Chevrolet Optra Magnum [2007-2012] User Reviews

Just bought an Optra Magnum LT, and I am in love with the car. Actually the car is the reason of all the fights in the house know as everybody wants to be in this car...

It all started few months back when I was looking for a luxury diesel sedan with performance for me, As it was my Marriage occasion so the car must be good so that I can cherish my new Innings of life along with the new car....The cars I shortlisted was Laura Ambiente, Optra Diesel and Hyundai Verna (Haven't chose the Octavia bcoz of its cabin space and comfort). I know all of these cars are from different segment but only these are the performance diesels in the market today...

Know to narrowing it down to Optra...

Laura was to big for the city driving and even at the price of 14.5 no leather seats and basic luxury features and above all the power was also less compared to Optra....

Verna at 9 Lacs + doesn't showed to me as a sensible choice as even at this price it was missing all the basic frills. though the engine performance is fantastic the car still lacks the luxury feels. even on to standards of my Honda city which is 1.5 Lacs cheaper. purely a car for only performance ...

Know my beloved Optra. It was love at first sight. The moment I saw the LT version of the car fallen in love with the luxury of it. The car is big the cabin is nice you get a goood luxury car feel but the story started the moment I turned the keys down right and the engine started. so smooth. putted the first gear and pushed the accelerator the car moved as if the rocket has been launched. The handling, the breaking, the overall feel of the car is supreme. just after the drive of only few Kms, I asked the person from showroom to book one Sparkling diamond LT for me...

Know after driving the car for more than 2 months, I feel that the car is excellent on the highways. I drove it mostly on the highways. ran it even at the speed of 190 the car was still very stable (though me and my wife was not, courtesy Indian roads). The only problem I faced in the car is that. It has some alignment problems. Got it rectified once but the prob popped up once again. other than that it is a fantastic product...

At the end I would zeroed it down....If some is looking for a rocking performance with luxury without robbing your banks .

GO FOR OPTRA DIESEL....

 

Performance, Power, Value for money, best diesel in the class, Ooomph factor....front doesn't part with the rear looks of the car

Please read the below URL before reading through this review-
http://www.carwale.com/Research/ReadFullUserReview-rid-23938-sort-3-m-1570346943.html

I finally picked up a red Magnum 2.0 LT, got it registered in mid august and picked it up from the showroom on 2 Sept.
Purchased the car through Kropex India, Blr. Would rate dealer satisfaction as 4/5.

On the pricing front, picked up a huge discount. Corp purchase + pulled some strings out... In total it costed 10.3 lakhs. A direct savings of about 1.5+ lakhs knocked off  the original price. (KA registration costed 1.4 lakhs, sad 'n' no way around it), dealer provided 3m premium Sunfilm & carpet mats for free...
Didn't purchase other accessories from dealer since they had limited range & were expensive

Performance-
No need to stress any more here.... awesome power, can match up take over any car under 15 lakhs (even the petrol ones).... its power one can't resist dragged with a civic & fiesta couple of days back and they are still a couple of days behind..... hhehee

The car leaves you wanting for more, you seldom feel that there is a lack of power in any gear (except whn u r under performing) and its easy for one to forget to move on to higher gears.

Sluggishness- one needs to accept that every car has a different gear ratio, and the ratio's are different from our everyday maruti, tata's, Hyundai & ford.
One issue that I had noticed is at times the car doesn't move from 2nd gear from very low speeds.

Interiors- A greeting/ far luxurious than most cars I have come across... however could have been a lot improved. Dash board controls lights up giving a nice green ambience

Annoying things-

Steering- Its out of shape and large... Making the feedback slower on lower speeds (please let me know if steering could be changed, I have Airbags mounted on the steering so need a steering mount where Airbags could be transferred to)

Suspension- Too soft and tuned for too much comfort, makes the car to body roll most of the time, have to stiffen it during the next service

Lights- 60/65W & very underpowered, couldn't see a thing @ night. Had to replace them the very next day
Same applicable to cabin lights, too underpowerd to search for anything- replace them with LED's

Keys- Only 1 key comes with remote locking, costs 3800 to get the 2nd pair with remote function

Boot- like most cars- No luggage net  tool set is limited to a screwdriver, 1 spanner & a jack

Back panel- has metal underlay and could not be cut without making a mess, so went for upgrading front & rear door speakers with components.

Music system- Like any car OEM systems are not that great. Comes with a 6cd mp3 changer, no remote, aux input. Looking to replace it with JVC touch panel with blue tooth

Apart from these minor issues the car is awesome & still the best money can buy under 11 lakhs. better option than Dezire Diesel top mode, Fiesta d zxi, verna, linea & skoda octive
Engine Performance, Very Spacious/ Lavish- Luxurious InteriorsSteering doesn't suit the car, could have reshaped the tail end, no gadgets/ gizmos

Hi,
I have recently purchased Optra Magnum 1.6LS Petrol...the car has got an amazing power, amazing amount of leg space all around and is like a cream on the road.....absorbs road shocks like anything....have driven about 200 kms and have nothing to complain except the mileage.....hoping the mileage would improve after servicings. I think it is extremely spacious, have upgraded the speakers to JBL....but music system is damn cool and ver user friendly...best part is got a huge cash discount and was treated like a King by the Chevy Team ( From Sales- Delivery of the vehicle). I guess GM name attached to the car is lowering the car's credibility and it is highly underrated esp the petrol version. For me not because I own it but it delivers great power on road and has a superb pick up.
comfort at its bestMileage,

well initialy was pretty sure that a honda city or Skoda was the right choice for me..till i sat in this car and went for a test Drive..it changed my views and desision immediately. I bought it from NAtional Garage..and managed to get a hefty discount ( 90 k). The car is simply awesome...quiet and luxurious from inside.. Nice cooling and pickup...once u get a clear patch of road..the car shows its true beauty and potential..managed to get 190 km/ph a couple of times on my way from bombay to lonavala...it gave me an average of 14.5-15 km/l which is awesome for a 2litre engine car. The Music system provided by the company is pretty average. the seats are sooo comfortable..specially the back seats..!! feel like sleepin in the car itself.. i wonder how come such a good car is not so popular in India ! the car is rock solid overall AWESOME CAR ..BETTER THAN CIVIC ,CITY and SKODA ..good fuel economy , powerful performance ,SPACIOUS ,comfortable, reliable and low maintainanceboring interiors....

I bought the car this diwali and believe me it made my diwali brighter.The car has rich interiors and plastic quality is great.The interiors are equivalent to or better than much expensive cars.On the performance front the car would give most of the cars a tough competition. 

 I also happened to go for a 1000km trip and was thouroughly impressed with the performance. I could not speed as I had not got used to the car and did not want to stress a new engine. However even at 2400 rpm the car would cruise effortlessly at 110-120 kmph. The handling was good and overall I felt very confident about its safety. The car returned an average of 16 kmpl. Not much to complain about the car except the missing USB port and remote on the music system.I strongly recommend that buyers going for Verna and Fiesta have a look before deciding.

This car is a power house, truly a wolf in sheep's clothing -- a cultured beast.

Value for money car with superb power, space and comfort. Fuel efficient.None except that the music system does not have USB port and remote.

 

Exterior Eye catching ,Diamond colour is very attractive.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) It is spacios,Comfortabe,but feeling too much engine noise if you open window,No problem with ground clerance.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Performance is outstanding,I have done 5000kms on all types of roads and got 14 to 15.5 km/lt.Gearox is smooth.In city you need gearshifts according to speed.It doesent pull at low rpms.

 

Ride Quality & Handling Ride quality is superb.Handling is too smooth for such a big sedan.

 

Final Words I bought Optra magnum 2.0 LT on 10t h Dec 2010.after taking test drives of almost all cars bet range of 5laks to 12laks.Previosly I owned Alto for last 6 years. Optra magnum is the only car which is powerpacked with all(performance ,safety,space,handlingetc)luxury feachures without any comromise at only Rs.105000.Anyone who loves driving go for it.

 

Areas of improvement Light must be xenon as optra has top speed of near 200 kmph.

 

Good look ,Comfort,space,performenceEngine noise,Qwality of accesaries

 

Exterior I bought the diamond white colour which every one envies,the lt model give a compete look of the car with crome door handel etc.

 

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The car is very spaceous and comfotable, the seats r very comfortable and r good for long drives for the entire family.

 

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox The diesel engine produces 121ps @3000rpm is great as u dont have to rev ur engine to get the optimum power but the best part is the tourqe which is over 300nm n which helps the car overtake any car on the highway like a cake, well my car was still 7 day old and clocked 800km the car returned a fuel average of 17km/ltr which is quite resonable to me coz i have seen expensive cars do worse.

 

Ride Quality & Handling The ride is very refined becoz of the suspension and the tyre profile,the cabin is very silent engine noise or the viberation is not felt inside .handling of the car is not upto the mark, I find the steering a bit stiff after driving honda city,there is no driver information display on the car.

 

Final Words As my Optra Magnum came fully loaded i found the car the best value for money i could get in the indian market. the money which i paid extra over the Verna or linea I FEEL i made the right choice.

 

Areas of improvement The car needs some new looks thats it.

 

superb interiors,6 cd changer,leather seats,safety featuresaged look,no parking sensors,no driver information display

I was probably looking for a car in the 9 to 11 lacs bracket. Afer studying, test driving & comparing, I could finally short list the following;

1. Innova

2. Lancer Cedia

3. Optra Magnum TDCI

Innova, definitely, is a huge value for money if you are looking for a big family car. However, the image isn't really that convincing for executive driving to office. Obviously, you will also loose on mileage with it,s overall weight.

Lancer Cedia had no issues, except the sparse presence of service centres around the country.

Finally, the Optra Magnum-now also loaded with Auto Climate Control- edges out of the competition and gives upper segment too run for their money. The LT version, which is feature loaded, power packed engine, plush interiors, keyless entry, good low & high speed drivabilty, easy on your pocket with cashless 45000km/3years service, is a breeze to own. And above all it's a diesel with a very decent mileage. The suspensions too are rightly tuned too give you good ride quality & zip in the traffic. GM is working hard on the service part & is extremely committed to improve. Atleast the first 45000KM/3years you do not have to worry about the maintenance cost.

The only issue seems to be not inline with this edition of Optra is the freshness of the rear tail lights. They could have adopted from the SRV itself as done in the Nose job.

All in all; This car is a great VALUE FOR MONEY. Fully loaded version with pearl finish paint is 11.48 lacs in Gujarat.

Powerful engine, plush interiors, Feature packed, 3 years cash-free ownershipFrontal shape could have complemented the rear shape.

With fuel prices soaring and will continue to soar, diesel engines, in new avatars,will be a good option to look for. Initial expenditure (buying a diesel version) will soon fade off and what will remain & keep bothering you will be running cost. Primarily the fuel bills. The inconsistent fuel economy of petrol engines and compromised torque in the smaller engines (ala Fabia) will always let you down as an enthusiast.

This Magnum (the name suits its magnanimity) fits every bill. With GM doing immensely well to improve Customer Service, this car can give Skodas a run for their money. Skodas are undoubtedly well built & lasts really long. Who is really willing to own the same car for that long? For the same space & performance you pay nearly 75% more money and plus the high repair & maintenance bills.

I test rode almost all. Skoda laura, octavia, Civic, Corolla (now being replaced with altis), SX4. But the way the Magnum diesel performed at Low & high speeds was commendable. The decent interiors, functional dash, Climate control (which was missing earlier), leather seats etc. Hardly anything missing. I only wished they could alter the rear with resect to the frontal shape.

With 3 years or 45000km cash free ownership, this deal could well be the last thing that could really throw the competition out.

Though the chevy brand has just picked up, the snob-value isn't really there. It lacks that ooomph factor as in Skoda Laura and Honda Civic. But, with 11 lacs budget which brand/model really has it? However, 'Great Value for Money' & excellent quality. 

Engine power, Interiors, Climate control (now), SuspensionsRear should also have been modified (does not complement with the frontal change)