Gasgoo.com (Shanghai December 10) - Shanghai GM's Chevrolet New Sail subcompact, which was designed and developed at its Pan-Asia Technical Automotive Center, has made impressive strides overseas. According to an Economic Observer News report appearing today, ever since debuting in January 2010, over 100,000 Sails have been exported to foreign markets, making it the most sold Chinese model overseas.
This past November marks the thirtieth consecutive month that the New Sail's (pictured) sales have exceeded 10,000 units, making it China's most successful economy class model. The Sail's success has not been limited to China. Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia were among the destination markets for the 100,139 Sails sold overseas. The Sail is also exported to various African and Southeast Asian countries.
The Sail's strong sales performance is attributed to its success in attracting buyers looking for an economically priced, high quality family sedan. This October, Indian production of the Sail has begun in the western city of Talegon. According to its plans, GM hopes to introduce at least four new models in India following the Sail's market debut in that country.
Furthermore, last week Shanghai GM announced two new hatchback versions of the New Sail, one powered by a 1.2 L engine and the other powered by a 1.4 L one. The hatchback Sails, which are both driven by a manual transmission, will offer several exterior and interior upgrades to the base model. They will be priced at 66,800 yuan ($10,636) and 73,800 yuan ($11,750) respectively. With the addition of the hatchbacks, the New Sail will be available in a total of 14 different variants.
