General Motors has its hopes pinned on the new Chevrolet Sail U-VA premium hatchback to bring its sales for the current fiscal back to black. Combined with the Spark and Beat compacts, the US-based carmaker aims to double its share in the domestic small car segment to about 9%, from 4.5% in September this year.
A replacement for the Aveo U-VA, the Sail hatch has been launched on Friday at a starting price of R4.44 lakh for the petrol and R5.87 lakh for the diesel version. It competes in a segment which accounts for over 70% of the 2 million unit annual passenger car market. Maruti Suzuki?s Swift dominates this segment with sales of about 18,000 units a month (prices start at R4.47 lakh for petrol, R5.57 lakh for diesel).
?We expect success in the small car segment driven by the Sail and will be happy to double our market share. We have to get the Beat back on volumes, its not a product issue but we need to connect with consumers better. We hope to see positive growth in 2013,? Lowell Paddock, president and managing director of GM India, said.
