Our reader Vikas Gor spotted the Etios slayer from Chevrolet on the Eastern Express highway near the Mumbai. General Motors has been spotted testing this car dozens of times around the Mumbai-Pune area and this is by far the most important launch for the company since its inception.
The reason is clearly the B+ segment is growing steadily and the availability of diesel technology is seen as one of the main reasons. The Hyundai i20, Maruti Ritz and Swift models have made considerable progress in the last two years and the demand for these cars, especially in diesel, has peaked.
Newbies Nissan and Volkswagen are mostly selling diesel cars. GM India sells the Aveo U-VA and Aveo as rivals to some of these important models and they have slipped into a deep slumber due to the non-availability of a diesel engine.
General Motors plans to use the Sails to fix this problem but the talk on many enthusiast communities is the simple looks and bare-bones feel of the Sails may not help them mount a challenge to the Swift or the i20. They are more an Indica and Indigo competitors, they may go soft on these premium B-sized hatchbacks. The Sonic twins which are part of the 300 Series platform also consisting of the Beat and Cruze, is seen as the more appropriate replacements. The Sail sits on an old Corsa platform and imitates the Toyota Etios in its temperamental and behavioral traits.
Do you think a killer pricing strategy can help the Sail overcome this difficulty in reaching more buyers?
Chevrolet Sail technical specifications for the Chinese market attached above.
