Review Cars

Chevrolet has recently forayed into the entry-level saloon segment with the launch of the new saloon version of the Sail hatch. Meanwhile, Mahindra has not been resting easy on laurels and launched a facelifted version of its well-received Verito. The fortunes of the new Chevy will depend on how it fares against the Verito. So which one gives you the best bang for your buck? Read on to find out.

The Sail saloon, with the front styling, looks near identical to the hatch version. However, it does have the proper saloon silhouette unlike the Maruti Dzire. The arced roof merges well with the neatly integrated boot. The large triangular tail-lamps give it a distinct identity. The Verito however, despite having received a facelift, still looks boxy. The new front and rear bumpers, multi-element headlamps, chrome grille and the redesigned tail-lights do give it a more upmarket appearance than before. 

The Verito employs a 65bhp, 1.5-litre diesel engine. There is no hesitation from the engine at low revs and driving it in traffic is very easy. But, once past 3500rpm, the power tapers off and it’s best to upshift to a higher gear. The clutch action is extremely light, but it doesn’t feel very easy to get right and takes getting used to. The engine is smooth and it’s only when you work it hard that it becomes a bit vocal. This is one of the most efficient engines around too. The 1.3-litre, four-cylinder Fiat-based diesel engine under the hood of the Sail makes 77bhp, which means power is more than adequate. You will find a slight lack of responsiveness below 1800rpm, but this improves as the engine starts spinning faster. Performance is strong till 4200rpm, after which the power tails off and it’s best to upshift. The gearbox is slick and the short-throw gearlever is a joy to use. The motor sounds quite gruff when worked hard though.   

Keeping with the Verito’s practical characteristics, the suspension is now slightly raised and feels pliant; bump-absorption is good too. The low-speed ride is not as good as the Sail’s, but it feels much more reassuring as you go faster, and on the highway, it tends to bounce less than the Sail. Thanks to a communicative steering, the Verito is more confidence inspiring and fun around corners. The wide, 185/70 R14 tyres provide ample grip too. Absorbent low-speed ride is the Sail’s trump card. It takes the worst of our roads in its stride and the suspension works silently too. It absorbs bumps without transferring too much to the occupants. However, go faster and the car gets skittish and doesn’t feel as stable at speed as the Verito. Even when it comes to driving pleasure, the Sail simply doesn’t make the cut. The steering is too light and devoid of all feel and it runs out of grip earlier than the Verito.

The Verito’s updated two-tone dash looks richer than before (remember the Logan?) and the ergonomics have been improved; the power window buttons have been moved from the centre console to the door pads. The old, single-DIN music system is now replaced by a larger two-DIN one. But the cabin still feels a bit low-rent and it still seems old next to the modern Chevrolet Sail. The grey dashboard looks dull and some bits like the panel above the glovebox should have been better. The Sail’s dashboard doesn’t look like anything out of the ordinary, although the protruding centre console is smart in its own right. Interior quality is not great, but is much better than the Verito’s. However, ergonomics in some areas are not the best and things like the power window switches, which are awkwardly positioned in front of the gear lever, and the small digital tachometer take time getting used to. The lift-type door locks are a bit old-school too.

The Verito’s trump cards still remain and there is loads of space up front and even six-foot-plus people will fit comfortably. The driver’s seat, however, doesn’t get seat height or steering adjustment, so you have to live with the high driving position. The rear bench is very comfortable and the low window line and large glass area gives it an airy feel. The Verito’s wide dimensions also mean sitting three abreast is not tough. You won’t complain about the large 510-litre boot either. While it may be somewhat lacking in terms of design, the Sail’s cabin scores quite highly for comfort. The front seats are well shaped, with good lower back support. The cabin is also wide enough to seat three and headroom is sufficient for most. Where it falls short is in terms of legroom, where the Verito is much better. The boot is pretty generous, but its opening is quite narrow and high, which means loading large items is a pain.

The Verito, in its top-end D6 trim, costs Rs 7.15 lakh. For this price, it is reasonably well equipped, with a driver airbag, ABS, alloy wheels, a trip computer, remote locking and USB connectivity. The audio system has Bluetooth connectivity as well, but it’s an add-on system unlike the Sail’s integrated unit. It misses out on features like climate control though, and there’s no aux-in port either, which is a bit of a disappointment.

While the Sail offers decent low-speed ride and its motor is quite punchy, making adequate power, it simply isn’t exciting enough to drive. Also, at higher speeds, the Sail can’t match up to the Verito’s reassuring stance. The Verito, although it loses out to the Sail in terms of interiors quality, has on offer better value for money. Its spacious, comfortable and emerges on top here, though barely by the skin of its teeth.

The Sail, though nice looking, is styled to fit the ‘please all, displease none’ mould, and as a result looks a bit too generic and tame. The lines of the car are neat, the skinning is very modern and there are no unnecessarily exaggerated features. The angled headlights wrap around the nose quite nicely and the rising windowline makes the Sail look tipped forward and sporty. The rear isn’t as attractive and the vertically aligned tail-lights look a bit old fashioned now.

The Sail’s chassis has been engineered to provide extremely high levels of rigidity. GM’s engineers in India have also completely redone the suspension to suit our roads, which call for more ground clearance; hence raising the ride height of the cars was essential. The petrol version stands at 171mm, and the diesel at a lower (but still very high) 168mm. Taller, stiffer springs have been used and the front anti-roll bar has been beefed up in accordance with the higher Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW). The dampers have been softened, however, keeping ride comfort in mind, so GM seems to have got the basics right.

The diesel version of the Sail U-VA uses what GM calls the 1.3 SDE (Small Diesel Engine), better known to us as Fiat’s Multijet unit. Though insulation is pretty good and noise levels much lower than rivals like the Figo, Liva and even Swift, you can still hear the diesel clatter from ahead of the firewall. There’s also a bit of turbo lag, but it’s not as pronounced as it is on the Swift. Keep the engine in the mid range and the Sail really rewards you. It feels really smooth and you can pick up the pace at any time without using the gearbox. The diesel Sail takes 15.2 seconds to get to 100kph, and in 22.9 seconds you are doing 120. Power tails off around 4200rpm, so it’s best to upshift early. In-gear acceleration is quick as well due to its strong mid-range. GM engineers have tuned this engine quite well and possibly this the best take so far on the venerable 1.3 multi-jet diesel

In comparison, the petrol engine is a bit of a mixed bag. Known as the 1.2 BDOHC, this 1199cc motor uses twin overhead cams and all-aluminium construction. Idle is smooth enough and the engine is quite responsive at low speeds, but spin the motor faster and it gets quite audible. The Sail petrol surprised us with its flat-out performance and the way it sprints from 0-100kph in just 14.6 seconds – quicker than the Swift. In-gear acceleration is strong too, especially in third. The big news is the Sail’s all-new F17 five-speed manual gearbox which is a pretty accomplished unit and does duty in Opels and Vauxhalls in the sophisticated markets of Europe. Though the gear shift requires a bit of effort, we just love the short throw and the precise way in which this gearbox operates.

The steering is quite light, which is a big help in town, and even when you press on, you will be impressed with the accuracy of the helm. It’s just that the steering isn’t bristling with feel and has a dead zone around the straight-ahead position, which sanitises the driving experience. The Sail rolls a fair bit and it doesn’t like darting in and out of corners but then that isn’t its brief

Straight-line stability is superb though, and as a long-distance tool the Sail is surprisingly good. The brakes are not as strongly servo-ed as some other hatchbacks, but they deliver plenty of confidence.

Viewed in totality, GM’s Sail U-VA has a lot of plus points. It has a large and spacious cabin, unbelievably good ride quality and uses one of the best small-capacity diesel engines around, which GM has tuned to be even better. The Sail is a tough, no-nonsense car that’s really well suited to Indian conditions.

It has its downsides. The petrol motor is noisy and we weren’t impressed by the interior quality. Still, at an expected starting price of Rs 4.2 lakh (ex-showroom) for the petrol and Rs 5.8 lakh for the diesel, backed by a three-year warranty, the Chevy Sail is serious bang for your buck.  This could be the surprise of 2012.