Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) have unveiled the New Sail family passenger car. The five-seater sedan is to be built as the first passenger car created in China by a China-foreign partnership and will be exported to other developing countries around the world. Ninety five percent of the components were supplied by GM's normal global supply chain.

Its engine, transmission and body are manufactured using lightweight materials, and its design has been optimised to be as aerodynamic as possible. Six exterior colours will be made available, including ones called Amber Orange and Starfish Blue. Interior features reflect the target market with highlights such as a radio, CD player with MP3 capability and 24 storage compartments.

The engines, a 1.2-litre S-TEC II and a 1.4-litre S-TEC III, meet Euro IV standards. They produce 64kW (87hp) and 76kW (103hp) respectively. Drive is via a 5-speed manual transmission. GM says the 1.2-litre helps the New Sail achieve a 0 - 100km/h time of 12.9 seconds while the 1.4-litre can do the same sprint in 11.9 seconds. Average fuel consumption is 5.7 litres per 100km for the 1.2 and under 5.9 litres per 100km for the 1.4-litre.

The five variations of the New Sail will be priced from RMB 56,800 (US$8,400) to RMB 68,800 (US$10,100) and sold through 380 dealers across 200 cities in China.

[Via:WCF]