Chevy Optra affordable and luxurious<\/p>\n
Nitza Arbi and Zatni Arbi, Contributors\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
A stripped-down Maybach, it is definitely not. There has never
\nbeen such a thing, and there never will be. What about \"a poor
\nman's limousine\"? Let's see.<\/p>\n
When we got our first look at General Motors' Chevrolet Optra
\nduring its launch last year, we thought the car was a bit
\nuninspiring.<\/p>\n
But recently, when General Motors Indonesia (GMI) offered an
\nopportunity to test drive the top-of-the-line version of the
\nmodel, the Optra LT with a four-speed automatic transmission, we
\nsaid to each other, \"What the heck. Why not give it a try?\"<\/p>\n
Boy, aren't we glad we did! The car was packed with pleasant
\nsurprises that we would have missed had we not driven it for a
\nfew days.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, due to our hectic schedules, we did not get a
\nchance to take the car on a longer trip to Puncak Pass -- as we
\ndid with the new Chevy Blazer DOHC.<\/p>\n
All we could do was let this car pamper us as we took turns
\ndriving it around town to tend to our everyday errands.<\/p>\n
Well-appointed amenities<\/p>\n
Without doubt, the design group at the famous Italian
\nPinifarina put a great amount of thought into the Optra's
\nexterior and interior details. This car is ranked somewhere
\nbetween the Toyota Corolla Altis and Toyota Vios, or the Honda
\nCivic and Honda City, but we were impressed by the amenities that
\nit had to offer.<\/p>\n
Our Rp 225 million test-drive unit had the level of luxury
\nthat surely no other car in this segment matches.<\/p>\n
The leather seats felt a little too firm at first, but soon we
\nfound them quite comfortable and they provide ample support for
\nlong trips. The driver's seat, ergonomically designed with lumbar
\nsupport, is height-adjustable.<\/p>\n
The more senior among us also noted that getting in and out
\nwas not a struggle, making this mid-sized sedan a great choice
\nfor the elderly.<\/p>\n
Other convenient features include a shoe tray underneath the
\nshotgun seat, a cooler in the glove compartment and reading lamps
\nfor both driver and co-driver, in addition to the center dome
\nlight.<\/p>\n
The cooler is patched into the air conditioner, and can be
\nturned off. The air-conditioning itself is powerful enough to
\nkeep rear passengers cool and oblivious to Jakarta's hot and
\nstuffy weather.<\/p>\n
There is a hidden cellular phone holder in each rear door,
\nright behind the front seats so the driver and front passenger
\ncan reach them easily -- a handy feature in case you find
\nyourself stuck in areas frequented by the notorious Kampak Merah,
\nor red axe, cell-phone snatcher gang.<\/p>\n
There is ample space, although a bit more headroom for rear
\npassengers would be nice. The rear seats are outfitted with three
\nthree-point seat belts, and there are cupholders for everyone.<\/p>\n
In case you are also a fan of Linkin Park, the double-DIN
\naudio system will make you happy: It features a six-CD changer
\nand a remote control on the steering wheel, and it produces a
\npowerful sound through its six speakers.<\/p>\n
The overall exterior design is characterized by straight lines
\nand a raised rear. The remote control also pops open the trunk,
\nthe floor of which can be lifted and hooked onto the top edge of
\nthe trunk well, making it east to retrieve the spare tire stored
\nunderneath.<\/p>\n
A friend who rode with us on our first test drive noticed that
\nsteering was a slightly heavy compared to Japanese cars. To be
\nhonest, we liked it that way.<\/p>\n
The power steering is calibrated to set speeds, and is clearly
\nnot meant to turn the Optra into a sports car. The good thing is
\nthat it forces people to exercise more discipline while driving:
\nAlthough the car can be steered with one hand, at least drivers
\nwould not try it while sending SMSs at the same time.<\/p>\n
By the way, in case you think no driver would be insane enough
\nto do such a thing, we can testify that we once saw one
\nperforming exactly this frightening maneuver while driving his
\nSUV along the Jagorawi toll road. We know, as we were passengers
\nin that very same SUV.<\/p>\n
The Optra's suspension is not overly soft, and feels just
\nright for the rough roads we have everywhere. Its body integrity
\nis nothing short of excellent, and the car glides over potholes
\nwithout annoying shakes or rattles. Although it is not a Lexus
\nLS430, Chevy's oft-touted Total Noise Reduction system does a
\ntruly great job in sound-proofing the cabin.<\/p>\n
What about safety? There are dual air bags for the front seats
\n-- they are not available in the Optra LS. By the way, as the
\nair bag fills the hub of the steering wheel, becoming familiar
\nwith the location of the horn buttons takes some time.<\/p>\n
The ABS-equipped brake system is adequately potent, although
\nwe never really tried an emergency stop to test its capabilities.<\/p>\n
When the gear was in D, we could feel the surge of the smooth,
\nyet powerful, 119 horsepower engine. It rolled at a moderate
\nspeed without even pressing on the accelerator, and the engine
\nroars after 3,500 RPM. Chevrolet uses hydraulic engine mounting
\nsystem in its Optra, so we did not feel any engine vibration
\nwhile driving.<\/p>\n
The engine is neatly covered under the hood, and a highly
\naccessible layout makes routine checks of the brake fluid, power-
\nsteering fluid, the radiator water and others easy.<\/p>\n
General Motors rates the Optra's fuel consumption between 8
\nand 10 km per liter, and we can use Premium gasoline. Keep in
\nmind that cars with automatic transmission will consume more gas
\nthan a manual version.<\/p>\n
Confidence-building<\/p>\n
Also called the Daewoo Nubira in several markets, the Optras
\nsold in Indonesia are built at GM's Thailand facility. Despite
\nthe Daewoo origins of this car, there is nothing flaky about it.
\nIn fact, it has already received several awards, the latest was
\nthe Car of the Year -- Best Sedan 1,800 cc award, given during
\nthe recent Bangkok International Motor Show.<\/p>\n
It looks like GM, the largest carmaker in the world, has been
\nsuccessful in winning customer confidence everywhere.<\/p>\n
The Optra has also been receiving rave reviews in North
\nAmerica. One reviewer from India even believed that it could pose
\na serious threat to the Corolla Altis. During our test drive, we
\ncould not find any serious faults with it.<\/p>\n
Awards and accolades aside, after enjoying the comfort and
\nperformance of this car for four days, we decided we would rather
\ncall it \"an affordable luxury\" rather than \"a poor man's
\nlimousine\".<\/p>\n
It is a pity that Indonesian car buyers are, in general, so
\npreoccupied with the brand image and high resale value of Toyota
\nand Honda models that the Optras are not yet selling as well as
\ntheir Japanese competitors.<\/p>\n
If you are looking for a reasonably priced car that provides a
\nlot of comfort and convenience for city and inter-city driving,
\nand are not in the habit of replacing a car after driving it for
\na year or two, you should definitely take a serious look at the
\nOptra.<\/p>\n
As a final plus, we liked the Thai Gold Metallic color, which
\nwas an effective camouflage for some of the dirt we picked up
\nduring the test drive.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/chevy-optra-affordable-and-luxurious-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}