Mario James, Gleaner Writer
The 2007 Chevrolet Optra is available at GM Challenger on Molynes Road, St. Andrew. The Optra starts at $1.7 million for the 1.6 litre model, and $1.76 million for the 1.8 litre offering. - photo by Mario James
Chevrolet markets a sedan/hatchback platform that Jamaican consumers should know about. Now known as the Chevrolet Optra, it was initially marketed by Daewoo as the Lacetti. GM has been operating the Korean Daewoo plant for a number of years, and has improved quality control andfit and finish standards tremendously. The Lacetti/Optra platform is the base used for their assault on the World Touring Car Championship in Europe.
The Optra is pitched against the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. It is offered in Jamaica by GM Challenger in two trim levels, two engine sizes and 11 colours. It starts at $1.7 million for the 1.6 litre (107hp) model and $1.76 million for the 1.8 litre (121 hp) offering. The Corolla LX has 127 hp, a driver-side airbag, power windows, 1.5 litre engine and costs $1.66 million. The Civic goes for $2.52 million with a 1.8 litre engine with 140 horses and one trim level.
The Civic is faster. With its 1.8 litre I-Vtec engine, it has the horsepower to hook up and move away from most anything in its class, but because of its dual personality - due to the variable valve timing settings - it also has the propensity to use a lot more fuel whenever it runs at the upper limits of the rev counter. The Civic's part throttle response is excellent, but manifold vacuum is not as good as the Optra's. Manifold vacuum determines driveability - it is what determines torque. While the Civic has bigger peak numbers, its spread is not as flat. The Corolla's 1500cc does not have enough torque to make the car fun to drive, but it does have the desired plateau-shaped torque curve to maintain good mileage figures. The Corolla's power to weight ratio robs the car of the performance it should have had.
Space-wise, the Optra is the roomiest of the bunch. Its interior is uncluttered, almost simple. Ergonomically, the car was designed around your average six-footer with controls falling easily to hand. The car feels solid and should comfortably coddle a family of five. The sedan's styling is not on the cutting edge, but should wear gracefully with time. The seats, steering and controls have good tactile feel, and the tiller has good feedback. The controls are pleasing to use, and easily decipherable. The Optra is the only car in this class (that we know of) to have a solenoid operated trunk release. The glove box is lockable and the windows are made of tinted Solar Ray glass, which cuts heat and UV emissions.
Driving
This chassis will surprise - there is definitely a performance slant to the way it handles. Weight transfer is excellent and body roll is kept to a minimum. It has the best ride in the class, no chop or unwanted road noises finding its way into the cabin. The front is conventional McPherson Strut, but it has a dual link rear. This plus the tuned gas shocks, really control unwanted body movement. The platform is biased to understeer, as most cars are these days, but the chassis feels as if the back will step out with a little coaxing. The transmission, while not the smartest device, seems 'unburstable', simply because the technology is tried and true. It is a four-speed ZF box, and this piece has been around for a while. All the bugs have been worked out.
The Corolla has long been the standard in this class, but the Optra has bettered its formula. The Optra beats both the Corolla and the Civic in ride and real world mileage the advertised mileage on both its competitors is higher, the Jamaican dynamic is different from the urban test circuits overseas. Stop and go with hill driving is the order of the day here, and the KMR does not have bypasses. A flat torque curve makes a huge difference in mileage performance, and it is here that the Optra shines. Build quality has been a watchword at GM for at least a generation, and this product is right up there with the Japanese when it comes to fit and finish and quality of materials used. The GM dealership here is well outfitted and fully staffed.
The Optra is a ride worthy of being in the cost-conscious consumers list of cars to check out. The Civic is the sweetheart - hot and sexy. The Corolla is like your banker: dependable, reliable and trustworthy. The Optra is like the ideal wife: comfortable, but not boring. It possesses just enough drama to make life interesting and having enough presence of mind for cohabitation to be a painless, cost-effective undertaking.
