Chevrolet Optra Magnum is the new diesel car that offers complete value for money. It has been recently launched in India and is a hybrid mixture of Chevrolet SRV and petrol Optra. There has been a considerable rise in the demand for diesel cars in India and this time General Motors has actually catered to the needs of Indian customers and given them a car suitable for the Indian roads and Indian driving conditions. It sports great style and elegance which has a superb diesel engine but the car still lacks a considerable resale value in the Indian market.
Engine and Its Variants
It has a 2.0 liter 16V, 4 cylinder TCDi engine that offers maximum power of 120PS @ 3000 rpm with a maximum torque of 314nm @ 2125 rpm. This means that it has more power than its competitors Skoda Octavia and Hyundai Elantra. According to the dealers, the car is capable enough of delivering 14 km per liter. It also has 5 speed manual transmission and the gears are extremely sharp and smooth.
Design and Engineering
It has been launched in C+ car segment in the country with cool appearances and offers good comfort to its passengers. The front look resembles an SRV with front grills and wrap around head lamps. The interiors have also been redesigned that ooze quality from every corner. The dashboard looks cool with its 3-tone colors and false wood finish. However, some features such as audio controls on steering wheel or climate control are missing that are present in other models like SX4. The suspension has also been fine tuned in the diesel version to give better performance it also has reduced ground clearance and increased length as compared to its petrol version.
Exteriors boast of new doors and mirror-mounted indicators. However, the rear lamps could have been modified in the similar fashion. The alloy of the body gives it a fine and shiny look and the chrome effect on body along with door handles compliments the over all look. The complete design and engineering of the car makes the car a good buy which would prove to be more economical as well owing to the rising crude oil prices.
It has a seating capacity of 5 passengers and has 5 manual gears. Air conditioning comes without climate control but other features such as remote control central locking, power windows, remote boot; remote fuel filler, rear defogger, etc are present. The driver seat can be adjusted and has electric side mirrors on both the doors.
On the Pocket and Others
The car is priced in the band of Rs. 8 lakh to 9.2 lakh ex-Bangalore. It is available in seven colors - ice blue, cashmere, platinum metallic, blazing red, Casablanca white, sparkling diamond and intense black. If General Motors plans to occupy a larger market segment it has to develop a better after sales service network. The new Optra Magnum is a promising car that can help GM to gain better hold of the luxury car segment but only if it develops better service network.
A fanatic auto fan, Satish Kalepu has written about cars for many years now. He writes on car news, but also on new launches. His geographic focus is India, but he often also focuses on events outside India that may affect the Indian market.
This article was previously published on EzineArticles.com
