Furthermore, due to the focus on the bottom end and midrange
there is a linear pull from 1,000 revs and above with no major turbo lag
whatever, something that is hard to be seen in other cars with the same engine.
The blame for the car feeling sluggish must go to the extra weight it brings
along.
All power window switches have been grouped in front
of the gear lever, and unlike you’d imagine, are easy to operate
The engine also loses on the refinement front and
insufficient insulation brings in a lot of that noise inside the cabin. The NVH
levels aren't that impressively low either. With Mac-Pherson struts at the
front and twisted axle suspension at the rear with filled shock-absorbers (at
both front and rear), the suspension of the car is good for both bumpy city
roads and highways. Good on-road stability adds to the driver's confidence.
The extra rubber on the brake pedal endows it with a
better feel; Lack of dead pedal is a drawback
Talking of creature comforts, the car offers plenty of that.
The front-row seats are wide and offer good support to the back and shoulders.
The seats in the second row, being upright are comfortable only for short city
spins, can be uncomfortable for longer drives.
Roofline continues to remain flat along the C-Pillar,
leading to fantastic rear headroom
The USP of this car, as hinted before, is the space it
offers. With one of the best cabin spaces in the segment, the Sail will appeal
to those looking for a spacious hatch for the family. The boot space is another
feather in the cap and can be increased further by pulling down the second row
to make a flat-bed. There is ample leg-room in the front and good knee-room at
the back.
Integrated rear seat headrests, storage space under
the rear bench, no 60:40 split
Now comes the criterion Chevrolets haven't had their best
hand at: fuel economy. The company has worked upon this front and the Sail
offers an overall 15.25 km to a litre, by far the second best figure we have
obtained from all the Chevy cars we have tested (after the Chevrolet Spark).
The boot is pretty spacious for a hatchback and adds
to the roominess of the car
Talking of pennies and cents, the Chevrolet Sail LS comes at
$11,510 (OTR, Pune), the second most expensive car of the lot after VW Polo TDI
Comfort line.
Verdict
The new Chevy Sail U-VA adds to the segment with tough
contenders like VW Polo, Maruti Suzuki Swift, Skoda Fabia and Toyota Liva, etc,
and doesn't really bring along anything with it which would slingshot it
straight to the top of the ladder.
The 1.3-litre turbo-diesel 'Smartech' engine in the
Sail is the same Fiat Multijet we know, with some changes
It isn't anything like a hot hatch that will make you win
drag races at night and howl through the traffic by the day, but this would
definitely be your companion for drives with family and fresh looks to convince
the lady of the house. And since there aren't many options in the segment that
offer as good cabin space as the Sail does, it scores on that front too.
