Chevrolet sets Sail on a new direction
With its Trailblazer midsized SUV and Colorado pickup fighting it out in their hotly contested respective segments, it’s easy to overlook that Chevrolet is also a purveyor of decidedly smaller automobiles.
And nowhere was this more obvious than in last week’s Manila International Auto Show (MIAS), held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
It was in MIAS that the Bowtie brand revealed its upcoming smallcar contender in nothing less than a glitzy, musical, flash-mobbed affair that left show-goers tapping their feet to the beat.
In the midst of live beat box music and entertaining dance tunes, Chevrolet Philippines – The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), the exclusive importer and distributor of Chevrolet vehicles and parts in the Philippines, unveiled the new Chevrolet Sail subcompact sedan. The preview of the vehicle marked the automaker’s anticipated resurgence in the local car-B segment.
“The Chevrolet Sail represents the strengths and benefits of GM’s global expertise and proven engineering processes, and we are very excited to introduce it to the Filipinos.” says Atty. Albert Arcilla, President and Managing Director of Chevrolet Philippines. “With the Chevrolet Sail entering the Philippine market, we aim to fulfill every Filipino’s dream of having their first car and their first Chevrolet.”
In an interesting and surprising reveal at MIAS, which was graced by General Motors International Operations’ General Director, Tadashi Wakamatsu, the new Sail was officially welcomed to Chevrolet Philippines’ ever- growing product portfolio by more than a hundred flash mob dancers—including TCCCI executives and Chevrolet brand ambassadors, Zoren and Maverick Legaspi—moving to the tune of “Let’s Do The Chevy Sail.”
As Chevrolet Philippines sets a new standard for car previews, the company also aims to set a new standard for subcompact sedans in the country with the unveiling of the new Sail.
Powered by either a 1.3- liter VVT engine with a 5-speed manual (P688,888) or a 1.5-liter VVT engine with a 4-speed automatic ( P768,888 for the LT and P816,888 for the top-of-the-line LTZ)), the Sail is Chevrolet’s third-generation entrylevel family sedan (after the Aveo and the Sonic, the latter continuing exclusively in hatchback form) and is poised to be a strong contender in the subcompact sedan segment.
It has a sculpted and very contemporary styling with the brand’s signature dualport grille bracketed by large expressive headlamps seamlessly put together with a one-piece grille-bumper molding. Inside is a handsome, spacious and well-appointed cabin.
The Chevrolet Sail was named by J.D. Power as the Best Premium Compact Car in Initial Quality and Most Appealing Premium Compact Car in China, one of Chevrolet’s major markets, where it is now one of the bestselling subcompact sedans. The Sail is also available in countries in Asia and soon in South America, further strengthening the presence of the Chevrolet brand across the globe.
Designed, developed and manufactured leveraging GM’s global processes, the new Chevrolet Sail meets the highest level of quality. It complies with G0 global vehicle durability test standards for road conditions around the world. About 48,000 km of architecture tests, 2.8 million km of simulated road tests, 350,000 km of powertrain tests and 640,000 km of emission tests were carried out.
The Chevrolet Sail is expected to arrive on Philippine shores on June 2016. A comprehensive test drive will follow soon after.