Chevrolet Sail U-VA 1.3 LT ABS - User Experience Review

The Sail U-VA’s dashboard won’t evoke any immediate reactions when you look at it. Like the exterior design, the dashboard is conservatively styled too and won’t polarize the buyer. Chevrolet touts that the dashboard is inspired from the Corvette but I beg to differ. The center console bulges out and has a pretty simple layout with the A/C vents, audio system and HVAC controls stacked up like a file cabinet. The center console also gets satin-chrome finish surrounds to create a contrast with the rest of the interiors. However, with the brown and beige combination for the plastics and the upholstery, the Sail U-VA’s interiors look like Charlee’s chocolate factory. 

The audio system is compatible with CD, USB and auxiliary inputs and also supports phone pairing for music and telephony. However it doesn't get any controls on the steering wheel. Speaking of which you do get two objects on the steering wheel that look like switches, but these are for controlling the horn - yup you do not get the conventional horn pad - and this one isn't exactly ergonomic! 

Also awkward is the placement of the power window switches, which are positioned in front of the gear lever. The lever itself is set slightly more backward than what I would have preferred. So more often than not, you keep nudging the co-passenger every time you are shifting gears.

The instrumentation is quite basic too. The colours and the gradients that you see on the clocks are much similar to the kind you see on the Wagon R’s dials. The digital tachometer is one awkward piece too with two numerical digits implying the rev-count, which is weird. You’ll never know when you are close to redline unless you hit the limiter. Chevrolet also says that the A/C is tweaked for India. However, it doesn't feel as powerful and as quick a cooler as the one in the Tata Vista or Toyota Etios Liva, but it does the job nevertheless.

The front seats are adequately large for a car that dwells in the premium hatchback segment, however the seat back for front seats isn't cushy enough. The side bolsters are decent though. The front seats also get adjustable headrests, unlike the integrated headrests that you find in the Etios Liva.

At the back too, the backrest feels stiff. The rear bench gets integrated headrests which aid comfort on long distance drives however they also tend to obstruct rear view visibility. As I mentioned earlier, the Sail U-VA is a large car and the roomy cabin highlights this fact. With the kind of knee and headroom it offers, I can easily have two of me comfortably seated behind each other.

Overall, the Sail U-VA’s interiors feel as conservative and unexciting as the exterior design. But since the car is aimed towards the casual commuter it has a practical approach towards things – much like the Mahindra Verito and the Toyota Etios Liva.

Also Read:

Chevrolet Sail U-VA Performance Review

Chevrolet Sail U-VA Design Review