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