It was a momentous day for Chinese motoring as Shanghai GM introduced the Chevrolet New Sail saloon car, the first passenger car created in China by a Sino-foreign joint venture.
The vehicle has been developed by the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Centre and Shanghai GM and will be sold in China and exported to other emerging markets. The New Sail comes with a choice of 1.2litre S-TEC II and 1.4litre S-TEC III engines – the former delivers fuel consumption of 41mpg and can travel from 0-62mph in 12.9seconds; while the latter reaches 62mph in 11.9seconds with fuel consumption of 40mpg.
Both engines for the Chevrolet New Sail include a variable geometry intake system that offers smooth power delivery and torque across all engine speeds. As the friction coefficient in the transmission and tyre rolling coefficient are both optimised, there is reduced energy loss from mechanical operation and both engines meet China’s Phase IV emission standard and can be upgraded to meet Phase V.
In order to ensure that the parts and components meet Chevrolet’s international standards, 95 per cent of components have been supplied by members of GM’s global supply chain with more than 40 per cent have come from industry leading component groups and joint ventures.
According to Shanghai GM President Ding Lei, the company made the strategic decision to introduce the New Sail in an effort to broaden its consumer base. He believes improved cost efficiency with new quality and fuel efficiency standards will offer wide appeal. The base price will be around $8,000 (RMB 60,000) and the company is already taking orders for the car.
