On December 18, Shanghai GM launched the Chevrolet Sail 3 in Chengdu. Five variants of the new family car with a choice of new 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre engines are available.

The Sail 3 is priced from RMB 59,900 for the 1.3 LS MT to RMB 73,900 for the 1.5 LTS MT. All variants are entitled to an energy-saving subsidy of RMB 3,000 as a result of the sedan being listed in the National Energy-Saving and Eco-Friendly Vehicle Catalogue.

“The Sail 3 is built on Shanghai GM’s new-generation small car architecture,” said Shanghai GM President Wang Yongqing. “It is bigger, roomier, more stylish and more fuel efficient than its predecessor, taking the Sail nameplate to a new level. It will address the needs of Chinese families for a high-quality car that matches their happy and dynamic lifestyles.”

The Sail 3 has the most spacious interior in its class. It is 51mm longer and 45mm wider than its predecessor, while its wheelbase has been extended 35mm. The result is 6mm more shoulder room in front, 8 percent more headroom and 25 percent more knee room. Sixteen user-friendly storage compartments and a trunk with 366 litres of space will fully meet the daily needs of users.

The Sail 3 is the first model in its class that comes standard with the start-stop system, which reduces fuel consumption by 3-5 percent in heavy traffic. Another segment-exclusive feature is the EPS system, which reduces overall fuel consumption by an additional 3 percent while ensuring stable cornering at high speeds and flexible steering at low speeds.

Shanghai GM and Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) engineers developed the Sail 3. Utilizing GM’s global standards and processes, the two GM joint ventures earned 59 patents for technologies in the model's chassis, powertrain, exterior, interior, electronics and assembly.

The Sail 3 is a segment leader in safety. Safety cage construction protects occupants in the event of a collision. Up to 5.7 percent of the vehicle’s body consists of PHS hot-rolled steel, which has a tensile strength of at least 1,300 MPa. The Sail 3 also comes standard with anti-lock brakes (ABS), electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD) and cornering brake control (CBC). Selected variants are equipped with four air bags.

Shanghai GM’s first use of a flexible tooling transmission system in small car manufacturing enhances the Sail 3's production efficiency and overall craftsmanship. In addition, each Sail 3 is put through 107 high-standard painting processes and five anti-corrosion processes for exterior coating, and receives nine layers of anti-corrosion coating.

The Sail 3 complies with G0 global vehicle durability test standards for emerging markets. About 48,000 km of architecture tests, 350,000 km of powertrain tests, 640,000km of exhaust tests and 2.8 million km of simulated road tests were carried out.