Chevrolet Opta Magnum TCDi

You don’t go back to a restaurant just because they bought a new oven for the kitchen. Nor would you go to see your uncle only because he returned from the barber with a new hair cut. But then the Chevrolet Optra was given a diesel power-plant and a fresh face and I could not resist the urge to take a drive in it. Basically, I don’t understand life with diesel cars…the silly clattering sound, the heaviness of the engine block which blunts the handling, and most importantly the performance or rather the lack of it. Diesel-men out there may point out that their modern diesels are as powerful as most petrol cars….but hey, where is that addictive screaming sound that a petrol engine emits towards its redline and why does your diesel have a redline that starts around 4000-5000rpm?Of course there is the economy factor, which makes people buy them, tilting the scales in favour of diesels. Diesel cars can stretch a litre more than its petrol counterparts and also diesel fuel is cheaper too. So you have a lot of money saved if you are ready to sacrifice a little bit in terms of performance, refinement, fun to drive quotient etc. But I would say that it is like chopping-off your hands to save money on gloves. Cars are meant to be enjoyed from the driver’s seat and a diesel engine upfront spoils just that. For one they don’t offer the raw acceleration of a petrol car. And that heavy engine makes the car nose-heavy which mars the handling.Now must you be wondering then, why I felt an urge to drive the Optra Magnum TCDi which happens to be a diesel? Firstly there are the claimed power and performance figures that led me into thinking if diesels have grown up to petrol car levels? 120 bhp and 0-100kmph in 10.9 seconds is definitely good for a diesel car. Its immediate rival the Skoda Octavia makes do with just 90bhp and reaches 100 from a standstill in 13.49 seconds. And secondly, I have a soft corner for the sweet and comfortable petrol Optra which is available at a good price. So off I went to drive one.There you have it. It has a wide two slatted grill at front with a prominent Chevrolet logo, new deeper airdams, lots of chrome thrown all over to please lustre loving Indian eyes and the familiar SRV headlights. Familiar SRV headlights? Okay….Not familiar, I agree because you don’t see many SRVs on the roads. The sharp looking SRV from Chevrolet is ‘Amithab Bachan in track suit’. We know he is good at acting but cant run fast enough to win a race and the track suit only makes him look the part. This car that was marketed as a premium hot-hatch was just like that. It had the show but not the go. It offered neither sharp handling nor brilliant power. Add to that the vague gearbox, numb steering and slow throttle response and at the end, looks simply were the only reason to buy this car. People wanted a good blend of looks, comfort, performance and economy at an affordable price which the sporty looking, over priced SRV that solely aimed at luring the enthusiast, didn’t offer. The enthusiasts also didn’t buy any and that’s why you see them only in their ads and not on the roads.This is where GM points its new Optra to. The fresh face lends it some character that goes well with the old and the young alike while there is a new diesel engine which youngsters will appreciate for its performance and older folks, for its economy. It retains the other virtues of the Optra like decent interiors, quality, ride and looks, which border on the lines of elegance and sportiness. However, I felt that the sharp, straight lines of the grill do not gel very well with the organic curves that make up the edges of the other elements of the design. The rear of the car looks no different from the previous Optra and the other changes are in the interiors. The fascia is lifted off from the SRV and the silver coloured sporty bits were given some small garnishing with some fake wood and beige finish that extends to the rest of the interiors. The door pads have small storage spaces for small knick-knacks while there is a large space under the centre console for even larger objects. The company’s attention to detail is visible in this cavity, the inside of which has a soft lining to protect the objects from scratches. The plastic quality is top notch and you cannot find any fault with the seating either, which is near perfect. The seats are perfectly bolstered, well angled and the ergonomics are commendable which all increase the comfort levels. The refinement levels of this car are awesome. What is a typical diesel clatter around the car turns into a muted hum once you get inside. GM engineers, in an attempt to suppress the NVH levels (Noise, Vibration & Harshness), seems to have used all the sound deadening material it could find, for the Optra diesel so much that you suspect if the horn buttons, which are two tiny, inconvenient bulges on the steering wheel, really works.The engine of the car is designed by Detroit Diesel, the company behind the well known common rail technology. It is a 1991cc, 4valves per cylinder, turbo-charged unit that develops 120bhp and 32kgm of torque. As stated earlier, performance is almost petrol-like, if not better. The turbo-charger, after a slight lag, wakes up at 2000rpm and delivers a strong boost that makes the car very enjoyable to drive. The band of power existing between 2000-4000rpm seems to be a little narrow however, forcing you to shift gears often. This also means it is not very easy to drive in close, bumper to bumper traffic where you will be struggling to keep the engine in its power-band. The gearbox surprisingly has a light shift action and the gear lever has a meaty feel to it, unlike the other Chevrolets which are simply vague and slippery. Once you get an idea how to effectively use the power, you begin to enjoy the performance.The softly sprung Optra has an inclination towards offering a good ride than excellent handling. Nevertheless, it has great straight-line stability and the car is very composed at high speeds. It rides beautifully over broken roads and on good roads, it simply glides. The trade off to this excellent ride is a somewhat blunted handling due to the soft suspension and additional engine weight at front. Add to that the light steering which lacks feel and what you have is a straight line rocket that does not like corners very much. The steering transmits a bit too many vibrations to the driver’s hands, which does not go well with the rather refined nature of the rest of the car. The disc brakes all around coupled with the ABS do an excellent job in bringing the car to a halt in commendable distance.To pass a verdict, let us bring into equation the Skoda Octavia 1.9TDi which has dominated the entry level, diesel luxury market for several years. The Octavia cannot obviously match the sheer performance of the Optra but its engine is more responsive, steering much more direct and it has got the most practical boot. It also rides well, handles better than the Chevy and is built as if to last longer than the earth on which it drives. However, take into account the prohibitive high spare prices, cramped rear seat, and the purchase price which is almost Rs. 2 lakhs higher and the Optra makes immense sense. It still has terrific performance to shame most petrol sedans, pleasing interiors that won’t go wrong in a car several segments higher and it offers all round disc brakes over the Octavia’s disc & drum combo.. In fact the Optra TCDi has so much power that it can outrun even the Skoda Laura if need arises. It is a diesel unlike any other diesel. I love this car and give it a rating of 8/10. So has this car made a dent to my un-paralleled devotion for petrol cars? Yes, this car is the closest to what you can get for a car that combines petrol performance with diesel economy and this should make it a good choice for all, but the true-enthusiasts. And if I should buy it, GM must provide a device within the engine room which replicates the screaming noise of a petrol engine, according to the throttle inputs and let some of it filter into the cabin so that I don’t get the feeling of driving around in a coffin. Am I asking for too much??SCORE BOARD(to be inside a box)Style & Design: 7/10Finish & Build quality: 7/10Engine & Gearbox: 9/10Performance: 9/10Brakes:8/10Ride: 7/10Handling & Fun To Drive: 5/10Value for money: 8/10Interior and comfort: 9/10Ownership Experience: 7/10