General Motors launches Sail U-VA at Rs 4.44 lakh

General Motors India on Friday launched its premium hatchback Chevrolet Sail U-VA, priced between Rs 4.44 lakh and Rs 6.62 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

The car will be available in both petrol and diesel options. While the petrol version will be powered by a 1.2-litre engine, the diesel variant will have a 1.3-litre engine.

The company claims the diesel engine can do 22.1 km per litre, while the petrol variant can cover 18.2 km in a litre.

"The Sail U-VA is a strong edition to our small car portfolio. With the market preferring bigger cars in the compact segment, with Sail U-VA we are able to balance our presence in the segment along with Beat," General Motors India president and managing director Lowell Paddock said.

The petrol option of the car will be available in four variants between Rs 4.44 lakh and Rs 5.58 lakh. The diesel variants will be available in three options priced between Rs 5.87 lakh and Rs 6.62 lakh.

The car will come in seven colours: Super Red, Switchblade Silver, Summit White, Caviar Black, Linen Beige, Sandrift Grey and Misty Lake.

The car will take on the Maruti Swift, the Hyundai i20, the Toyota Liva and the Volkswagen Polo.

The Sail U-VA is priced Rs 25,000 to Rs 40,000 lower than the Swift, seen as a direct competitor.

General Motors is pinning hopes on Sail to expand volumes in India and expects it to be its best-selling model in the country. At present, the company's compact car Beat is its best-selling model in India.

The company hopes to garner at least 8-10 per cent market share in the premium hatchback space, and aims to sell at least 4,000 units per month in the short term.