General Motors, that revered Detroit institution which has been making cars for over 100 years never analyzed the India motor world aptly. Their initial offerings like the Opel Corsa and Opel Vectra never really got off. Make no mistake, they were all good cars, some were even excellent. But then again, excellent cars have known to fail in India and it is generally the think tank who mess it all up. A smart company is one that learns from its mistakes and GM has proved it once and for all that they are hell bent on redefining their presence in India. Their stupendous transformation started with the Chevrolet Optra, a car that many swear by. GM’s torch is burning bright today and no prizes for guessing who the torch bearer is, the Chevrolet Optra Magnum. The Optra Magnum is a collage of timeless beauty, brute power, solid performance and flamboyance. JD Power survey has voted the Chevrolet Optra Magnum as the best car in its segment so, those in search of the complete package need not look any further.
Design
From the front, the Optra Magnum resembles the Chevrolet SRV, but the rear remains unchanged. The designers’ effort is indeed commendable because they have managed to blend the looks of two very different cars into one car without any glitch. What is the ingredient for the perfect looking car you might wonder? Someone once told me that designing a beautiful car is like preparing a gourmet dish, all you need is a spoonful of sleekness, mixed with an ounce of agility, a tea spoon of curves and swooping contours grinded with large cat eyed headlamps and a whole lot chromes and the dish is ready. And no where can all these ingredients be noticed more than in the Optra Magnum. It looks blissfully enticing, intimidates you into submission, and you are left with no choice but to ogle at it shamelessly. A lot of chrome can be seen on the exterior and that is always good since it lends a classy and shiny look to the car. The 15 inch alloy wheels and the rear view mirror turn indicators are also worthy of praise as that makes the Magnum eye catchy. The radiator grille though is a tad bit too big and so is the Chevy logo which sits with much aplomb smack in the middle. The cat eyed swept back headlight which was first seen in the SRV though saves the front from becoming obnoxious. The exterior is very well built indeed and the finishing is decent.

If the exterior leaves you breathless then I presume the interior will leave you flabbergasted. It is the height of luxury, comfort, space and refinement. It has undergone a complete facelift and look quite up market. The dual tone interiors and the wood paneled centre console brings an air of utmost chicness to interior. The controls and integrated CD player seats neatly stacked in the U-shaped centre console and plastic wherever used is of top notch quality. The steering wheel though doesn’t match the rest of the interior in terms of quality, is large and rather thin and therefore inconvenient to grip. The sleek exterior design of the Magnum enhances the spaciousness of the car, there is ample head room and leg room in both rear and front seats. The seats are very cushy and provide good under thigh support. The top-end version comes with leather seats. Just when you think that the interior is flawless comes the factor of seat positioning. The seats are low and therefore might be a wee bit inconvenient for short people. Flaws put on the side, there is ample space for storage both on the front and the rear doors, the boot capacity is 405 litres, not the biggest in its class by any means but more or less decent.
Comfort
GM has always excelled when ride quality and comfort is concerned. With soft, cushy seats, strong thigh and lumbar support there is absolutely no question of the car being anything but comfortable. The air conditioning and heating is very powerful but being a GM that is not surprising. It is a comfortable car to be in, especially while traveling on the highway. Thanks to the dutiful suspension system, the passengers don’t get to feel the irregularities of the road. The Optra Magnum is a good car to drive as well since it has a powerful engine and an efficient 5 speed manual gear shift. But like every good story this one has a flipside to it as well, the power steering is not very responsive and therefore leaves you wanting while negotiating sharp bend and curves. I am not sure if you could call this a minor flaw but you definitely can’t call it a major one either.
Engine, Transmission and Performance
The 1991cc diesel powered engine is the core of the Optra Magnum. It is more powerful than even the Skoda Laura and Octavia and yanks out a sizeable 120bhp and a torque of 314Ngm@2125rpm. Acceleration is optimum and the power flows in smoothly. The torque is splendid and even though the magnum has a high ratio it never makes you crave for shorter ratios. You can actually feel the thrust as you press the accelerator, it is said to reach a maximum speed of 189kmph and clock 0-100 in a mere 11.1 seconds! In high speeds when rough patches are encountered the car tends to wallow a tad bit and there is a fair amount of body roll. The rear tends to step a bit out of line but this happens only on attaining very high speeds. The suspension is smooth and disdainfully absorbs the potholes, the big Goodyear tyres hold onto the road as if it is a matter of life and death which it actually is, this facilitates speedy cornering. The front ventilated disc breaks and the rear solid disc breaks are very efficient and rein in the car from high speeds with any fuss whatsoever. The diesel engine is not completely devoid of noise unfortunately, but the Magnum comes with NVH (noise, vibration and handling) and that ought to make things wee bit better. Another factor which ought to find a mention is the mileage. The Magnum is an economical car and manages to deliver 12.3 kmpl in the city and 15.8 on the highway. All said and done, the Optra Magnum’s engine is very flexible and reeks of raw power.
Safety
Chevrolet has paid thorough heed to the factor of safety as well. While the top end 2.0LT comes with ABS and driver airbags, the 2.0MAX and the 2.0 LS comes only with rudimentary feature likes seat belt warning, child safety locks, central locking and anti-theft alarm. All the variants also come with 5mph front and rear impact bumpers.
At Rupees 8,74,580 lakhs, 9,09,547 lakhs and 10,09,450 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi) for the 2.0MAX, 2.0LS and 2.0LT respectively, GM has not kept the Optra Magnum very pricey. The tussle among the premium sedan continues with much ruthlessness. One might wonder if the Chevrolet Optra Magnum has what it takes to take the fight to the Octavia, Corolla and the Civic. But one thing is for sure, the Magnum is a fighter and will fight to the very end.