seats have headrests that are height adjustable and on the other hand, the rear seat has flexible flat folding facility and 60:40 split folding feature as well. Apart from the standard cabin's courtesy lamp there is a lamp in the trunk room too. Along with the rear parcel shelf, there are few other storage spaces available. Other add ons are remote fuel filler and tailgate release functions.

Safety features:

Like all general motor's cars this hatchback irrespective of its simplicity, does not compromise with the safety features. This hatch has an anti-lock braking system with electronic braking distribution that helps enhance the braking system of the car and improves the handling and control over the car. There is also a stability traction control and dual airbags for the safety of the passengers. It has fog lamps, which will help to improve the safety and visibility even during tough weather conditions.

Pros:

1. New and improved designing.

2. A decent car for families

Cons:

1. Low on comfort features.

2. Poor after sale maintenance.