Chevrolet is the only brand from General Motors (GM) that is selling its vehicles in India. The Sail sedan from Chevrolet has been created for the entry level sedan market and is experiencing a stiff competition from Tata Indigo CS and Maruti Swift DZire. The Sail sedan does not score highly on the exterior front, especially in terms of headlamps, where the DZire definitely looks better. The layout of the grille with respect to headlamps also looks more stylish on the DZire. Both vehicles get flared wheel arches. From the rear, tail lamps in the DZire look fuller against those of the Sail. The Chevrolet sedan gives the impression of being a practical, average looking vehicle, created for everyday use, whereas the DZire on other hand is an attractive vehicle that appeals to several generations of buyers.
Coming to the interiors, the Chevrolet Sail offers more space and legroom than the DZire, without cramping the occupants. Even the Sail U-VA, its younger cousin, scores highly in terms of interior space. The Sail sedan offers ease of entry and exit, which is very helpful for senior citizens. The dashboard styling looks like a cockpit, similar to the interior layout seen in the Cruze. Boot space is also quite generous. In comparison, the DZire gets lesser space for seating and back seat comfort is also better in the Sail. The DZire gets a dual toned dashboard with a combination of black and silver, which looks classy. It also gets automatic climate control, which is somehow missing in the Sail. The audio system in the DZire is integrating, which looks better than the protruding system of Chevrolet vehicle.
In the powertrain department, there is not much to choose between the two vehicles. The Chevrolet Sail is slightly more powerful in the diesel variant, whereas the Swift DZire edges out the Sail in the petrol variant. The 1.3 litre smartech turbocharged diesel engine produces 77 bhp in the Sail sedan, whereas Fiat's acclaimed 1.3 litre Multijet diesel generates 75 bhp in the Swift DZire. The petrol Sail is powered by a 1.2 litre smartech engine, which produces a maximum power output of 85 bhp, while the 1.2 litre VVT engine in the Swift DZire generates 86 bhp. Both engines offer similar levels of fuel efficiency as the Sail comes home with figures of 18-19 kmpl for the petrol and 22.1 kmpl for the diesel trim, according to company sources. Similarly, the DZire gives an efficiency of 18-19 kmpl in the petrol version and 21-22 kmpl with the diesel variant.
Overall, it can be said that the Sail offers more options in the safety department. Three of four variants in the Sail petrol and diesel versions come with a driver airbag, while only ZXi and ZDi trims (top variants) in DZire get this feature. The top-end LT variant of the Chevrolet Sail gets a passenger airbag as well. Top two variants of both vehicles come with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS).
In total, the DZire sells 15,000 vehicles every month on an average, while the Sail sedan got 1,000 bookings within the first ten days of its launch. The Sail sedan is available within a price range of Rs 4.99 lakhs - Rs. 7.51 lakhs and the DZire ranges from Rs. 4.92 lakhs to Rs. 7.50 lakhs (all figures are ex-showroom, New Delhi). Industry experts believe that only the time can tell the winner between both the vehicles, as both are evenly placed against each other.
