The Chevrolet Optra sedan slides into the arena to do battle against the Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Ford Focus, and Honda Civic. Canadian car buyers are choosing the highly popular compact sedan segment, so GM is now taking a closer look at the class which had few of their own models to sell in, the entry-level car market. The Optra was meant to cater to the needs of today's first time new car buyers. The base Optra offers a host of standard equipment for a total MSRP of just $17,120 Cdn (at release time). The Optra LS kicks it up a notch with extra comfort & convenience features for a total MSRP of $18,735.00 Cdn (at release time).
You can access the equipment list for the Optra and Optra LS through the links in the contents menu.
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Sitting just above the sub-compact Aveo, the Optra is larger, better equipped, and offering more refinement. Visually, it is what you would expect for this segment, if not with extremely clean and flat body panels. Hood crease lines, and slightly exaggerated fender flaring help to create a slightly more aggressive stance over the Civic sedan. Completing the package of appearance is its jeweled head and tail light groupings. Some have commented on how the European styling of its exterior creeps quite close to the VW Jetta; however, the Optra was put to paper by the designers of the Ferrari Enzo, i.e., Pininfarina; therefore, we doubt any such resemblance was intentional.
The use of body-coloured pieces as standard equipment, such as the door handles, mirrors, and mouldings is quite impressive for a car in this class. As usual for GM, variable-speed intermittent wipers is also included in each model.
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The base Optra includes such things as the 2.0 Litre engine, 5 speed manual transmission, power steering, fully independent suspension, 15" wheels, power disc brakes at all four wheels, power windows (front only), power door locks, AM/FM stereo with CD player and 4 speakers, 60/40 folding rear seatbacks, tilt wheel, tachometer, rear child locks and tether anchors, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, dual airbags, and body coloured bumpers.
The Optra LS adds amazing value with power steering that includes speed-sensitivity, power windows at all four doors with driver express-down and switch-lock features, remote keyless entry with alarm, heated power mirrors, and air conditioning. All this for only $1,615.00 more!
There is also a host of additional optional equipment available, such as: anti-lock brakes, 4-speed automatic transmission, and an appearance package that offers a tilt-slide power sunroof, 15" alloy wheels, leather steering wheel & shifter knob, redundant steering wheel audio controls, mud guards, fog lamps, wood-grain trim, and an 8-speaker audio system (that sounds quite impressive we might add).
Inside, the Optra has a pleasant contrast of black and gray throughout, with numerous textures between panels of cloth, quality leather-grain plastic, and an interesting dash panel made from soft-on-the-touch injection moulding. The dash does a terrific job of reducing glare, and has little-to-no surface contour changes, making cleaning an easy effort.
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Metallic inserts are tastefully displayed in a wrap-around effect from the rear, along the doors, and across the dash. There are two inserts in the steering wheel; one on the gated-automatic shifter; and on the instrument panel, making a tasteful contrast by encircling the speedometer, standard equipment tachometer, and the fuel plus engine temperature gauges.
The driver's seat is comfortable and the seat cushion is manually height adjustable at the front and rear. As well, for tilt-steering, the entire steering column moves up and down, rather than the usual pivoting of the steering wheel. There's adequate legroom and headroom for four adults, and outward visibility is good for all passengers. Big doors make it easy to get in and out. In addition to the classy interior design, there is a deep, open storage area at the bottom of the center console for storing cameras, phones, PDAs etc; and there is an accompanying 12 volt power-point. The two cup-holders have a flip-over template between them that creates a smaller size or larger sized holder, depending upon the position. There is also an option on the LS model of an under-seat storage tray that slides from beneath the passenger seat for added convenience.
Front seat-back pockets are another convenient touch, as well as the fold-down rear-seat center armrest between the 60/40 split seats. Also, the rear seats have two height-adjustable head restraints. The fully-lined trunk has an adequate 12.4 cu.ft. of space, with a convenience hook at one end, and extra hidden storage space under the access panel to the spare tire.
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Under the hood is a 2.0 Litre DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder that generates 119 hp @ 5400 RPM, and 126 ft-lb of torque @ 4000 RPM. For around-town driving, the L34 powerplant delivers adequate motivation. It is very smooth at idle, rather so much so that you might find yourself cranking the starter after it's already running because of how quiet it is. Even on the highway, the engine purrs while rotating 2,500 rpm at 100 km/h and 3,000 rpm at 120 km/h. Dropping the hammer and you might expect to receive a droning sensation at 4,000 rpm and higher; however, due to extensive insulating in the firewall, floor, doors, and trunk, most of the time its pretty quiet and vibration-free.
Driving the 5-speed manual, you'll notice how quick the car will bite when releasing the clutch pedal. The shifter has a solid feel to it, offering the driver a great connection to the car. Even if it is geared for your average daily-life driving, it will ensure confidence. The shift pattern has a different feel to it when it comes to setting for reverse. The typical far-right-and-down movement is replaced by pushing down on the stick, and pulling left and up.
The Optra's 4 speed automatic transmission slides smoothly from gear to gear; you barely feel the gear changes. It's possible to shift from 'D' to '3' by pulling directly back on the floor shifter, which helps when approaching a steep hill, or descending one. However, you don't have to shift manually for descents - the transmission will shift down automatically from 4 to 3 when coasting down a hill. An added bonus is a little button to the left of the shifter gate. It's a gear "HOLD" feature that will keep the transmission in the selected gear for as long as possible before the computer-management takes over (to prevent damaging the engine). This is quite useful when hill-climbing to prevent the transmission from constant gear hunting. Also, the hold feature can be used to enable manual operation of the automatic transmission gear selection.
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Driver instrumentation is very good. Operation of the features is easy with them all being right at your finger-tips along the steering wheel. With the optional appearance package, offering redundant audio system and cruise controls on the steering wheel, almost all normal driving actions can be handled without taking your eyes off where they need to be. The horn buttons are a tad on the small side; however, their operation isn't difficult if your hands are where they should be while driving. All radio and climate control features are also within easy reach.
The instrument panel shows all aspects of the vehicle feature operation. Icons and text is produced for the optional appearance package offered fog lights; transmission gear hold feature; cruise control; daytime running lights; and usual hazard equipment. The automatic transmission equipped Optra receives a LCD display showing the designated gear selection right in front of you.
So how does it drive? Well, the all-independent suspension offers great handling characteristics and ride comfort. Added to this, in the LS, is the otherwise vanilla steering (adjustable), that gets more sensitive as the speeds climb. This is an asset when possible lane change maneuvers may be required while on the highway or freeway. Even at three digit speeds, there are no quirks to break your confidence. One can sense understeer during more spirited cornering; however, that's probably not the fault of the car, so much as the tires might be simply reminding you that even though the Optra is a Chevy, it's no Corvette. The Optra is meant for comfortable and convenient transportation, even at this low price range. It should be easy to see that cars in this range aren't designed for driving enthusiasts; still, among its competitors, the Optra can hold its own.
We found the ride comfortable without being too soft, and the suspension absorbs pavement cracks, potholes and manhole covers without harshness. The standard tires are Hankook Optimo H420 195/50R-15 inch all-seasons.
The brakes have excellent pedal feel and good control, and according to AJAC tests, 100 km/h to 0 km/h takes just under 140 feet. ABS is optional.
On the safety side, dual front airbags are standard. Automatic safety belt pretensioners that remove slack from the front seatbelts in a crash are standard, as are anchors to secure baby seats in back. Rugged side-guard door beams, a protective steel safety cage, and rear door child safety locks provide added security.
Of course, a vehicle in this class should produce great numbers for its fuel economy. The Optra does not disappoint in this area. While the current numbers in the automatic have only been calculated in the space of two month, it has seen highway driving approach 40 mpg. City driving averages in a region anywhere from 25 to 30 mpg. Future numbers will net better results as we have more of an opportunity to test.
There are very few drawbacks to this car that can be found. It may be a step below class leaders like the Toyota Corolla and Mazda3 in terms of refinement or sportiness, respectively, but it's a lot closer to taking on the rest of the field in this category. It's sold at an extremely attractive price, is more modern than a Cavalier, if a touch smaller and less powerful. With upscale equipment like the above mentioned features, and excellent incentive programs combined with the lowest financing rates in the market, great 3 year / 60,000 km general warranty, and 5 year / 100,000 km powertrain warranty, the Optra is one of the surest buys out there. ...and I didn't even mention the other features, like the in-glass antenna, sunglass holder, backlit power switches...
...Let's just say it's definitely worth a look.
Competitors for the Optra include the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Spectra, Ford Focus; as well as the Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Suzuki Aerio, Nissan Sentra, and the outgoing Chevy Cavalier, and Pontiac Sunfire.