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GM India’s strategy to introduce different variants of the Optra to widen the car's appeal seems to be working. Optra sales are steady and the car is now well established. After the Optra 1.8 Max, which came with a cheaper price tag and 1.6 interiors, GMI has moved to the other end of the spectrum with the classy Optra Design Edition.
This model is a celebration of the Optra's successful completion of one year in India. Priced at Rs 10,98,746, this special-edition Optra is expensive but you get a lot for your money.
Firstly, it gets a new Chevy grille, much nicer looking than the rebadged Daewoo nose the current Optra is sold with. A thick chrome strip runs horizontally through the chrome-rimmed grille with the traditional bow tie sitting on it. If this grille, which is used on Chevy’s North American models, proves popular, it could be offered on other Optra variants as well.
The standard 185/65 R14 tyres shod on metal rims on the regular Optra have been replaced with 15-inch alloys and 195/55 R15 rubber. The wider and lower profile tyres will sharpen handling and improve steering response but the trade-off will be a slight deterioration in the ride.
The rich interior justifies the car's price tag. You get leather upholstery, LCD screens, a DVD player, a six-CD changer, wood-paneled dashboard, leather steering with wood inserts — the works! Wire-free headphones are offered for those who wish to fade music out while watching a movie on the seven-inch LCD screens. The CD changer from the top-of-the-line 1.8 LT manual is retained in the Design Edition.
The celebratory Optra is Rs 63,944 more expensive than the 1.8 LT manual which costs Rs 10,34,802 (ex-showroom, Mumbai) but is Rs 234 cheaper than the most expensive variant — the 1.8 LT automatic priced at Rs 10,98,983.
Even in regular form, the Optra is a practical and spacious car. Its refined 1.8-litre motor performs well although the gearshift could be better. But the 1.8-litre variant doesn't match Optra 1.6 sales as the latter is cheaper and buyers don't mind settling down for the same car with a slightly smaller engine and a few features less. Having the same car in two segments with different powertrains gives GMI the flexibility to mix and match features to make them attractive options for car buyers. The Design Edition is one such option. Compare it to the pricier Corolla and clearly this Optra is the one to go for. Sushant Balsekar