Chevrolet Sail


The Chevrolet Sail is a supermini car produced by the Chinese-American joint venture, SAIC-GM. Launched in 2001, it was sold as the Buick Sail, both in sedan and wagon form which were both based on Opel Corsa B. Since 2005, as the brand Chevrolet was officially introduced in China, the car received a facelift and its name was changed to Chevrolet Sail and Sail SRV.
In 2010, the new Sail was completely redesigned. The new model offers sedan and hatchback variations. The latest Chevrolet Sail has been exported to Chile, Peru, also has been produced in Ecuador, and other developing countries in North Africa and the Middle East. Starting from 2013, this model is manufactured by GM Colmotores in Bogotá, Colombia, for domestic and regional markets.
A third generation made its debut in November 2014, at the Guangzhou Auto Show.

First generation (2001–2009)

Buick Sail

On 12 December 2000, the first Chinese-made Buick rolled off the production line as part of trial production. Series production commenced in June 2001. This car was the first compact car produced by the SAIC-GM joint-venture, and was aimed squarely at young families. The Buick Sail was based on Opel Corsa B, and the body design is shared with the Brazilian Chevrolet Corsa Classic and India's Opel Corsa Joy. This four-door saloon bodywork was never offered in Europe, instead being intended for developing markets. The only engine choice is a 1.6 litre, inline-four engine, coupled to a five-speed manual transmission. The price was under 100,000 RMB. The car went on sale in June 2001.
In December 2001, the wagon version, Buick Sail S-RV, was also introduced to the Chinese consumers. Basically this vehicle is also a body variation of the Opel Corsa B. The engine is the same as the Sail sedan. In June 2002, SAIC subsidiary SAIC-Yizheng introduced a locally built version of the Corsa-based Opel Combo glazed tallboy van as the "Shanghai Auto Saibao SAC6420". Equipped with the same 1.6-litre engine and five-speed manual transmission as the Buick Sail, it was produced in fairly small numbers until 2005. "Saibao" has sometimes been anglicized as "Sabre". There was also a Saibao DeLuxe version available, with alloy wheels and other extras. The Saibao could reach.

Chevrolet Sail

In February 2005, the Chevrolet brand was introduced to China, where it was described as a "younger" brand than Buick. As part of an endeavour to redefine the brand image of Buick, the Sail became the first Chinese-built Chevrolet passenger car. The Chevrolet Sail received a locally upgraded design. The interior was also refined. Both sedan and wagon forms were kept, although production of the Saibao Van ended. While sharing the original's wheelbase, the new wagon version is 71 mm longer than the old one's 4,026 mm. The 90 PS, 1.6-litre-engine option remained unchanged, while the transmission options originally were limited to a five-speed manual but were later joined by a four-speed automatic. Claimed top speed for the manual versions is.
In the autumn of 2006, the Chevrolet Sail was exported to Chile as the Chevrolet Corsa Plus. The Corsa Plus includes dual front airbags, anti-lock brakes, air conditioning, electric windows and central locking as standard equipment.
The production in Shanghai-GM ceased at the beginning of 2009, but at the same time the Chevrolet Classic and its wagon version Chevrolet Classic SW adopted the design of the Chevrolet Sail and were released in Latin America as the 2010 model year. The sedan version has been produced in Argentina until the October 2016, but it was equipped with different engines. In Argentina, the Classic was powered by a 1.4 L 8V 69 kW engine. The model offered in Brazil had a 1.0 L Flexpower engine, of which the output is 56.7 kW when fueled with gasoline, or 57.4 kW with alcohol.

Second generation (2010–2015)

On 11 January 2010, Shanghai-GM introduced the all-new Chevrolet Sail. The car was designed and engineered by the Pan-Asia Technical Automotive Center. A 1.2-litre S-TEC II 64 kW engine and a 1.4-litre 76 kW S-TEC III engine are available. The transmission options include a five-speed manual and a five-speed electronic manual transmission. It is said that this car was engineered to achieve 4 stars in China New Car Assessment Program. Airbags, central locking, AUX in / USB input and power steering are standard equipment. The pricing begins from 56,800 RMB.
At the 2010 Auto China in Beijing, GM unveiled the Sail hatchback. This car is about 3947 mm long, but its trunk area has up to 1,215 liters of space. Engines and transmissions are shared with the Sail sedan. On 21 October 2010, the first new Sails were exported to Chile and Libya. The local Chevrolet dealers take care of the Sail servicing.

Other markets

India

In India, the Chevrolet Sail U-VA hatchback was showcased for the first time at the New Delhi Auto Expo 2012 and launched nationwide on November 2, 2012. It features Chevrolet's signature dual port chrome grille, Hawk Wing styled headlamps and is available in 7 colors. Its 25+ storage spaces, along with ‘Flex Flat’ & 60:40 Folding Rear Row seats, make it one of the most spacious cars in the hatchback segment. The engineers at the GM Technical Center – India, in Bangalore, participated in localization of the vehicle to meet local requirements. The Chevrolet Sail U-VA is available in the 1.3 l Smartech turbocharged DOHC diesel and 1.2 l Smartech petrol engine variants. The 1.3 l diesel engine delivers 22.1 km/l while the 1.2 l petrol engine delivers a mileage of 18.2 km/l
Chevrolet Sail is a recently launched sedan from one of the leading automobile manufacturers in the world – Chevrolet. The car, which shares its platform with the successful Chevrolet Sail Sedan was launched in India on February 1, 2013. Now its competes with Tata Zest. The car, even before its launch, was quite a buzz with experts and automobile enthusiasts because of its attractive looks that are based on the Dynamic Sculpture Design Philosophy. The Corvette inspired Dual-Cockpit interiors are also quite famous among those who understand car design philosophy. Various auto magazines and journals have also touted its ‘Safe Cage’ Design as one of the safest in the segment. The Chevrolet Sail is available in the 1.3 l Smartech turbocharged DOHC diesel and 1.2 l Smartech petrol engine variants. The 1.3 l diesel engine delivers 22.1 kmpl* while the 1.2 l petrol engine delivers a mileage of 18.2 kmpl*
General Motors launched the new Chevrolet Sail in India in sedan and hatchback forms, with petrol and diesel versions, in four trim levels. The petrol version uses a 1.2L S-Tec II engine which is also seen in the India spec Chevrolet Beat. The 1.2L petrol motor has power and torque figures of 86 PS at 6,000 rpm and 113 Nm at 5,000 rpm. The 1.3L diesel engine is GM's version of the Fiat 1248cc MultiJet motor, with figures of 78PS at 4,000 rpm and 205Nm at 1,750 rpm. The MultiJet engine is an outcome of alliance between GM and Fiat. GM offers a 5-speed manual gearbox for both the petrol and diesel variants. The various fuel trims in Chevrolet Sail are priced differently. The Petrol trims are priced between Rs. 5,79,864/- to Rs. 7,21,176/-. The Diesel trims of Chevrolet Sail start at Rs. 7,11,316/-. The model came out of line in India, because withdrawal of General Motors in the country in 2017. The Sail was a bestseller, but the GM decided to get out of the country.

South America

The Sail is also marketed on the Pacific coast of South America, in Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. It is assembled from CKD-kits by :es:General Motors OBB|General Motors of Ecuador, and also manufactured at least of 90% in Colombia by GM Colmotores in his factory on the :es:Zona Franca de Bogotá|Free Zone of Bogotá.

Philippines

Chevrolet have decided to unleash their new compact sedan in at the upcoming 2016 Manila International Auto Show. This entry level car is the manufacturer's newest voyage to capitalize on the heavy demand for sedans in the Philippines.

Springo EV (electric version)

At the 2010 Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition, GM showed an EV version of the Sail Hatchback called the Springo EV. Although this concept car does not wear a Chevrolet badge, it is still a part of Chevrolet's worldwide electric vehicle strategy. According to GM's press release this car has a 65 kW motor which has a maximum torque of 220 Nm. Top speed is about 130 km/h and the driving range with full battery is claimed as 150 km. It was also reported that this car had reached the electric vehicle safety requirements set by SAE and ISO.
Shanghai General Motors introduced the Sail Springo EV at the 2012 Auto Guangzhou. The electric car is scheduled to be sold in Shanghai in 2013 as part of a trial program, and initially only a limited number of cars will be available. The Springo EV has a range of and up to at a constant speed of. The electric car will be sold for RMB 258,000, before incentives of up to RMB 60,000 from the central government and RMB 40,000 from the Shanghai government. In addition, the car will qualify for a free local Shanghai license plate exclusively for electric vehicles. The Sail Springo EV was developed as joint-venture between Shanghai General Motors and partner SAIC Motor.

Third generation (2016–present)

The third generation Chevrolet Sail was presented for the first time in November 2014, at the Guangzhou Auto Show and commenced production in December 2014. It is based on a new small car platform developed by SAIC-GM, and adopts Chevrolet's new design language, with the dual-port grille and the eagle eye-shaped headlamps.
With a length of, larger by than the previous generation, and a wheelbase of, extended by, it now provides a roomier interior space. The boot has a total of of space.
The powertrain range consists of two petrol engines: a 1.3-litre VVT unit and a 1.5-litre DVVT one, both equipped with
start-stop function and delivering improved performance compared to the previous generation. The 1.3-litre engine offers a maximum power of and a peak torque of, having a fuel economy of. The 1.5-litre engine generates a maximum power of and a peak torque of, having a fuel economy of.
It was developed by SAIC-GM and Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center engineers, and is available only as a four-door saloon. It is exported to markets such as Chile, Philippines, Peru, Mexico, and Myanmar. The car was discontinued in the Chinese domestic market in 2019.
The Sail is renamed as the Aveo in Mexico and other Central American markets to avoid any association with the second generation Sail, which had obtained zero star rating in Latin NCAP. It went on sale in Mexico in November 2017 for the 2019 model year.