Civil ServantThough the small wagon thrived during the '80s and '90s, it's one that
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| Quiet and unassuming, you just might have forgotten about the Optra Wagon. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
is creeping towards the history books. Back then, nearly every Japanese automaker, from Toyota to Nissan to Honda offered one, while the Americans did their best to offer an equally clever selection of import-fighter station wagons. Today, the scene is very different. Instead, most automakers have switched over to conventional or tall-form hatchbacks, such as the Matrix/Vibe twins or retro-inspired machines such as the PT Cruiser. More SUV-inspired crossovers are also the order of our times, with compact models like Honda's futuristic Element and Mazda's new CX-7 gaining in popularity. As far as traditional wagons go, this segment is occupied only by the upper-crust Subaru Impreza and soon-to-die Volkswagen Jetta Wagon, the more basic Ford Focus Wagon, plus the here-again Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback. Oh, and in case this one flew under your radar, there's the Chevrolet Optra Wagon.
The
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| Mish-mash of DNA leads to a global car that really doesn't have any strong brand identity. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Chevrolet Optra, in a previous life, known as the Daewoo Nubira (or Suzuki Forenza Wagon in the USA) was the last car designed by Daewoo before it was completely swallowed up by General Motors and Suzuki when it hit the financial buffers back in 2002. After the purchase, the remaining bits of engineering and production became GMDAT (GM Daewoo Auto Technology). In usual habit pre-takeover, cars done by Daewoo were executed a bit differently; styling was done predominantly by styling houses (ItalDesign, Pininfarina, IDEA), engines and suspension components were borrowed from GM (Holden), while tuning was done by engineering consultants (Lotus, Porsche). Appropriately, it was an international collaboration, ideal for the many international markets these vehicles would be sold in.
When
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| Split-fold seats don't require the headrests to be removed. Unfortunately, they don't fall flat. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
it was launched a couple of years back, the Optra was available as a four-door sedan and five-door hatchback (Optra5), which despite being mechanically identical looks like a completely different car. The Optra Wagon made its debut back in 2005, the only model year where all three bodystyles were available. Surprisingly, it was the four-door sedan that was dropped for the 2006 model year, for reasons not officially known. From an accountant's standpoint, the four-door dripped with redundancy; it competed directly with Chevrolet's Cobalt Sedan and Pontiac's G5 Pursuit Sedan, and given that it was only sold in Canada, it was easy to drop, leaving only the hatch and wagon to survive. Both hatchback and wagon continue with two trim levels, the base LS, and the high-content LT.
Though it wears the golden bowtie, and is fitted with the new General Motors corporate badging, there's no hiding that the Optra Wagon isn't a North American car. Its inoffensive looks aren't the least bit imaginative, allowing it to mysteriously vanish into traffic right before your eyes, although, if you focus on it hard enough the chrome-trimmed grille and chunky headlamps are different enough to separate it from Chevrolet's other offerings. The Optra's interior and on-road dynamics, which we visit shortly, are also different from anything else that's considered domestic. This isn't a bad thing though; if at all General Motors wanted an import fighter, its grounds in using Korean-built GMDAT cars such as this couldn't be stronger.
At the time of its development, the Optra, alongside the Aveo/
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| Vertical-style tail lights are present in order to maximize the width of the tailgate. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
Wave (Kalos) and Epica (Evanda) was the vehicle to help what was then Daewoo, dig itself out of the gutters. On the level of the global compact car playing field, it is a reasonably advanced design, fitted with a four-wheel independent suspension, and a body structure that's high in torsional rigidity. These two features in particular help make the car a very pleasant runabout, with a soft ride that absorbs stray ruts and bumps without the usual sharpness. The rigid frame and a serious dose of sound insulation in key locations also helps to suppress road noise to levels that better the Corolla et al. You can tell that the Optra was a car designed to excel within speed limits and low-speed areas of town, where indeed, it is good.
Steering is conducted through a big, leather-wrapped wheel, with a surprisingly heavy weight and sufficient feel - something that's unusual in cars of this size. Jumping into it, from, say, a Civic, might lead you to question whether or not the car has power steering, but indeed, it does; in fact, on the LT model, speed-sensitive steering is standard, which helps to lighten things once you're moving about. This is merely half the story though; inputs are dulled by overly slow gearing which makes for understeer-prone cornering, unfortunately not particularly accurate. Body control is reasonable, but prone to roll, due to the softly sprung suspension. The Optra does receive four-wheel disc brakes as standard, although ABS is an option.
Less
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| Lack of power, combined with confusing steering mean you'll probably prefer driving the Optra within legal limits. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
brilliant is the powertrain combination that Chevrolet has been given. The standard 1980s-era 2.0-litre 'D-Tec' engine, sourced from GM's Australian arm produces 119 horsepower and 126 lb-ft of torque; this is interesting as the identical motor found in the U.S.-only Suzuki Forenza produces 126 horsepower and 131 lb-ft of torque. Nevertheless, in town the Optra Wagon is adequately powerful, but seeing as peak power and peak torque are developed at 5,400 and 4,200 rpm respectively, in order to move heavy loads or a packed vehicle, you'll need to rev it, at which point the engine begins to feel laboured and unrefined. Gearbox choices include a five-speed manual hobbled by a balky shifter, or, a very slushy four-speed automatic.
But then again, buyers of the Optra Wagon, namely folks that don't particularly care about g-forces and lift-off oversteer will probably be more interested in the sensible side of things. Yes, the Optra's 2,600 mm (102.1 in) wheelbase is shorter than the class average, but interior volume is better than most vehicles in the compact class. Simply put, I was surprised to find that even with the front seat arranged for a taller driver, there was more than enough leg and headroom for anyone akin to my near 5-foot 10-inch frame, or even larger. Driver comfort is also good, with big, comfortable, 8-way adjustable seats that include driver's side lumbar support, and a steering wheel that adjusts for rake.
Surrounding the driver is a simple cabin that's methodically laid out
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| Interior is attractive, and for the better part, a pleasant place to be. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
with simple instruments and an uncluttered console. It may not be the most glamorous or fancy vehicle, but GMDAT has made a good effort in an attempt to jazz the interior up; the dashboard and door panels were borrowed from the Optra5 hatch, rather than the sedan, which means a more interesting look that features round vents, instead of plain rectangular units. The soft-touch two-tone dashboard is divided by a strip of silver-painted plastic, as are the vents, transmission gate surround and steering wheel spars. The Optra seems like a durable machine, but attention to detail may raise question: on this brand-new tester, the rubber grommets on the turn signals were peeled back, while bundles of wire were visibly exposed around the steering column.
Being
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| Advantage Wagon: Optra can haul some 1,917 litres, something you just can't do in a sedan. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
a wagon, the Optra offers more cargo space than the now defunct sedan or the five-door hatchback. With the seats up, 350 litres (12.3 cu-ft) of cargo volume is available, some 100 L (3.5 cu-ft) more than the rakish hatchback, and a figure that puts it in close contention with much more costly European luxury wagons. With the seats folded, you get 1,917 litres (67.7 cu-ft) of Ikea flatpack-hauling space, which, as far as standards go, is more than what most compact SUVs can offer. The cargo bay, which includes storage bins and a rolling cover could only be improved by offering a truly flat-folding rear seat, a ski-pass thru, and a 12-volt auxiliary power supply, which is strangely featured on the Optra5 hatch, but not the wagon.
Though the Optra can be purchased for small amounts of money, there is a spurious correlation between the price of the car and its fuel consumption. For an engine that is a meagre 2.0-litres in displacement, with four valves per cylinder and dual overhead consumption, its rate of consumption is marginal at best; a small car should be able to extract mileage better than 11.0 L/100 km in the city, which is what Transport Canada rates the Optra Wagon with the automatic transmission. By comparison, a Chevrolet Malibu sedan powered by the 3.5-litre pushrod V6, a vehicle that's a whole size larger, is able to manage 10.3 L/100 km in the city. GM's interim solution is to offer you $.20 per litre on fuel for the next year if you purchase one in the near future.
Perhaps
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| 6-disc stereo system features a new dual-DIN headunit that is stylized much like the one featured in the Impala. No MP3 jack, though. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
the strongest factor that might draw anyone to buying the Optra Wagon is price. In base LS trim, the $15,630 wagon makes the most sense, as you get plenty of space for the dollar, but in reality few of us these days can live without the toys. Only when you move out of the LS model and into the LT can you get the standard roof rails, power windows and mirrors, keyless entry (integrated into the key, no less), cruise control, air conditioning (optional on LS) and a CD-MP3 player that features remote stereo controls. Even though you still have to pay extra for alloy wheels ($450), ABS ($565), side airbags ($515), a power sunroof and a 6-disc in-dash changer ($350), it'll set you back far less than you may have thought: a fully-loaded automatic-equipped model such as this tops out at $20,575.
Although there are many hatchbacks on the market that offer
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| Optra's biggest case is pricing. You just can't beat it. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
additional practicality over their notchback sedan counterparts - many a hair above the price level of the Optra - few offer such a high level of practicality as a wagon. The Optra Wagon's closest natural competitors, the basic Ford Focus Wagon SE starts at $19,599, while an SES model that's comparably equipped is closer to $26,000. A base Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback is still thousands more than the Optra, even when the Optra is equivalently equipped. While the Optra Wagon might not stand out in any particular way, when it comes down to the money factor, indeed, it is a deal that's too good to ignore.
Specifications (Optra Wagon LT):- Price Range (Optra Wagon LT MSRP): $18,045 - $21,025
- Price as Tested (MSRP): $20,575
- Body Type: 5-door wagon
- Layout: front engine, FWD
- Engine: 119-hp, 126 lb-ft of torque, 2.0L, 16-valve DOHC I-4
- Transmission: 4-spd auto (std. 4-spd auto)
- Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc (opt .ABS)
- Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,565 / 1,725 / 1,500 / 2,600 mm (179.7 / 67.9 / 59.1 / 102.4 in)
- Curb Weight: 1,295 kg (2,855 lbs)
- Tires: 195/55R15
- Cargo Volume (seat up / down): 350 / 1,917 L (12.4 / 67.7 cu-ft)
- Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 11.0 / 7.0 L/100 km
- Observed Fuel Economy: 11.3 L/100 km
- Warranty (mo/km): 36/60,000 comprehensive - 60/100,000 powertrain
- Competitors: Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Elantra 5-dr, Kia Spectra5, Mazda3 Sport, Nissan Versa Hatchback, Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback, Subaru Impreza Wagon, Suzuki Aerio Fastback, Toyota Matrix, VW Jetta Wagon
- Website: www.gmcanada.com
