20782
Chevrolet Sail UVA : First Drive
Posted on 
General Motors' tryst with India goes back quite a while however it's only now that that India's 5th largest car maker is beginning to fire on all cylinders. A spate of recent launches was just the precursor to one of the most awaited cars from the GM stables, the Sail UVA. ZigWheels brings you an exclusive first drive!
Get alerts on new cars reviewed by ZigWheels
How important is the Indian car market to international car manufacturers? Well, that answer can be taken out of a page from GM India’s book. Let’s go back a few years, actually more than a few years when the GM saga began in India. It was 1994 when General Motors India Private Limited was established as a joint venture with Hindustan Motors to produce and sell Opels. While the cars were good, sales were pretty ordinary thanks to the high maintenance and very average fuel consumption. While the Opel brand finally disappeared into the sunset in 2006, GM’s other subsidiary; Chevrolet which was established in 2003 was pretty much the shining star at GMIPL.
The move to Chevrolet as GM’s marquee of choice globally was also coming into effect and given its earlier presence in India the move to replace Opel with Chevrolet was a logical one. With successful launches like the Optra sedan and the Tavera MUV, Chevrolet was GM’s knight in a bowtie. After years of struggling, GM had finally found its calling in India thanks to Chevrolet. Which brings us to the answer of how important the Indian market really is? Even after all the years of struggling, GM decided to stick on rather than just pack its bags. Their patience was finally paying dividends.
When it came to a hatch, Chevrolet came out with the Aveo U-VA. While it made for quite a sensible car, it didn’t really catch the buyers fancy thanks to a very staid design and an average engine. Space was pretty much the only virtue, but with cars like the Maruti Suzuki Swift and the Hyundai Getz, the U-VA could not really make a strong case for itself. But the 2012 Auto Expo showed us an all new U-VA which looked all set to change this brand’s history. Out went the Aveo and in came the Sail U-VA model name.
SLIDESHOW:
Do you like this story?
- Previous Story
- Next Story
Readers' opinions ( 45 )
Post a Comment
Post a Comment-
Vamshi
im planning to take chevy sedan., but itz alwayz better to take sail uva as i observed rear seat is not good in sedan n poor turning flexibility wch was good in sail uva
-
sandeep
Agreed on point by both ppl -1. Should have priced it a bit lower..esp given the mkt sentiment, and the demand for GM cars!! At 6.6 L OTR for the diesel, I feel buying a Quanto is better, given that our roads are often filled with 1-1.5 foot of water during monsoons...and crater-potholes later ....2. They should give some offers for existing GM customers...thats a great way to build brand loyalty...Currently trhey are only punishing existing customers :-)
-
Dev
The pricing of Sail U VA should have been considerable lower in comparision to Swift in diesel version which would have given it an upper hand for new car buyers
-
ananthu
I am taking delivery of Sail U-va this week end, but if Chevy is offering Sedan before this month end, I can wait
-
Racks Manufacturers in hyderabad
Storage Rack Manufacturers, Industrial Rack manufacturers, Racks manufacturers in Chennai, pune, coimbatore, delhi and hyderabad, Rack dealers in Chennai, pune, coimbatore, delhi and hyderabad, Storage racks in Chennai, pune, coimbatore, delhi and hyderabad, Heavy duty rack in Chennai, pune, coimbatore, delhi and hyderabad, industrial rack supllier in India
Will tax on diesel cars clear the air?
by TNN Photography By: Kunal Khadse
Market pricing of diesel, not taxing private...
Chevrolet Sail UVA : Special Coverage
by Team ZigWheels Photography : Kunal Khadse
Set to change the fortunes of the Chevy brand...
Tata Pixel Zero Turn Drive Video
The Tata Pixel concept that Tata Motors showcased at the 81st Geneva Motor Show is a revolutionary...
Coming soon: BMW Bikes in India
Luxury car maker BMW is thinking to re-enter in Indian bike market with high end bikes.
