Chevy Optra affordable and luxurious

Chevy Optra affordable and luxurious

Nitza Arbi and Zatni Arbi, Contributors/Jakarta

A stripped-down Maybach, it is definitely not. There has never
been such a thing, and there never will be. What about "a poor
man's limousine"? Let's see.

When we got our first look at General Motors' Chevrolet Optra
during its launch last year, we thought the car was a bit
uninspiring.

But recently, when General Motors Indonesia (GMI) offered an
opportunity to test drive the top-of-the-line version of the
model, the Optra LT with a four-speed automatic transmission, we
said to each other, "What the heck. Why not give it a try?"

Boy, aren't we glad we did! The car was packed with pleasant
surprises that we would have missed had we not driven it for a
few days.

Unfortunately, due to our hectic schedules, we did not get a
chance to take the car on a longer trip to Puncak Pass -- as we
did with the new Chevy Blazer DOHC.

All we could do was let this car pamper us as we took turns
driving it around town to tend to our everyday errands.

Well-appointed amenities

Without doubt, the design group at the famous Italian
Pinifarina put a great amount of thought into the Optra's
exterior and interior details. This car is ranked somewhere
between the Toyota Corolla Altis and Toyota Vios, or the Honda
Civic and Honda City, but we were impressed by the amenities that
it had to offer.

Our Rp 225 million test-drive unit had the level of luxury
that surely no other car in this segment matches.

The leather seats felt a little too firm at first, but soon we
found them quite comfortable and they provide ample support for
long trips. The driver's seat, ergonomically designed with lumbar
support, is height-adjustable.

The more senior among us also noted that getting in and out
was not a struggle, making this mid-sized sedan a great choice
for the elderly.

Other convenient features include a shoe tray underneath the
shotgun seat, a cooler in the glove compartment and reading lamps
for both driver and co-driver, in addition to the center dome
light.

The cooler is patched into the air conditioner, and can be
turned off. The air-conditioning itself is powerful enough to
keep rear passengers cool and oblivious to Jakarta's hot and
stuffy weather.

There is a hidden cellular phone holder in each rear door,
right behind the front seats so the driver and front passenger
can reach them easily -- a handy feature in case you find
yourself stuck in areas frequented by the notorious Kampak Merah,
or red axe, cell-phone snatcher gang.

There is ample space, although a bit more headroom for rear
passengers would be nice. The rear seats are outfitted with three
three-point seat belts, and there are cupholders for everyone.

In case you are also a fan of Linkin Park, the double-DIN
audio system will make you happy: It features a six-CD changer
and a remote control on the steering wheel, and it produces a
powerful sound through its six speakers.

The overall exterior design is characterized by straight lines
and a raised rear. The remote control also pops open the trunk,
the floor of which can be lifted and hooked onto the top edge of
the trunk well, making it east to retrieve the spare tire stored
underneath.

A friend who rode with us on our first test drive noticed that
steering was a slightly heavy compared to Japanese cars. To be
honest, we liked it that way.

The power steering is calibrated to set speeds, and is clearly
not meant to turn the Optra into a sports car. The good thing is
that it forces people to exercise more discipline while driving:
Although the car can be steered with one hand, at least drivers
would not try it while sending SMSs at the same time.

By the way, in case you think no driver would be insane enough
to do such a thing, we can testify that we once saw one
performing exactly this frightening maneuver while driving his
SUV along the Jagorawi toll road. We know, as we were passengers
in that very same SUV.

The Optra's suspension is not overly soft, and feels just
right for the rough roads we have everywhere. Its body integrity
is nothing short of excellent, and the car glides over potholes
without annoying shakes or rattles. Although it is not a Lexus
LS430, Chevy's oft-touted Total Noise Reduction system does a
truly great job in sound-proofing the cabin.

What about safety? There are dual air bags for the front seats
-- they are not available in the Optra LS. By the way, as the
air bag fills the hub of the steering wheel, becoming familiar
with the location of the horn buttons takes some time.

The ABS-equipped brake system is adequately potent, although
we never really tried an emergency stop to test its capabilities.

When the gear was in D, we could feel the surge of the smooth,
yet powerful, 119 horsepower engine. It rolled at a moderate
speed without even pressing on the accelerator, and the engine
roars after 3,500 RPM. Chevrolet uses hydraulic engine mounting
system in its Optra, so we did not feel any engine vibration
while driving.

The engine is neatly covered under the hood, and a highly
accessible layout makes routine checks of the brake fluid, power-
steering fluid, the radiator water and others easy.

General Motors rates the Optra's fuel consumption between 8
and 10 km per liter, and we can use Premium gasoline. Keep in
mind that cars with automatic transmission will consume more gas
than a manual version.

Confidence-building

Also called the Daewoo Nubira in several markets, the Optras
sold in Indonesia are built at GM's Thailand facility. Despite
the Daewoo origins of this car, there is nothing flaky about it.
In fact, it has already received several awards, the latest was
the Car of the Year -- Best Sedan 1,800 cc award, given during
the recent Bangkok International Motor Show.

It looks like GM, the largest carmaker in the world, has been
successful in winning customer confidence everywhere.

The Optra has also been receiving rave reviews in North
America. One reviewer from India even believed that it could pose
a serious threat to the Corolla Altis. During our test drive, we
could not find any serious faults with it.

Awards and accolades aside, after enjoying the comfort and
performance of this car for four days, we decided we would rather
call it "an affordable luxury" rather than "a poor man's
limousine".

It is a pity that Indonesian car buyers are, in general, so
preoccupied with the brand image and high resale value of Toyota
and Honda models that the Optras are not yet selling as well as
their Japanese competitors.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced car that provides a
lot of comfort and convenience for city and inter-city driving,
and are not in the habit of replacing a car after driving it for
a year or two, you should definitely take a serious look at the
Optra.

As a final plus, we liked the Thai Gold Metallic color, which
was an effective camouflage for some of the dirt we picked up
during the test drive.