GM unveils front-engine SAIL U-VA

General Motors India (GM) on Monday unveiled hatchback SAIL U-VA that is expected to give competition to cars such as Suzuki Swift, Ford Figo and Nisan Micra at a time when automotive business in India has been damp owing to dipping sales.

The company said the vehicle not only rumbles smoothly but is an innovation over the already available hatchback products in the market, with the fuel tank having been moved to the front to make it more spacious.

Curvaceous, the SAIL is best as a family car with a sporty look. The company has put meticulous emphasis not only on its design but has also come up with a range of safety features. SAIL has a collapsible steering and window roll down systems at the centre adding to its safety features. It also has a well resonant infotainment system and the instrument panel has been designed in such a way that it offsets the road pressure. The company engineers, who worked on the vehicle for around two years, made sure the car has better insulation to make it suitable for all roads. The vehicle can not only cushion bumps and high altitude drive but can also pull you through crowded lanes with a flexible gear-system. SAIL comes with 1.3 litre engine and will be available in both diesel and petrol variants.

With a mileage of 18.2 to 22.1 km per litre, the vehicle has been developed keeping in mind the income of an average Indian middle class. Ram Desai, vice president, engineering, GM India, said the vehicle has the state-of-the-art architecture. "It is a sporty young family car," he added.

The car has been conceptualised based not only on the body-profile of the Indian population but also the different terrains. Desai said the car was developed in 18 months by 35 engineers of the GM India.

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