Chevrolet Estate braves unchartered waters in RI market
Chevrolet Estate braves unchartered waters in RI market
Undeterred by the current economic upheaval, PT General Motors
Indonesia (GMI) is making a brave move in silently launching the
Chevrolet Estate, which will be available by the time you are
reading this article at its dealerships.
It is quite a daring move from the American carmaker as the
market here is not so friendly to estates or station wagons. Many
consider them as unfashionable with the advent of multipurpose
vehicles (MPVs).
When compared to another variant of the evergreen saloon, the
hatchback, estates have long lost their appeal here.
Nowadays the market is flooded with new MPVs and hatchbacks,
which sometimes confuses people in the market for a new car.
"The Chevrolet Estate is a completely different type of MPV
because it truly offer motorists the comfort and features of a
sedan while providing the flexibility and adaptability of an
MPV," PT GMI said in a press release.
The company considers the vehicle a unique "new entry",
positioned to create a new component in the Indonesian automotive
market.
The Chevrolet Estate is the estate or station wagon version of
the Chevrolet Optra saloon, albeit with a smaller engine capacity
of 1,600cc. The saloon uses a 1,800cc engine.
The four-cylinder E-Tec II has 16 valves and uses a double
overhead camshaft (DOHC) system delivering a maximum power of 107
horsepower (hp). The company claims the engine delivers more
power but with lower fuel consumption.
I first saw the car at the Bangkok International Motor Show in
mid-March, when it was introduced to the Thai market for the
first time. The official launch, however, took place in November
in Pattaya, according to GM Thailand's website.
Assembled in General Motors' plant in Rayong, Thailand, the
vehicle is marketed there as the Chevrolet Optra Estate. It is
unclear why PT GMI decided to omit the Optra and sell it as the
Chevrolet Estate.
In Indonesia, it was first unveiled at the Gaikindo Auto Expo
in July.
The new vehicle offers a spacious and comfortable interior
with a total of 1,750 liters of luggage area. This is possible
with a 60-40 split-folding rear seatback, a feature also
available in the Optra sedan.
Perhaps the strength of an estate is the fact it combines the
stability of a sedan and the spaciousness of an MPV.
A comfortable ride is assured with the Chevrolet Estate
through the use of Euro-Ride Tuning Suspension, a shock-absorbing
system designed to accommodate load distribution for any road
condition.
The Chevrolet Estate has received the top safety rating from
the American Insurance Association, with more than 190 crash
tests to ensure the safest crumple zone.
It comes with an air bag for the driver as well as antilock
braking system (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution
(EBD) to ensure better safety and a survival zone.
Chevrolet Estate with automatic transmission is offered at Rp
157 million (US$16,100) while cars with a manual gearbox are
tagged at Rp 143 million. These prices are still off-the-road,
though, meaning buyers will still have to pay taxes and for
licenses.
As this is rather a niche segment here, there are little (if
any) apple-to-apple competitors for the new Chevrolet Estate.
Perhaps Japanese carmaker Honda poses the closest competitor
to the Chevrolet Estate with the Honda Stream using a 1,700cc
engine and options of automatic and manual transmissions. Honda
claims Stream is a sedan-based MPV.
From French carmaker Renault there is the Grand Scenic at Rp
339 million and the Megane Grandtour at Rp 309 million. Both
vehicles are using a 2,000cc engine and automatic transmission.
Another French carmaker Peugeot offers its 307 SW at Rp 340
million, also powered by a 2,000cc engine and automatic gearbox.
In the premium market, Jaguar is offering its X-Type Estate
using V6 engines with two capacity options of 2,000cc and
3,000cc, both with automatic transmission. Prices are Rp 695
million and Rp 710 million respectively. -- Novan Iman Santosa