Opel finds safety pays with high demand for new Optima

Opel has relaunched its small sedan car Optima range with a new emphasis on safety.

The new top-of-the-line CDXA features a driver's side air bag and antilock brakes as standard equipment: a first in this class of car.

The Optima, and Toyota's new Corolla, are the only cars in this class to feature air bags, with the safety feature finding enormous acceptance in the market place.

According to the director of sales and marketing for PT General Motors Buana Indonesia, Terry Johnsson, the sales success of the air bag-equipped Optima has exceeded all expectations.

"Sales of Optima had fallen off in total to around 20 to 30 cars per month and now we are doing between 60 to 70 cars per month so that is encouraging," Terry said.

He said sales of the CDXA model were accounting for about 50 percent of all Optima sales, while he believed Toyota sales of its air bag-equipped Corolla were as high as 60 to 70 percent of the total.

"Up until now the air bag just hasn't existed as a customer option and what we have found is that the demand is actually higher than we expected.

"This is all really coming in context of a car market that is supposedly waiting for the low-cost domestic product (the Timor car) but actually what we are finding is that customers are a lot more discerning in their choice than we thought.

"They are not just looking for a low price. They are actually looking for some quality and some differentiations in what they are buying and they are certainly increasingly literate in the area of safety," Terry said.

The Optima is now available in three models, the entry level GLS priced at Rp 69,500,000, the CDX at Rp 74,000,000 and the CDXA at Rp 76,000,000.

All three are powered by a four-cylinder 1.8-liter engine driving through the front wheels.

The driver's side air bag, which is fitted to the CDXA only, is a full size 67-liter bag and is designed to deploy in crashes where the car collides with a solid object at speeds of greater than 25kph.

In the event of a crash, the air bag inflates in 50 milliseconds to help reduce injuries usually sustained by the driver making contact with the steering wheel or front of the car.

While the air bag is probably the most visible safety feature in the Optima, primary safety is found in the antilock brakes, which are fitted to both the CDXA and the CDX.

The four-wheel antilock brake system is a preventative safety feature and is designed to help avoid crashes in the first place.

By using electronic sensors, the car's computer detects when the brakes are about to lock the wheel and reduces the brake pressure on that particular wheel to avoid skidding.

This is particularly important in wet weather and enables the driver to maintain control of the car at all times.

In addition to the air bag and antilock brake system, all Optima models incorporate the latest in safety designs with a strong structural passenger cell and crumple zones at the front and rear of the vehicle.

In the event of a crash, these panels are designed to compact in a predetermined way so as to reduce any intrusion into the passenger cell and protect the vehicle's occupants.

Seat belt tensioners and double side impact protection beams in the door frames also enhance Optima's ability to protect the occupants in a crash.

The new Optima CDX and CDXA also feature a new immobilizer system which protects the actual vehicle itself -- from thieves.

The car's key is individually coded which sends a message to the car's computer when inserted in the ignition, allowing it to be started.

As soon as the key is removed the immobilizer is engaged automatically and all engine functions shut down.

The new Optima models join Opel's sport utility Blazer and are available through all Opel dealers. The company's mid-sized vehicle, Vectra, is no longer available but is due to be replaced with an all-new model by the end of this year or in the first quarter of next year.